TAKING A LOOK INTO OUR FILES: High-school and college prep
As the end of my oldest student's eighth grade year aproaches, we've been thinking and talking more and more about plans for the future. This includes both high school plans, college plans, and beyond.
It's not really something new for us. You might be surprised if I told you how long I'd been thinking about this. But I knew this time would come and I don't think I'm really all that different than most people. I do wonder, though, how many parents like me actually have file folders for their research.
I've collected bits of information mainly for two reasons. First, we want to be prepared for the future. Second, I want to feel more prepared in the face of what feels like such a big and overwhelming phase for us.
Let's be honest, there's sometimes a lot of pressure on parents and students when contemplating what the future holds. The pressure can be even greater when it's the first time you've gone through all of this. But there are so many helpful, confident voices out there who have traveled this road before. And there is so much that we can learn from them!
I thought I'd share a list of the types of materials I have in my high-school and college prep idea files.
-A list of books I haven't read but want to read. Topics include life-lesson books like "How to Win Friends and Influence People", specific books and videos that might make up part of a high school course, scholarship books, etc.
-A list of books that colleges and "experts" have suggested that students read before graduating (we'll consider some of these when deciding what literature to read during the next few years)
-Articles torn out of magazines about everything you can imagine related to getting into college, parenting teens, how to write homeschool transcripts, and non-traditional activity ideas such as entrepreneurship
-A list of our state's graduation requirements
-A community college brochure (and one from a large high school) which lists their courses offered (as an idea-starter when deciding which courses we might like to pursue in high school)
-A list of college requirements from a few typical colleges, showing the items that we'll need in a few years when it's time to apply. Some of these include items that will need to be considered well ahead of time, such as letters of recommendation.
My file is already pretty sizable, but there are also a few categories we haven't started including yet: colleges that strike our fancy with contact information; testing deadlines for the PSAT, SAT, ACT. Also, scholarships and deadlines actually have their own folders.
Does anyone else keep a folder like this? What's in yours?
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2017
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Parent of an eighth-grader: What's on my mind?
My kids are growing up very quickly. I know we all say it, but I feel it to be true. Having an eighth-grader this year I am also feeling that the end of the tunnel isn't too far away.
This knowledge brings many questions along with it. Will we successfully complete all the classes we need to complete before time runs out? Will my student be self-motivated enough to continue through the next phase of his life without the structure that our schooling has provided? Will we get all the tests and paperwork done in time for college admission?
Many of my thoughts will be common feelings which both parents of children in traditional school as well as parents of homeschooled children can probably relate to.
Though none of us know what paths our kids will take after high school, we have decided as a family to prepare for the future as if college were the goal. Our reasoning is simple: if a different opportunity comes along, we will still reap the benefits of a rigorous education. But if we didn't prepare for college along the way, it's a bit more challenging to make up for missing classes and tests later on.
The largest items looming in my mind currently include:
*Getting our life-after-high-school antennae on: This simply means being more inclined to notice conversations other people have about what they or their students have experienced in the transition from high school to whatever comes next.
*Forming and honing good study habits: Setting goals, managing time, finding out the best times for you personally to work on certain types of tasks...Work ethic, self-motivation, and perseverance...Many of these skills are steps to success whether kids go to college or straight to a job.
*Forming and honing life skills: Everyone needs to know how to do their own laundry, basic cooking, healthy habits and eating, money management...You need these, too, no matter what your future holds!
*Encouraging them to find their strengths, weaknesses, and interests: Knowing these might be very helpful when deciding what type of career path to follow. As a parent, I might need to give a listening ear when my students think out loud through these issues. I will also need to find time and energy to shuffle kids to extra activities or clubs if they think they might like to pursue some of these interests.
Other considerations in my mind:
*Money for college
*Dual-enrollment
*SATs, ACTs, the Common App...
These last three aren't quite as pressing yet, and I'm trying not to dwell on them too much right now. One thing at a time. We just keep doing our research, making connections with people who have been down this road before, and teaching and learning one day at a time.
This knowledge brings many questions along with it. Will we successfully complete all the classes we need to complete before time runs out? Will my student be self-motivated enough to continue through the next phase of his life without the structure that our schooling has provided? Will we get all the tests and paperwork done in time for college admission?
Many of my thoughts will be common feelings which both parents of children in traditional school as well as parents of homeschooled children can probably relate to.
Though none of us know what paths our kids will take after high school, we have decided as a family to prepare for the future as if college were the goal. Our reasoning is simple: if a different opportunity comes along, we will still reap the benefits of a rigorous education. But if we didn't prepare for college along the way, it's a bit more challenging to make up for missing classes and tests later on.
The largest items looming in my mind currently include:
*Getting our life-after-high-school antennae on: This simply means being more inclined to notice conversations other people have about what they or their students have experienced in the transition from high school to whatever comes next.
*Forming and honing good study habits: Setting goals, managing time, finding out the best times for you personally to work on certain types of tasks...Work ethic, self-motivation, and perseverance...Many of these skills are steps to success whether kids go to college or straight to a job.
*Forming and honing life skills: Everyone needs to know how to do their own laundry, basic cooking, healthy habits and eating, money management...You need these, too, no matter what your future holds!
*Encouraging them to find their strengths, weaknesses, and interests: Knowing these might be very helpful when deciding what type of career path to follow. As a parent, I might need to give a listening ear when my students think out loud through these issues. I will also need to find time and energy to shuffle kids to extra activities or clubs if they think they might like to pursue some of these interests.
Other considerations in my mind:
*Money for college
*Dual-enrollment
*SATs, ACTs, the Common App...
These last three aren't quite as pressing yet, and I'm trying not to dwell on them too much right now. One thing at a time. We just keep doing our research, making connections with people who have been down this road before, and teaching and learning one day at a time.
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