Think about what your future might be
- Use the assessment quiz to learn about yourself
- Explore different occupations that match your interests
- Keep your options open
Do your best in class
- Develop good study habits
- Understand your learning style
- Make school-work a daily priority
- Ask your parent/guardian to help you create a quiet space at home for study
- Turn in your assignments on time
- Read, read, read! Read newspapers, magazines, and books outside of your required reading for school
Talk to your school counselor about:
- Going to college
- Taking the most challenging courses you can in 8th grade
- Taking the right courses in high school to prepare you for college
Practice setting and reaching goals
- Start with small, reachable goals that you can do now. When you have achieved those, work on larger, harder goals. Make your goals SMART:
- S – Specific
- M - Meaningful or measurable
- A – Action-oriented and attainable
- R – Realistic
- T – Time-based
- Here’s an example:
- Goal: Improve my grade in reading comprehension on the next test.
- I will read (Action-oriented)
- the newspaper (Realistic)
- three times each week (Measurable)
- by the end of this month. (Time-based)
Start saving $ for college
- Start saving for college now, and keep saving a little at a time. The earlier you can start saving, the more money you’ll have when it’s time to go to college
- Learn how to be smart about spending the money you have. Learn about “need-to-have” and “want-to-have” and understand the difference. Set aside a little money each week or month for college
Challenge and stretch yourself
- Participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, or sports
- Volunteer in your community
Build your college team
- Talk to your parents, guardians, other relatives, and trusted adults about going to college
- Ask them about their job or careers
- Hang out with friends who share your dream of college
- Find inspiration: learn about people who have made it against the odds