Let’s face it: starting high school is scary. There’s a new building to get to know, harder classes and intimidating upperclassmen to deal with.
There’s certainly enough to think about without worrying about what you’re going to do after high school. After all, thinking about college preparation is for juniors and seniors, right? Not necessarily!
Though it’s tempting to ignore the prospect of picking a school until the last minute, it’s smart to get a head start on college preparation. I’m not saying you need to visit schools and schedule interviews this early, but there are definitely things you can do as a freshman to better prepare yourself for the application process.
First off, keep those grades up! I know it sounds obvious, but the first year does matter, and you’ll want to work hard now to save yourself from frantically trying to pull up your GPA when you’re an upperclassman. Even if your PlayStation is calling your name, or you have some juicy gossip to discuss with your best friend, try to get your homework done. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
Another great way to make progress is to get involved. Freshman year is the time to find out what you really like, so try it all! Join a sport, a club or do some community service. All of these activities look great on a resume, and they’re bound to be fun!
If you’re really looking to get ahead, there are many opportunities to start scouting out colleges early. Find out if your school hosts any college fairs; they’re very good for getting a general idea about what schools you might want to look more closely at. School representatives will be very impressed to see such a proactive freshman!
The bottom line is: as a senior you want to be able to enjoy your status as ruler of the school and have fun with your friends, not fret about grades or make rushed decisions as you prepare for college. So make your freshman year count and get a head start on your future.