Here are ten things that I’ve discovered as both parent and founder of youth leadership programs that will increase student success as they prepare for college. Please read and give to your student:1. You are not making a life commitment with your chosen career-path right now, so relax. Did you know that many students change their major up to 3 times before graduating college? Some universities report that as much as 38% of their enrollees apply as “undecided.” Don’t push yourself into declaring a major right away if you aren’t sure. It is often better not to declare a major right away and enter what some universities call “first-year student programs.” Your classes will concentrate on getting basic requirements out of the way while you get used to college life and consider your options. 2. You should have a high school resume. Writing a resume of your accomplishments and involvements in high school (and keeping them updated) will add to the smooth application process for scholarships, leadership/academic awards, clubs, college, internships, and part time jobs. 3. You must take responsibility for college scholarships. Don’t leave it up to your parents or your Guidance Counselor to inform you of all of the scholarship opportunities for which you are eligible. Be pro-active in researching them and acquiring the materials. If you have an interest and strong grades in a particular field, such as science, then talk with the head of that department about whether or not there are scholarships for you. 4. Get to know some decision-makers. Decision-makers are people who can hire, be a good and reputable reference for you, and can make things happen with a phone call. In your world, the adult decision-makers that you know are mostly teachers. You must now seek out people who can serve you beyond high school. These decision-makers will be business owners, local government and civic leaders, and board members of local organizations (that award scholarships). Ask your parents and teachers to introduce you to some.5. By your junior year, if you have not participated in some fairly significant community-wide volunteer work, you could be risking your college application. I appreciate the value of participating in high school sports, band, and other involvements that support a school, but these can be very commitment heavy and not necessarily application-boosting. If nothing about these involvements matches up with your career interests, then you might consider doing something more in line with those interests in your junior and senior year. I recommend considering an internship or creating a volunteer opportunity that gels with your career interests. 6. You must educate yourself on the environments associated with career paths that you like. Pick at least 3 career path environments to visit so that you can get a feel for the nature of the work, the space, the compensation, and the satisfaction drivers. This is simple: if you are interested in radiology, find yourself a radiologist that will let you visit that environment7. Your final summer job before college should be a resume builder. I’m not saying that you can’t have a little fun before you hit the books hard, but make this job count in terms of bucks and work. If you already have an idea about your career path, seek a job that relates to it on some level. This is not something you’re likely to find in the newspaper ads – you’re going to need to make connections to set it up. Ask for help from your teachers, family members, and those decision-makers you’ve been collecting.8. College isn’t anything like high school. Get your mind prepared. Aside from moving from home for a while, you have to consider that you might be without a vehicle for your first year (some colleges outright forbid it). You’ll be living with a stranger as a roommate. (I advise not to attempt to room with your best friend – it rarely ever works out, and when it doesn’t, it can ruin a friendship.) For the most part, your classes will be huge and your professors could care less if you show up or not…but the university does. If you don’t keep a certain grade point average, you can well be uninvited back to the university the next semester. It happened to my son. Prepare for temptations and distractions of all kinds. You will live by the sound of an alarm clock, learn to eat on the run, will be doing your own laundry, and walking a lot. Start disciplining yourself now in time management and break in a good pair of “kicks.”9. You need to be realistic about maintaining high school relationships. You have to know that the responsibilities that you will have when you get to college will take over a good bit of your waking time. Friends are important, and you will rely on them for support – especially during your first year away. But, realize that you will be making new friends, as well. You need to open space for this to occur. My advice is to talk about your college plans now and again with your friends. Let them know that you plan to keep in touch as often as you can, but before everyone heads off to college, you’d like to plan a going-away get-together…that sort of signifies a parting of the ways. 10. Your ability to network with the right types of people is the #1 skill that will create long-term success. If you can get past the perception of embarrassment and fear of reaction or rejection…and make connections with people who can help you advance your goals, there is almost nothing that you cannot accomplish. If you were able to walk up to a business owner, shake his hand, tell him of your interest in his line of work, and ask him a few serious questions, you will have impressed the socks off of him. Adults know how hard it is for you to do something like this – that is why when we meet a young person who can network like this, it makes us want to do things for you, like introduce you to the head of an awards committee, make a phone call to an employer on your behalf, and offer to work out a part-time job for you. This list is a shortened version.
