The Hero's Journey Explained Through The Eyes Of A College Freshman

So you don't understand Joseph Campbell's monomyth and wish there was an easy way to decipher his text, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Don't worry, you've come to the right place!

1. What is the Hero's Journey?

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The hero's journey is a set of stages written by Joseph Campbell, that most, if not all, heroes follow in some sort of variation. Even though Campbell published his ideas in 1949, the hero's journey is still relevant to narratives today.

2. If it's so old, why are we still studying it?

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The monomyth is set up in a way that forces the reader, AKA you, to closely follow the hero's growth and transformation throughout his/her journey. And at the same time, you develop skills that are necessary to be a critical thinker and writer!

And believe it or not, the hero's journey has other uses other than in the classroom. It can also be applied to other things, like the current journey you're on right now through your first year of college!

It's for these reasons that the hero's journey continues to be relevant and still be taught in classrooms till this very day.

3. Ahhh, okay. So what now?

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Now on to the different stages! I'll be explaining the hero's journey through the eyes of a college freshman, so here we go!

Disclaimer: The stages have no set order and are often subject to the reader's interpretation. Not all conventions are depicted due to the post's introductory nature. Also, within a text, not all stages may be present. Some conventions may be more prominent than others depending on the author as well. This guide was made solely for the purpose of assisting Writing 37 students understand the hero's journey more easily.

4. The Call to Adventure

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You just received your acceptance letter to the University of California: Irvine. Do you accept?

This time you're the hero of this hero's journey! You get home from a long day of school and your parents tell you a letter came in for you. Your heart rate jumps and your breath quickens; you've been waiting for months for your acceptance letters. You open it and find that you've been accepted to your first college, the University of California: Irvine!

With the arrival of the acceptance letter, you're given the choice of leaving the comfort of your parents, friends, and hometown for a completely new environment. You're not quite sure how to feel; this unknown world has the potential to be both rewarding but treacherous at the same time. There's no doubt though that this mysterious realm of UCI will bring new experiences. Do you accept your call to adventure?

Summary: The Call to Adventure is when the hero is given a choice to leave their known world for an unknown one with the potential for some sort of change.

5. The Refusal of the Call

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For some reason, you wait to respond to the acceptance letter.

(Not everyone encounters the Refusal of the Call stage, but its occurrence is often enough to be included in this list.)

Maybe you're afraid and don't think you'll be able to fit in or make new friends. Maybe you don't want to leave your beloved family or significant other behind. Maybe you think you're not prepared or smart enough for college and won't be able to graduate. For whatever reason, you choose to decline your Call to Adventure and your journey is put on standby.

Summary: After being given a choice, sometimes the hero will refuse the call and choose to stay in their known world. The hero is not ready to take the next step of their journey and will stay in this stage indefinitely until they eventually accept their Call to Adventure.

6. Crossing the First Threshold

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After finally choosing to attend UCI, fast forward to your first day of college.

After lugging all your stuff up two flights of stairs, you finally settle into your not-so-spacious dorm. You then start a vicious cycle of meeting someone new and then almost immediately forgetting their name. The day is filled with getting lost, awkward small talk, and being flyered by a billion different clubs on campus. It's a fresh start to a new beginning and you have the independence to do whatever you want. The possibilities are endless!

Summary: The hero takes their first step, or flop, into a new world. This step could be intentional, on accident, or a combination of both. This stage is the hero's first taste of a mysterious realm, who's rules and limits have yet to be discovered.

7. The Road of Trials

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Classes begin and before you know it, finals are quickly approaching.

#thestruggle. No one ever said college would be easy. Class sizes are huge, professors could care less if you come to class, and there's no homework to boost your midterm grades. You begin to miss your family and friends back home and it may even begin to feel lonely. With finals approaching, your stress levels go up and your sleep hours go down. Challenges arise; some battles are won and some battles are lost. Things may not always go your way but they'll turn around soon enough with the right outlook.

Summary: The Road of Trials is a series of obstacles or challenges that the hero must go through. They overcome some and fail some of them and overall these experiences contribute to the hero's character and being.

8. The Temptation

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You make some poor choices and big mistakes.

Things happen and sometimes you make the wrong decisions. Perhaps you get into unhealthy habits (like severe procrastination), resort to plagiarism, or maybe even get caught abusing substances like alcohol/drugs. Anything, really, that may negatively affect your performance in school can be seen as a temptation. Remember, everything in moderation!

Summary: The hero is faced with temptation that leads the hero astray from their main quest. In a way, this stage could also be seen as a prolonged challenge in the Road of Trials.

9. The Belly of the Whale, Part 1

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You're at your breaking point and you just want to give up.

This can happen anytime and to anyone. There will be a time where you find yourself exhausted and overwhelmed just trying to balance everything that life's throwing at you. Grades, projects, extracurriculars, jobs, homesickness and maybe even drama. Whatever it is, all you want to do is sleep and not do anything. You've hit rock bottom and you see little point in anything.

Summary: The hero finds him/herself engulfed by the Unknown world. The hero must change in order to rise out of the Belly of the Whale.

10. The Belly of the Whale, Part 2

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But then you realize it's useless to just sulk around. You take things one at a time and your finals slowly get completed.

Late one night, you have an epiphany. There's no point in stressing out. You'll do the best you can and tackle things one thing at a time. Like our little buddy above, after some struggling, you eventually make it out of the dark place you came from! The worst is done and over with and the end of your journey is drawing near.

Summary: The hero undergoes a metamorphosis and emerges out of the belly of the whale a new person.

11. The Ultimate Boon

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Finals are over and summer break begins!

Before you know it, you've finished all your finals and can finally head back home! You've finished your first year of college and return home a changed person with different perspectives and experiences. You visit all your old high school friends and see how they've all changed too. Life is good and you enjoy your summer to the fullest until the next year starts up again.

Summary: The Ultimate Boon is the hero's main goal for going on the journey in the first place. All the previous stages lead up to this final achievement and the hero can now return to their known world with newfound knowledge.

12. So if you're going through tough times...

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Just remember things won't always be this way and that in the end everything will be okay! Maybe you're just stuck within the Road of Trials or the Belly of the Whale for the time being, who knows? Just keep at it and you'll get to your Ultimate Boon eventually. Study hard and be sure to make the most of your time here at UCI!