What is a narrative?  The definition that may fit best is “a narrative is a special genre of storytelling that uses history to give form to ideals.” 

There are several strategies that you can use to get started on this paper; you may want to think about your own “personal truths” and then connect them to specific experiences in your background that contributed to your beliefs. Or,  you could start by considering your chronological history and background and look for “morals of the story” along the way.

What are your personal truths and why you hold these beliefs?  You could define “personal truths” as the set of rules that you use to determine your behavior.  Your personal truths are the “whys” behind your answers to questions such as: 

What are the right things to do?  What are the wrong things to do? 

What am I good at?  What am I not so good at? 

What do I sincerely believe in?  What are my convictions?

Your personal narrative requires you to articulate your personal truths in three contexts; as an individual, academically, and in the “business” world.  How do you define yourself in each of these contexts?  What roles do you see yourself playing within each context (both now and 10 years from now)? 

Once you have identified your various roles within each context, you will need to articulate how a “multifaceted you” complements the ideals of an Interdisciplinary Studies program and in your area of career interest.

As a narrative, your paper should also include your thoughts on your background and how that has influenced your view of the world. Where you would like to go, and WHY you would like to get to where it is you think you would like to go.

What forces and circumstances have shaped your personal identity as well as your identity as a student?  In other words, discuss how and why you got to where you are today as an IDS major at Arizona State University.

As a means of synthesis, your personal narrative must include why you are in the IDS program, as well as why you have selected the emphasis areas (disciplines/concentrations) that you have chosen as part on your IDS program. You should be able to write about what your personal and academic interests are and how they can be integrated and related to your career goals (looking across the three contexts mentioned above).