Ten Steps Kids Can Take Now to Prepare for College

From the IU Office of Admissions

1. Take solid courses.

Take classes like English, math, social studies, a foreign language, and computer skills.

2. Get good grades.

Do your best, pay attention in school, ask for help when you need it, and do your homework.

3. Set aside a place at home especially for studying.

Create your “own space” for reading and homework—a quiet place to concentrate.

4. Read.

Try new books; read, read, read.

5. Use math every day.

Use math in your regular activities, like calculating how much change you’ll get back when you buy something.

6. Realize that new skills build on past skills.

Take math, for example; where would you be if you only learned addition?

7. Join a club or focus on a sport.

Think about what you really like (solving math problems, writing, working with computers, fixing things) and challenge yourself.

8. Try something new.

For example, take a foreign language, or volunteer to work with younger kids at school or at the library.

9. Take field trips to college campuses.

Some colleges offer camps for kids that include sports, journalism, leadership, science, and a lot more.

10. Use school now to prepare for college.

Use school now to prepare for junior high, and high school to prepare for college, and college to prepare for the opportunities of life.