Some decades ago, joining high school was voluntary. This explains why most grandparents didn’t attend high school, especially if they had other commitments at home. However, high schools are currently among the legal requirements that prepare students for higher education.
Fortunately, advancing tech has enabled students to figure out their interests and passions without wasting time studying unnecessary courses. While it doesn’t seem important, your academic selections while in high school significantly prepare you for a college education.
For instance, if you took computer science as part of your high school education, you can excel in college programming, software engineering, and other IT-related courses. While you might have to take online coding classes to supplement your high school knowledge, you will be ahead of the rest. That said, below are some tips for preparing for your college while still in high school.
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Know Your Counselor Early
Identifying and creating a good rapport with your high school counselor is important in preparing for what lies ahead. Most students wait until junior or senior years to develop a relationship with their counselors. However, it is beneficial to know this person in your freshman years. Allows you to exploit their services to the maximum.
High school counselors provide crucial support that can see you through various high school challenges and help set goals and plans that keep you on track.
These people have important resources and connections that make it easy to make realistic decisions about your future career. Developing a good relationship with your high school counselor sets the stage for a smooth high school experience.
Identify Degree Requirements
Most high school students have a specific degree they want to pursue after high school. If you have a specific choice, make sure that you identify the requirements early to work towards achieving them. Most university degrees have core subjects in English, math, history, and science.
Identifying degree requirements helps avoid last-minute stress.
However, this may vary based on your ambitions. For instance, in some degrees, you may need to study foreign languages or advanced math to be accepted.
Break Down Your High School Years
Once you have identified your preferred degree of study, you should create an actionable plan.
Again, consult your counselor and develop a four-year blueprint to help you achieve your goals. Developing a yearly plan ensures that you complete all the requirements without sacrificing your high school fun.
With the input of a counselor, you can develop a flexible strategy that outlines all you need to accomplish every year and ultimately ensure that you realize your goals. You don’t want to trudge through endless schedules full of educational activities without a break as a student.
Similarly, you shouldn’t fall behind others or pile your coursework. Creating a four-year master plan enables you to break down high school tasks into bite-sized, easily achievable steps.
Don’t Ignore Extracurricular Activities.
Most colleges accept applications that are rich in extracurricular activities. While the primary goal of being in high school is to get an education, extracurricular activities are also very beneficial.
These activities help college admission officers understand your personality and how you can benefit the institution. Extracurricular activities reveal an individual’s personality better than grades, test scores, and numbers.
Fortunately, you can choose from several electives. Among them include;
- Martial arts
- Volunteering
- Community theater, comedy, and dance
- Academic clubs
- Music
- Political interest groups
- Photography
- Scouting and more
Work on Time Management
Most high school students rely on external factors, their parents’ or schools’ timetables, to manage their time. However, this won’t be available in college.
You will have to make your schedule, and most students find this newly found freedom hard. It might be challenging to survive with nobody reminding you that you have to study, sleep, or wake up.
Therefore, start working on your time management early as you prepare for adult responsibilities. Fortunately, you can do this in several ways. You can opt for the old-fashioned time planner or use modern time management apps to draw your schedule.
Regardless of your chosen time management method, ensure that you maintain consistency and stick to it. Set aside study time and take sufficient breaks to avoid burnout. Doing this not only helps you grow but also makes you ready to handle other college challenges.
Conclusion
The high school period is the best time to discover more about yourself, explore more, and start making independent decisions.
Since college lies ahead, you should start preparing early by considering the above-mentioned tips. Doing this eases the pressure from expectations placed on the current generation by increasing the chances of succeeding in your college studies.
