Planning college starts early! You will have more options later on (like access to financial aid and entrance to the college of your choice) if you start planning NOW for college. Work hard to earn the best grades you can and pursue extracurricular activities (like athletics, performing arts, or volunteer work).

There will be many people along the way who want to help you (your teachers, guidance counselors, family members, neighbors, coaches, pastors), but the most important person on your path toward college is YOU. It is up to YOU to stay on top of your academics and to explore your goals for the future.

One of the best things you can do for your future is to ask questions. Not sure where to go for answers? If College Hub doesn’t have the answer, your teachers and guidance counselors most likely will (or can send you to the folks who do).

Here are three discussions we recommend having each school year:

1. Ask one of your favorite teachers if you can meet during lunch or after school. This is an opportunity to ask someone who knows you about what he/she might see as your strengths. This could be an opportunity to ask about career options, opportunities to learn more about things that interest you, ways to gain experiences that will help you explore your interests, and classes you should take to help prepare you for your specific goals.
2. Request a meeting with your guidance counselor. (Go to the guidance office; they can tell you who "your" counselor is.) Take this Sample List of Questions with you to help get the conversation started.
3. Talk to family friends and community members about their educational experiences and how they gained the skills and knowledge they needed for their current employment. This could give you an idea of the various ways people approach education and give you real-life examples of how education leads to jobs.

 

Note: Adult students can find information geared toward them here.