In Middle School, want to know about college.

Question

Okay, so my older sister is going to be a senior in high school, and is now feeling the pressure of getting ready for college. I haven't really thought about it before, but now that my sister is facing challenges, I want to know how to get ready myself. I'm going to be an 8th grader soon and I want to know what steps I have to take to get ready. I feel bad for my sister, because she never really took time to try and figure it out. Now she is panicking because she is confused. Do you have any ideas or tips I could use? I'm just scared for my future and I want to be ready for anything that comes at me. I want to be prepared, and not have to freak out when I'm my sisters age. Please help. Anything is really appreciated.

Answer 1

One of the first questions you need to answer is what do you want to study or pursue for a career? You might not have a specific answer for this, but you should try to decide whether you want to pursue a science major/degree or something in the creative arts or something more related to psychology or social work.  The reason you need to consider your goals is so that you can take the basic courses to prepare you to study in your desired major field.  For instance if you're interested in something in the sciences or computer technology, you should get a good foundation in math.  If you are thinking of doing something in the field of languages or teaching, you might not need as much math.

Next you need to consider what kind of higher education school you want to attend.  The requirements for attendng a 4 year university are different than for attending a community college.  If you don't know, since it has an economic as well as academic component, aim for the schools with the highest requirements.  It's better to aim for the higher standard than to aim for the minimal requirements and come up short.  You'd hate to miss out going to a university because you hadn't taken a 2nd year of lab science or something like that.  

And, be sure to meet with your counselor and let him/her know that you want to be put on a college track of courses.  The counselor will then help you make the right choices in coursework that meets the college's requirements and satisfies your high school requirements and hopefully allows you to have some fun electives.  

By planning early as your are, you have a good chance to be ready when the time comes.

Answer 2

Wow! It's really good of you to be already thinking ahead as an 8th grader. But to be honest with you, you have PLENTY of time before you even have to think about colleges or ACTS and all that. And i speak from experience, i just graduated from high school, attending college this coming fall as a psychology major.

But some things you could keep in mind as an 8th grader is start to look out for what interests you. What classes do you enjoy taking and what classes bore you to sleep? The classes that interest you are the areas you should consider possible career choices. Again, as an 8th grader, you still have plenty of time to decide.

You don't really have to decide where you want to go in life until college actually. But if you want to have at least a brief idea on where you want to go, it's a good idea to start paying attention to what your interests are and what you THINK you might be interested in working at.

My advice for you is to not worry so much about colleges until you reach high school. Just enjoy your last year in middle school. Even as a freshmen in high school, you don't have to think about what interests you just yet. Just take mostly basic classes and start from there. Once you reached sophomore year, start looking for certain areas that interest you the most and from there you can have a brief idea on what major you want to major in. The summer of your sophomore year, you can start looking up possible colleges that might have your first second and even third choice of majors. It's mostly during your junior year that you decide what you want to major in and its also when you narrow your list of possible colleges down..... Also, don't forget junior year is when ACT's are...and that's important to know for colleges. And then senior year is when you have your final decision of what your major is or you could declare your major as undecided even then too. But by your senior year, if you plan on attending a college, you would have your choices down already so you know which colleges to apply for.

Hope this wasn't too much information to take in. I know it might sound like a lot of information, but trust me, it is definitely a lot easier as you go on with the years. So just take it slow, and try not to stress yourself out with all the college stuff.

Hope i helped! Good luck! Enjoy your 8th grade year!!

Answer 3

Hi,

I just graduated from Brown University and will be starting at Harvard Divinity School in the fall, so I know a bit about college (note this statement is not meant to suggest I am an expert...)

I would say focus on three things- your studies, your behavior, and your passions.  

You want to focus on your studies for two reasons.  First, you want to have a strong GPA.  Second, you want to learn all the material that is covered in your classes so you won't have to freak out when its time to take the PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT (all standardized tests, the latter two of which are usually required (one or the other, not both) to apply to most schools).  A strong GPA and strong test scores go a long way.  Also, it will help when you want to start applying for scholarships.  Also, by focusing on your studies you will gain strong writing skills which are essential for both college admission and success in college.  

Secondly, you want to keep an eye on your behavior because one of the most influential pieces of the college application are teacher (and employer) recommendations.  By focusing on your studies and managing your behavior, you can receive a lot of very strong recommendations which will basically tell colleges that you are a strong student who will be succeed at their instituion and enhance their student body/community.

Lastly, you want to focus on your passions.  The reason for this is two-fold.  As has been mentioned before, it will help you decide things you might be interested in doing (note the phrasing, you should approach college with an open mind and flexibility but not completely with your head in the sand).  When the time comes (a few years from now) it will help you hone in on institutions and programs that might be a good fit for you.  Don't worry about figuring out a major or anything like that.  Stay stress free for as long as possible.  The second reason is that focusing on your passions will direct you to ways you can enhance your local community in a way that is meaningful to you.  Colleges want to see that you will bring something to their community.  Thus, if you have a history of investing in your community, in whatever way you want to (there is no set kind of community service), they are likely to conclude that you will also invest in their (the college's) community.  Again, focus on what you're passionate about.  Don't worry about loading up on tons of different extracurriculars as a "resume-builder."  Showing that you know what you enjoy and you have the focus, dedication, and commitment to stick with that thing for a while, instead of being all over the place with a bunch of different things, none of which you have time to truly invest in, is a mistake.  Also, if you're doing a million things, your grades are likely to suffer.  Even if you're interested in a million different things, once you get to be 16-17 you have to start prioritizing which things you will give your ever decreasing time and attention to.  This is great preparation for college as you might be interested in a number of different disciplines but you can only choose 1 or 2 major(s)/concentration(s) or x number of courses a semester.

So, to recap, right now focus on doing what you have to do in school- focusing on your studies and managing your behavior- and focus on figuring out what you love to do and then do it!

Best of luck to you.

Answer 4

Relax.. when I was in the 8th grade, I had no idea where is was going or what I wanted to do. Through high school you'll have friends go all different places. Hear what they have to say about those places and maybe look up a little more info online. Take some college visits you Junior and Senior year. Chances are you will fall in love with some school... most people do.

I also suggest Indiana University... but I go there, so I'm sort of biased.

Answer 5

there's a real good book you might what to read--The truth about Getting in by Katherine Cohen. Personally, I think it's good to think ahead and you're starting at the right point. According to this book, it's said that your application process starts from 9th grade. Think about what you're interested and get involve in activities related to that subject. If you're still undecided, that's okay too. Try anything out. And I will say, read the book, you'll get a lot out of it if you're serious.