Preparing for College Courses: Tips for High School Students

You’ve spent your whole life up until now thinking about college as a vague idea far in the future. But now that you’re in high school, it’s time to get serious about your college planning.

Depending on who you talk to, preparing for further education can sound scary or it can seem like an exciting adventure! The reality is that it’s both, but not to an extreme either way.

As long as you prepare early, heading off to college is the next natural milestone in your life and it shouldn’t be overly daunting. With these tips, you can make the transition from high school into your college courses smoothly!

1. Find the Right College for Your Goals

Although every college has the ultimate mission of educating their students, some schools specialize in different things. Knowing that your goals are in line with the atmosphere on the campus will make the transition easier for you.

For instance, if your plan is to become an engineer, you need to find a school that offers top-quality engineering courses. Once you narrow down your selection to your preferred choices, you can then explore the requirements to get accepted.

If you wait until the last minute to start this search, you could find yourself missing a core requirement. Many universities expect you to be well-rounded, with lots of volunteer hours and self-motivated learning through outside activities.

When you know exactly how hard it will be to get accepted to your top choice, you can make the process easier for yourself. Take online courses, get in your volunteer hours, and keep plugging away on that GPA. By the time you put in your college application, you’ll have a competitive edge!

2. Get and Stay Organized

Your high school teachers are going to lecture you frequently about the need to take initiative and get organized. They’re going to use the “Your college teachers aren’t going to be this understanding” threat, and they’re not always wrong!

College professors have a lot of students to be responsible for. In general, they expect the fact that you’re now paying a lot of money to take their course to mean you want to be there.

If you want to be there, you’ll be self-directed. They’re not going to baby you or hold your hand. As a responsible student, you should be using your high school years to learn how to be organized when it comes to juggling multiple assignments and tasks.

When your teacher tries to show you how to format a paper, take notes with strategies, or give you other fundamental skills, pay attention. You’ll be able to use these methods in college when the focus is on the subject, not the organizational strategy.

3. Master Your Mind

College life is full of distractions. During freshman year, the majority of your peers will be on their own for the first time in their lives. The temptation to focus on fun instead of studying can get pretty intense.

Your high school years are the time to cultivate good study habits to help you in your courses in college. The pace of most of your college classes is going to be hectic. 

When you transition your high school strategies into these newer, more difficult courses, you make life easier on yourself.

Part of mastering your mind before college is developing those good study habits, but it’s also learning how to manage your time. This is a skill that is lacking in a large percentage of adults, so if you nail it early, you’ll always be ahead of the game.

Instead of turning down social invitations or outside-of-study responsibilities, willingly take them on. Apply for jobs and/or volunteer roles, go out with your friends, and study hard. 

When you do this in high school, you begin to learn how to juggle the work/life balance that is essential as an adult. 

Success isn’t about cutting back your activities until you have no enjoyment in your life or are totally one-track-minded. It’s about learning how to manage your time wisely in order to get everything included in your day.

These master-mind processes will roll over into your college courses. They’ll keep you from feeling the pressure your peers will likely experience.

Conclusion

It’s never too early to start planning for college if that’s your goal. College courses are more complex than what you may be used to, though. 

With these tips, you’ll transition into upper-education life without a hitch and get straight to preparing for your future career!