Did you take any special classes to prepare for college?

Hi Kimberlynn,

Yes. One thing to understand in college you will be doing a lot of reading, writing and math. Recommendation to prepare for this is take advantage of AP(Advance Placement) classes to give you a smoother transition into a college based course. Again, this is all optional and you must have the grades to benefit from AP courses given in highschool.

Good luck in your path you choose! You are already of the game with being ok this site and thinking about your future now!

Hi Kimberlynn,

Great question!

Many high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses. These are college-level classes that high school students take, usually their junior or senior year. Towards the end of the school year, participants have the opportunity to take the accompanying AP test, which acts as a final to determine if students have acquired enough knowledge to 'test out' of the equivalent college course. If a candidate scores high enough, they can transfer that AP credit to their college and earn a course credit.

If your high school has SAT prep courses, I would recommend enrolling in those, as well, to help you prepare for the exam. And if you have an idea of where you'd like to go to school and it's possible, take a campus tour or sign up for orientation before the start of the school year.

While there are many things you can do to help prepare you for the transition from high school to college, it will be a major change in your life and you will probably not feel 100% ready for everything ... and that's okay! Keep in mind that all of the freshmen around you are probably feeling the same - overwhelmed and scared, but also excited and open to the experience. Remember, if you knew everything and never made a mistake, you wouldn't learn anything. And college is all about furthering your education and trying new things! Be adventurous! Get lost, and then find your way.

You'll do great! :)

Sarah

Hi Kimberlynn,

I, 100% agree with Sarah in her suggestion to take AP courses but in addition to those there are many pre-college programs out there for high school students get a taste of college life. Usually they are for a week or even for the summer, and they involve staying on campus, sitting in on classes, and taking workshops. I attended a program like this while in high school for Spring Break. It helped me get a feel of what it's like to be on campus, being responsible for my own actions, joining organizations and participating in activities, etc.
After being accepted to my college, I received a scholarship to attend another pre-college program that was for 6 weeks. The students were able to take 2-3 college courses that counted towards your transcript. I was housed in a dorm, and got to attend activities and get a one up on the other freshman that weren't starting until the fall. While you're giving up your summer before college, you get to learn campus rules while there's only a percentage of students on campus. Basically, there's a lot less people to see you get lost heading to the bookstore. Programs like these are awesome when you want to be prepared for college. Most colleges, specifically different departments on campus will host programs like these.
Also at the end of the day, most freshman will be figuring things out together. There will be plenty of orientations to get you acclimated to life on campus. You can also reach out to upper classmen in your department who may be willing to be a guide and give you some insight on how to transition to college life at your specific college. Just use social media to your benefit. Good Luck!