The Start of Something New: How to Prepare for College from Day One of High School

Summer is coming to an end, which means big changes are around the corner for incoming high school freshmen. As a high school student, you’ll have more independence. You’ll be more free to pursue your hobbies and passions. You’ll be more in charge of your life.

It’s normal to find this prospect both exciting and anxiety-inducing. While high school offers new opportunities, there are also new challenges. The choices you make today will have a major impact on your future, especially as that relates to the college journey.

But don’t worry too much! Putting the right foot forward in high school and getting ready for college can be simple. All you need to follow are four very basic steps.

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Involved

The first day of high school might seem scary. You’ll see people that you might have never interacted with before and have no idea how to connect with them. You might be asking yourself how to make friends in a new setting.

Clubs, sports, and other activities are a great way to meet people while developing the kinds of skills you need to succeed. Whether you are participating in glee club or golf, Spanish club or the swim team, group activities let you develop your interpersonal skills, learn time management, and learn more about yourself. Extended involvement can even lead to leadership opportunities later in high school that can allow you to further pursue these passions and share them with others.

Just make sure you can manage the workload. While clubs and activities can be fun, they are obligations. Deep involvement in one or two clubs can be much more enriching and compelling to colleges than attending only one or two meetings for a dozen different clubs.

2. Set A Strong Foundation for Academic Success

One critical aspect of high school is the grades. You’ll have the chance to participate in many different kinds of classes, some more interesting than others. In all these classes, you will be challenged academically.

While it might seem fine to put assignments off until the last minute or to try studying for a test on the ride to school, the effort that you put into classes has a huge lasting impact. Your grades now will impact your cumulative GPA when you graduate. If you get low grades for your first three years of school, it will be very difficult to get your GPA high enough to be competitive to selective schools by your final year.

It is essential that you start off strong by building good study habits. Dedicate a regular amount of time each day to studying and homework. Avoid procrastinating on assignments. In doing so, you’ll guarantee that your eventual college application shows you as a student who can manage their time and embody academic rigor.

3. Start Exploring Career Opportunities

It might seem early but high school can be a great time to start thinking about the kinds of careers you would want to study for in college. Schools will have activities and volunteer programs that can relate to different interests. They might even have information on summer programs and internships as well as job shadowing opportunities that you can work toward throughout the year.

By taking these opportunities, you show colleges you are a go-getter, that you are planning and thinking ahead. 

Talk to your teachers about what kinds of career opportunities might be available to you in the fields you are interested in. You might also do a simple search on Google for job programs in your community or reach out directly to businesses or offices nearby. Even if nothing is listed online, they may have or be willing to set up a program with you.

At Class 101 we give our students a DiSC assessment, which assesses your behavior styles based on four traits and suggests some options, to help with career options.

4. Begin College Exploration Early

Finally, the best way to prepare for college is to begin the college search process as soon as possible. In doing so, you can know what kinds of institutions you would excel at, the kinds of programs you want to pursue or the campus life you would thrive in. Once you have figured these qualities out and identified a few colleges that meet your interests, you can find the application requirements and begin developing yourself to meet them in four years.

One way to get new information is to visit college websites directly or to attend meetings with college admissions officers whenever they visit your school. You might also visit campuses directly, which is a great way to figure out what campus life is like. 

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If there’s one main takeaway, it’s this: Being proactive is important. By starting your college journey today, you can set yourself up for success tomorrow. High school is meant to be a time of learning and exploration and by making the most of each opportunity, you can ensure that your time there is both fulfilling and meaningful. 

If you want more tips on how to make the most of high school as well as continuous support and resources, we encourage you to set up a meeting with a Class 101 college advisor today. Our offices are ready to help you through every step of the process.