Happy October Freshmen and Sophomores! Here are some things to keep in mind as the year progresses.
Freshmen:
Join a few clubs
It might seem crazy to start thinking about this now, but join a few clubs you think you might be able to stick with all 4 years of high school. When you fill out your college apps, you’ll be asked to list all the activities you are part of and if you’ve been in a club or sport for 3-4 years, you look like a dedicated, awesome student. Don’t join a million clubs, just choose a few you are interested in and will stay involved with. Bonus: clubs are a great way to make friends! 🙂
It might seem crazy to start thinking about this now, but join a few clubs you think you might be able to stick with all 4 years of high school. When you fill out your college apps, you’ll be asked to list all the activities you are part of and if you’ve been in a club or sport for 3-4 years, you look like a dedicated, awesome student. Don’t join a million clubs, just choose a few you are interested in and will stay involved with. Bonus: clubs are a great way to make friends! 🙂
Sophomores:
Brainstorm topics for an independent research project
This is a particularly good idea if you are planning to apply to very selective schools. The idea is that you are such a motivated student you want to keep learning outside of school. Choose a topic that interests you so this won’t seem like a chore. You can do this in any area whatsoever and you do not need to have a teacher or supervisor, though that is certainly not a bad thing. If you don’t have someone overseeing you, you could create your own blog to keep track of your progress.
This is a particularly good idea if you are planning to apply to very selective schools. The idea is that you are such a motivated student you want to keep learning outside of school. Choose a topic that interests you so this won’t seem like a chore. You can do this in any area whatsoever and you do not need to have a teacher or supervisor, though that is certainly not a bad thing. If you don’t have someone overseeing you, you could create your own blog to keep track of your progress.
Freshmen and Sophomores:
Keep that GPA up!
Try your hardest in your classes so you can keep your GPA high. One of the most common mistakes kids make is thinking that their Freshman and Sophomore year GPA’s don’t matter. You might think you can bring up your GPA later in high school, but this is not the case. The later on it gets, the harder it is to get your GPA up. Mathematically you have more classes affecting your grades so it is harder to move it up. The moral here: get good grades now!
Try your hardest in your classes so you can keep your GPA high. One of the most common mistakes kids make is thinking that their Freshman and Sophomore year GPA’s don’t matter. You might think you can bring up your GPA later in high school, but this is not the case. The later on it gets, the harder it is to get your GPA up. Mathematically you have more classes affecting your grades so it is harder to move it up. The moral here: get good grades now!
Continue volunteering (or start if you haven’t yet!)
When you’re choosing where to do your community service you want to make sure it is somewhere that demonstrates your compassion. Colleges are looking for students who care about others. Think of an issue that you really care about and do your volunteer hours somewhere that works toward making that problem better. You will be surprised at how much you will get out of volunteering if you put your heart in it. Get out of your comfort zone and make a difference in your community.
When you’re choosing where to do your community service you want to make sure it is somewhere that demonstrates your compassion. Colleges are looking for students who care about others. Think of an issue that you really care about and do your volunteer hours somewhere that works toward making that problem better. You will be surprised at how much you will get out of volunteering if you put your heart in it. Get out of your comfort zone and make a difference in your community.
That’s October, everybody!
