Junior Year Preparation For College
There are definite benefits to starting your journey toward college well before your senior year begins. For one thing, it’s not uncommon for teens to come down with a case of “senioritis” during their last year of high school. Why not do some leg work a bit early so you can go into your final year with a little less on your mind? These are the things you can tackle your junior year:
1. Start with a visit to your guidance counselor. You’ve probably not had much reason to make this valuable person a part of your school life up until this point, but you do now. Simply tell her that you want to go to college and ask her to help you stay on track. You’ll reaffirm what classes you still need to take in high school, and likely start a conversation about what area of interest you might have in mind to study in college. She’ll clear up any confusion you may have about the ACT and SAT standardized tests, too.
2. Come up with your plan for the standardized tests. Opinions vary about when to take the ACT and SAT, but one thing remains same. Start studying early. You may decide to sign up for both tests at the onset of your senior year, but take time throughout your junior year to prep for them. Exam prep books are available at bookstores, online or maybe your counselor has some to share. Getting familiar with the format of these very important tests can take the anxiety out of test day.
3. Check out local college. Hit the road on weekends and compare the differences between campuses within driving distance. You’d be surprised how comfortable you are on some campuses and how foreign you might feel on others. You can really narrow down your choices by simply spending some time looking at the lives of current college students. If your interests lie outside of your state, spend plenty of time on the college websites that aren’t quite as easy to get to via car.
4. How will you pay for it? That’s the million dollar question for most families, although hopefully your tab won’t run quite that high. As you’ve likely heard by now, it’s not cheap to earn that college degree and you’ll probably need help from as many sources as possible. Start looking into local scholarships early so you can make sure that you spend your junior year meeting the various criteria. Research loans and grants, too. Next year after you gain acceptance, you can also check out what your university has to offer in terms of financial aid and grants on their end.
Before you know it, you’ll be in your cap and gown and ready to move on to the next phase of your young adult life. Make this time count and do as much prep work as you possibly can.
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