Get Going Workshops

by Joanne Levy-Prewitt

High School Freshman Have An Unpredictable Journey Ahead

High school freshmen, you are about to embark on a great adventure. It's likely that your parents have been talking about college since you tossed aside your baby bottle and picked up your first book, but now that you're starting high school, you'll be hearing about college a lot more.

Preparing for college doesn't happen magically. With the help of your parents and counselors, you'll need to make some choices, and you'll need to work hard. I'm not going to give you a prescription for admission to the college of your dreams today, or any day, and I hope you'll never let your happiness be determined by admission to college. Instead, I'll give you a few tips for success in high school, which might lead to more choices when it comes to college admissions.

Before I give you any tips, I have a word of caution. While my column is all about preparing for college and college admission, I first want to remind you about the importance of focusing on things other than college while in high school. That means college should be in the back of your mind, not the front.

Choose classes that interest you, not because they will impress colleges. If a course is genuinely interesting to you, chances are you will do well, which will please colleges. If you've established a record of doing well in a certain subject, and your high school or local community college offers the opportunity of taking advanced level courses in that subject, go for it. Take advanced classes because you are talented in that area or are interested in that subject, not because it will impress colleges. Again, keep college in the back of your mind, not the front.

High school students have told me that some kids are obsessed with college. Apparently, beginning in the freshmen year, they try to determine the students who are at the top of the class. They establish an informal ranking of the students by GPA, because they have heard that only the top students are admitted to selective colleges. You'll recognize these students because they will pester you about your grades. My advice is to stare quizzically at them. Your silence will indicate that you are not willing to participate in their attempts to pit one student against another. Yes, colleges care about grades, but should that be your motivation for doing well on an exam or paper? Keep college in the back of your mind, not the front.

The happiest students are those who are involved on campus. They play in the orchestra. They play a sport. They write for the newspaper. They are on student council. They paint backdrops for the play, or they act, sing or dance. They participate in these activities because they get to be with friends, meet new kids, and because it's more fun than sitting at home alone. And yes, colleges like active kids, but keep college in the back of your mind, not the front.

Healthy lifestyle habits should be established in high school. The rigors of high school will be stressful. You'll have long hours of studying, and even if you ignore the culture of stress that is found on many campuses, you're likely to feel pressure to do well. Find a good outlet for stress -- knit, run, bike, paint, listen to music -- that is safe and healthy. Oh, and incidentally, your hobbies might provide a great topic for a college essay in a few years. But keep college in the back of your mind, not the front.

The tips for success in high school that I promised can be summarized in five sentences: Challenge yourself in high school. Get the best grades you can. Take advantage of all that your school offers. Avoid students who thrive on competition and pressure. And find healthy outlets for stress. Enjoy the next four years.

COPYRIGHT 2007 JOANNE LEVY-PREWITT