How to Spend Your High School Years

Some say high school is the hardest time of their lives, yet others say college was. Whatever way you look at it, both periods are highly important in shaping what type of education a student will want to pursue later in life. With college being the later portion, it is imperative that a strong and solid foundation is laid down in high school so that college will be much easier.

In order to perform well in high school, students need to develop good study habits. This will only help them later on in college, as the reverse is not true. Someone who just tumbles his or her way through high school is sure to have a rough time in college. Also, it won't hurt to develop these important skills earlier, as college will be a time to identify with yourself and find out more about who you are and who you want to be.

During your freshman year of high school, you should be looking into a broad subject matter and determining what set of interests you have and what type of talents you have. The transition from junior high school to high school should be rather smooth, as nothing is much changed, and your first year of classes in high school will usually involve Algebra 1, General Biology, Chemistry, Literature, and Social Studies. These classes shouldn't be too hard, so try your best to do well and have some fun. Remember that since you will have the lightest load your freshman year, make sure to join clubs and take part in extracurricular activities as you see fit. This is the time to find the right niche and develop the interests that colleges like to see. Jump into leadership positions and take part in community service. You will most likely be a part of these clubs for the remainder of your high school career, so choose wisely and carefully as you will be devoting a lot of time to retain your membership. Remember to identify what you would like to lean towards with respect to academia, and take that with you to your sophomore year.

In your sophomore year, you should be looking to what types of colleges you would like to attend. It doesn't have to be specific, but you can tailor your junior and senior courses to fit the curriculum you anticipate to be learning later on, as you will have more flexibility to choose your courses during your last two years of high school. If you want to major in something related to the math and sciences later on, you will need to schedule higher level math classes later, and likewise if you would like to major in something literature related (or the humanities in general), be looking at what social sciences and language classes your school has to offer.

Take a practice SAT or ACT exam, depending on your interests in various colleges. You will probably be asked to take the PSAT during this time, as it is just a shorter practice version of the real SAT examination. If you would like to increase your chances of being accepted into a college, make sure you also look into SAT II subject tests, as many specific subject tests are offered such as SAT II Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology among others. Take the standardized tests that you will be needing in order to be considered for entrance to the university of your choice. Now would be a good time to gauge your skill levels and see what you need to improve on.

Your Junior year of high school will usually be the hardest. Your schedule will be the most difficult, as you will be taking Advanced Placement (AP) credit courses or something of that equivalent (different states and school systems have different methods). On a nationwide basis, the AP accredited courses will be the most widely accepted credit by colleges.

AP Credit works in a way similar to a college course. You will be taking an AP Course of your choice (Psychology, Calculus, Chemistry, and so on) like a regular class in high school, although it will usually be much harder. Your teacher will work with you in preparation for the AP Exam which each subject will have at the end of the school year. The AP exam is graded on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the best possible score. The college or university you are planning to attend (or would like to) will usually have a section on the website or a list in the registrar's office of what score will be accepted as credit for what course. For example, if you take AP Psychology and obtain a 5, then your future college's core curriculum will award you with Psychology Class credit which can take the place of the course. In other words, if you study hard in an AP class and do well on the exam, you will not have to take that course in college. This is an extremely helpful tip, as this is the reason many students graduate so much earlier than others.

That is why Junior year is the hardest year. You must also pair this with your SAT examination scores, which you should be studying for weekly. Since you will apply to college the Spring of your Junior year, you will need to have everything ready by then - Transcript, Recommendations, Interview preparation, Standardized scores, the whole package. It would be helpful to study more for the SAT during the summer preceding your Junior year, as it will take the load off of your courses. Now you are ready to apply to schools. You should have three categories of colleges you are choosing from:

Safety - These are colleges or universities that you feel you are most definitely likely to be accepted in to. Some call this category the back up category; you should decide which colleges will be easiest for you to get into and put them on this list.

Target - These are the schools that you feel (with your scores and activities) that you should have the best chance of getting in to. These are colleges that you would really like to attend and fit your interests and situation well.

Reach - This category is the set of schools that you would very much like to get into, but feel that you may not be able to be accepted in to. Ivy Leagues are a good choice for this category, but who knows? If they really see something in you, then you will have a great chance!

You should choose around 3 schools for each category, just to broaden your base. Once you are satisfied with your SAT scores and you have filled out all of your applications (which is a long and tedious process), finish out your Junior Year with all of your AP examinations.

Your senior year is the "celebration year." If you applied to any school with the Early Decision Choice, then you should receive a letter by Fall. If you applied for regular admission, then they will most likely send you an acceptance or rejection letter in the Spring. This should be a good time to wind down your high school career and look back on all of the experiences you had and the learned lessons you take with you. Spend this time to cherish the relationships with your friends and teachers, as you will all be splitting up and parting ways very soon (you won't see each other until the reunion). Some people feel nostalgia, others feel happiness that they are leaving to a new place; whatever you feel, make sure to get all of the emotions out that you need to, as you will have a fresh new beginning in college.

Even though this is your last year of high school, make sure that your grades do not slip. Colleges that accept you will still look at your final year's transcript, and if they feel that you let loose and didn't keep up with the ambitious drive, then some may choose to reject you and let you go. This is a horrible situation, but it has happened quite a few times. So make sure to keep your eye on the prize, but Senior year will not be nearly as stressful as previous years.

There you have it! With sufficient knowledge of what college or university you want to attend, you should have a clear set of goals and reach for them in high school. Have fun and study hard at the same time, because college is a whole 'nother experience.