I really should be studying, but instead, I'm browsing the available quizzes on a popular website. "Pick Your Favorites And We Will Tell You What Kind Of Tea You Are," I read and click on instantly. "Wow, I'm peppermint tea, how insightful," I think after reading my result.

While these kinds of personality quizzes are fun to complete, typically the results are written vaguely enough to feel relatable to anyone, similar to the horoscopes in magazines. Sometimes your 'result' is inaccurate and even knowing so, I've been borderline offended when a quiz doesn't correctly rate me. Despite the triviality, I spend a lot of time taking quizzes and have even submitted some as a creator myself.

But these quizzes aren't always fun and games! There are personality quizzes that are taken more seriously. Even though it is not backed up by studies, the Meyers-Brigg personality test is a popular tool and many people know their "type". In my freshman career exploration course, we were assigned to take the MBTI and to use the results to help identify careers that would best fit our personality types.

Many employers are also now requiring personality tests to help determine whether or not a candidate would be a good fit for the company. Many times, these tests influence whether or not the applicant will be called in for an interview. The Wake County Public School System uses a survey like this in their application process. I have a friend who studied Psychology and is now at a company that develops these job tests and analyzes them. She sent me the basic version to take and I found my results very interesting.

Why do we love taking these types of quizzes? It may seem like this is a new trend, but even before the internet, personality quizzes were a feature in popular magazines like Cosmo. I think it has to do with the fact that we, as humans, are always looking inward and are trying to understand ourselves. We also like to feel like we are connected to other people. Online quizzes are made for you to share the link with your friends so you can compare results.

Personality quizzes may make us feel like someone understands us and as if we belong to a group. Whether it's your Hogwarts house or your MBTI type, you realize there are others like you, who think and act in a similar way to you. It also may make us feel like we better understand certain aspects of ourselves.

Yes, personality quizzes can be silly and a way to pass the time. But in some cases, they can influence whether or not you are selected for a job. Even if they have serious shortcomings and they lack scientific validity, personality quizzes are here to stay.

I'm an INFP-T, a Ravenclaw, and if I were an essential oil, I'd be eucalyptus. What about you?