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COLLEGE
Whether you are in your final years of high school or barely starting, there is one thing that all high school students have in common: college. It seems that even in the earliest years of school students have their academic future in mind. For many children the pressure of doing well in grade school decides what high school they go to, and then they have to do well in high school in order to get into the college of their choice. Then there are those teens that feel like college is not quite for then and have to decide exactly what alternatives to college they will be a part of, which can be equally frustrating. These alternatives can be attending a two-year college, hitting the work force right after high school, enlisting in the military, or going on a journey of self-discovery. Whether attending a college or not, there are many uncertainties for high school students.
From very early on students or parents start thinking of college and the road that will lead them there, but the most urgent years are usually the last two years of high school. Thinking of anything to do with college is usually accompanied by feelings of uncertainty for most high school students. There are many things to consider when it comes to college and for some students that more than they are prepared to handle. When thinking about college many questions come to mind:
Will I go to college?
Where will I go?
How do I pick a college?
What do I want to study?
How will I pay for it?
What is the application process?
Am I qualified for that college?
Where do I start?
Who can I ask for help?
Am I ready?
Those are just a few of the questions teens have and they only have so much time before they have to start applying. These next couple of months is really crunch time when it come to the application process, with many colleges making their deadlines so early in the school year for seniors. The best thing that any confused and future college student can do is to make a plan on everything to do with college. To help those of you having trouble here are some helpful tips.
One of the first things that help in picking out a college is to pick what you will study once you get there. In order to do this all you have to do is look at your interests and see what possible careers could come from what you enjoy to do best. Let your passions guide you. Once you have an idea of what you might want to do look for what you need to study to get there.
When you know what you want to study, start looking for the top colleges for that field of study. Many websites offer rankings of the best college for any major so look at some of those any research those colleges to see which ones fit you best.
After you have some colleges in mind (it would be best to have at least 5 possible college choices) start heavily researching everything you can about them. Visit their websites for quick information and even request that they send you some materials about their school. Many colleges offer tours if you visit their campus and some even consider that when choosing students to attend their school.
Once you have collected the information important to you (if you do not know what is important than check websites that offer help with college and see what categories they use when giving information on a college) it is important to categorize the information on all possible college choices to make it easier to process all that information. Think of it as making your own mini-brochure custom made with everything you will need.
After this long process you will may have a clear idea of which colleges you will be applying to so try picking two difficult schools to get into, two schools you have a good chance of getting into, and two schools you are sure to get into. Make sure to know all application deadlines to not fall behind in any way, and know you have all the requirements to graduate.
Remember that most people in your school are going through the exact same thing so talk to each other and share any helpful information. Also, talk to anyone who has already gone through this process especially older siblings and teachers/counselors. These people are there to help and some are specifically trained in helping teens with the college process.
From very early on students or parents start thinking of college and the road that will lead them there, but the most urgent years are usually the last two years of high school. Thinking of anything to do with college is usually accompanied by feelings of uncertainty for most high school students. There are many things to consider when it comes to college and for some students that more than they are prepared to handle. When thinking about college many questions come to mind:
Will I go to college?
Where will I go?
How do I pick a college?
What do I want to study?
How will I pay for it?
What is the application process?
Am I qualified for that college?
Where do I start?
Who can I ask for help?
Am I ready?
Those are just a few of the questions teens have and they only have so much time before they have to start applying. These next couple of months is really crunch time when it come to the application process, with many colleges making their deadlines so early in the school year for seniors. The best thing that any confused and future college student can do is to make a plan on everything to do with college. To help those of you having trouble here are some helpful tips.
One of the first things that help in picking out a college is to pick what you will study once you get there. In order to do this all you have to do is look at your interests and see what possible careers could come from what you enjoy to do best. Let your passions guide you. Once you have an idea of what you might want to do look for what you need to study to get there.
When you know what you want to study, start looking for the top colleges for that field of study. Many websites offer rankings of the best college for any major so look at some of those any research those colleges to see which ones fit you best.
After you have some colleges in mind (it would be best to have at least 5 possible college choices) start heavily researching everything you can about them. Visit their websites for quick information and even request that they send you some materials about their school. Many colleges offer tours if you visit their campus and some even consider that when choosing students to attend their school.
Once you have collected the information important to you (if you do not know what is important than check websites that offer help with college and see what categories they use when giving information on a college) it is important to categorize the information on all possible college choices to make it easier to process all that information. Think of it as making your own mini-brochure custom made with everything you will need.
After this long process you will may have a clear idea of which colleges you will be applying to so try picking two difficult schools to get into, two schools you have a good chance of getting into, and two schools you are sure to get into. Make sure to know all application deadlines to not fall behind in any way, and know you have all the requirements to graduate.
Remember that most people in your school are going through the exact same thing so talk to each other and share any helpful information. Also, talk to anyone who has already gone through this process especially older siblings and teachers/counselors. These people are there to help and some are specifically trained in helping teens with the college process.
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