The best way to prep for college and get yourself ready for a highly fruitful career later on is to start preparing as early as possible in high school. Even starting during freshman year can be pivotal.
A big part of that is choosing the right high school courses to both create an impressive resume and build your foundation for college-level academics.
Here are some key tips to help you with choosing high school classes to maximize your chances of success.
1: Seek Challenging Classes
One of the best things you can do when choosing high school programs is to choose the ones that will challenge you.
You don’t need to overwhelm yourself to the point you sabotage your success, but you shouldn’t settle for classes that are too easy for you.
By choosing harder classes, you do two things.
First, it looks good on your college application. It shows you have drive, and completing those difficult classes makes you stand out from everyone who stuck with the basic curriculum.
However, it also prepares you to handle college-level courses. If you don’t challenge yourself in high school, the jump from high school-level subjects to college can be extremely difficult.
2: Pick Useful Extracurricular Activities and Electives
During high school, you’ll need to choose electives, and you’ll have lots of extracurricular opportunities such as sports, clubs, etc.
A good approach is to choose options that align with future goals. Athletic programs might not align with a career in medicine, but they can help you get scholarships and demonstrate good character traits. Choosing things such as a science club or a trade program can directly impact your skills and college prospects if you want a career related to those things.
You can still participate in fun options such as an anime club or an art program when you have no intention of working with art, but your focus needs to be on programs that align with long-term goals.
3: Focus on CP and AP if Possible
Choosing more challenging classes in general can help, but you can also work toward qualifying for college prep and advanced placement classes specifically meant to prepare you for college-level academics.
If you qualify via your performance in freshman and sophomore years, these are prime opportunities that should not be passed up.
4: Understand Your College Goals Early and Place Extra Focus on Those Goals
You can’t prepare for college much if you don’t settle on a plan early. A good way to start prepping is to know what you want to do in college first.
Then, when you get to pick your classes for high school, you know what areas are critical for your college success and what you can afford to not push yourself above and beyond in.
This approach lets you focus your energy on the classes that will help you in college, and while you still need to do well in your standard classes, you know you don’t need to spend all your time and energy on them.
If you need any help with learning new things and studying in general, check out our test preparation tutors!
