Remember the times you used adrenalin and staying up all night to cram for an exam, complete a paper, or finish a project? It is possible that strategy might have worked moderately well in high school but will not fly so well in college. Yes, occasionally you may get by through employing that strategy in college. However, most of the time your exams, papers, and research projects will require more in-depth learning and that you digest formulas and information over the entire semester and school year. It will be impossible for you to do well in higher education if you don’t learn this early on. So, when should you start preparing for college success?
No matter your current year in high school, it is never too late to learn how to prepare yourself for college success by developing good methods for staying current with your studies. This is really important because in college it is quite possible to get so far behind that you are unable to catch up before the semester or trimester ends. And being too late can result in not being asked back or ending up with low grades and an unforgiving GPA that will take you the rest of the four years to bring up to a competitive average.
So, when should you start preparing for college? Now. The following 4 tips are designed to help you plan what to do and when to do it:
In high school:
- Freshman year: You first priority is to develop good study habits and break bad ones.
- Sophomore year: Use your good habits to focus on your GPA and bring your grades up.
- Junior year: Work hard because these will be the grades colleges are most interested in.
- Senior year: If you’ve planned well, you are now confident applying to the colleges you choose.
If you haven’t followed this plan so far, do not grieve. Begin where you are and enlist the help of others like your college advisor, academic coaches, tutors, parents, extended family, and those who want to see you make it. Many people love nothing better than to think they may have had a hand in helping a young person succeed in life! Don’t forget that this is YOUR life and YOUR future we’re talking about!
Will ADHD Affect You or Your Teen’s College Success?
College is a completely different world from High School. The level of stress is higher and the level of support can be lower. How well you or your teen manages ADHD symptoms and behaviors in this new environment can lead to college success, struggle, or failure. Take the ADHD and College Success Quiz to find out whether you or your teen’s ADHD management is at the level it needs to be to reach college success goals.
