What you should be focusing on during Freshman Year:

• • Meet with your high school counselor and create a four-year high school plan.

    • Complete your Grad Plan Meeting with your counselor each semester to discuss your plans and review your progress.

    • Make sure you know which high school courses are required by colleges, and that you’re taking the right classes as early as the ninth grade. You can ask your counselor about what those “right” classes are.

    • Get to know the levels of courses offered by your school.

• • Start thinking about your life after school, including the types of jobs that might interest you. Of course, these will change — often — but it’s good to start thinking about the possibilities.

    • Identify your interests — likes and dislikes — not just in classes but also in every area. This will help you focus on your goals.

    • Talk to other people, such as your school counselor, teachers, recent college graduates who are working, professionals in the community, etc., about careers you might find interesting.

• • Consider participating in extracurricular activities. Academics aren’t everything. Explore your interest in a sport, school club, music or drama group, or community volunteer activity.

    • Remember that colleges would rather see real involvement in one activity instead of a loose connection to several.

    • If you’re interested in playing sports in college, research the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility requirements. The NCAA requires completion of certain core courses; you can find the specifics at ncaaclearinghouse.net.

• • Save for college. It’s not too late to put money aside for college. Every little bit helps! Learning about financial aid early on can also help you down the road.

• • Explore summer opportunities. Look for a job, internship, or volunteer position that will help you learn about a field of interest.