College Preparation Guidance & Timeline for Students
College is a whole new world and if you haven’t prepared for it at least on some level, then you’re really putting yourself at a great disadvantage. Your high school will most likely focus heavily on college prep, but getting ready for college involves a lot more than taking the right courses and filling out applications.
In fact, college preparation begins in childhood. Yes, all the way back in your elementary school days. This is a time when your parents can instill the expectation that you will go to college, which can positively shape your outlook and help you develop a sense of your goals.
By the time you enter high school, you should be thinking about college and how your decisions right now affect your goals.
Here are a few things you can do in order to prepare for college:
Develop an Academic College-Oriented Mindset
In order to truly prepare for college well enough in advance, you need to have a college-oriented mindset. This means that you need to have an image of yourself and your life wherein college is an indispensable factor. This is partly your responsibility and partly your parents. Parents should always encourage going to college from a young age so students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
Another element of becoming mentally prepared for college is to take an interest in your future. This can be tough for high school students that are less than enthusiastic about education in general, but parents can help by starting discussions on what kids want to do with their lives, what they might want to major in and what they want to do as a career. Talking about the long-term goals and the doors that are opened because of college often acts as an added level of encouragement.
Make Use of Counselors & Other Useful Information
A huge part of becoming prepared for college is to visit your high school counselor often. Counselors are invaluable resources that want to help you with this huge life transition. However, they can’t come and seek you out of the entire study body. You have to come to them.
You should make it a habit to visit your high school counselors regularly to keep them up to date on you, your life and your goals. They can often give you the inside scoop on colleges you may be interested in, scholarships and other financial aid opportunities.
Understand Application Requirements Early
Along with paying a visit to your counselor often, you should also read about or pick up copies of college applications very early on. Even if you don’t plan on attending a certain college, it can be extremely helpful to you to know what a college application looks like and what it entails so you can prepare accordingly. Your best bet would be to have a tentative list of colleges you’d like to attend so you can evaluate their applications early. Doing this will also help you understand what high school classes you need to take, any extracurricular activities you need to take part in and any other tasks you need to complete in order to qualify.
Develop & Program Your Good Habits Early
This has a lot to do with your parents and the qualities they help to instill in you from an early age. However, you can do your part to become responsible as well. It’s really the little things that can make adjusting to college life much easier. For instance, instead of your parents waking you up each morning, buy an alarm clock and get yourself up. Or, if you have a part-time job, set up a budget for yourself so you get used to spending responsibly. You should even set aside money for college on your own as well.
With proper preparation, college is a realistic goal with outstanding benefits. Ideally, parents and students will work together toward this common goal. However, students can pull their own weight as well, by following these tips and by acknowledging the importance of a college education.