7 Ways to Get Prepared for College

Greetings Friends!

A few years ago, while participating in the annual Fattah Conference on Higher Education's Graduate Opportunities Conference, I had the great pleasure of meeting the amazing Dr. Stephen Jones of Villanova University.  Dr. Jones is a skilled educator with a talent and passion for helping young people maximize their college experience, ensuring that they do not quit and providing them with the tools to thrive in their chosen careers.   

I was so impressed with him that I bought his book, read it quickly and promised to stay in touch.  Now, with a daughter who is getting closer every day to her own college search journey, I count him as an invaluable resource for college admissions advice and as a terrific friend. 

Simply put, he cares deeply about getting young people on track to not only get to college, but to make every day count and every course matter. 

If you want more information from Dr. Jones, consider reading his books, "Seven Secrets for How to Study," "Parent's Ultimate Education Guide," and "The Ultimate Scholarship Guide"--I did! And I count myself lucky for having done so. You can find them here.

I hope you will share these tips with parents and your own young people who are either preparing for or are currently pursuing their own college dreams. 

Enjoy!!!

7 Ways to Get the Prepared For College

Dr. Stephen Jones

Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Programs
Villanova University 

Attending college is one of the best ways to grow intellectually, emotionally, socially and personally.  It is never too soon to get prepared by being an excellent high school student.  As you take classes and listen to teachers look for opportunities to ask yourself how much you are learning.  You should uncover how much you do or don’t know about your subject during each class.  The knowledge that you are learning in high school can serve as a foundation for what will happen during college.  Ask yourself how does the knowledge you are learning in your classes apply to your life?  You should focus on becoming an active learner which will have tremendous benefits. Take time to talk to your teachers every week. Try to find out how you can perform better during their classes.  It can help you to maintain the motivation do your best work in all of your classes.

One of the best things that you can do is work on your study habits.  Create a time management schedule that you will follow during each school day.  Managing your time is a great way to prepare for college.  Don’t allow yourself to get nervous and talk yourself out of getting tutoring help when you need it.  Your teachers are full of knowledge that you need.  Get in the habit of communicating with your teachers and asking them questions even when your classes are over. You should be the first to arrive at your class.  Interacting with your teacher is a great way to get in the habit of communicating with you college professor.

Make it your goal to take full advantage of all knowledge that your classes have to offer.  Here are seven important ways to get prepared for college:

1.      Talk to your teacher to always confirm what you need to do to earn the best grades

2.      Join a club and take on a leadership role

3.      Learn another language so that you can function in a global economy

4.      Focus on improving your writing skills by asking your teachers for advice and resources

5.      Volunteer to represent your high school during a community service activity

6.      Go on a college visit and make sure to ask the students questions about the college

7.      Increase your reading of books and other resources by two hours each day

You should work to develop good study habits while you are in high school.  It is extremely important to develop a good test taking strategy. It will take you a long way. It is also important to increase the number of days that you study before each test.  College professors will give you a significant amount of homework and laboratory work.  Working hard in high school will pay off when you are able to get the college of your choice.

In addition take time to learn how to get organized.  Get to know when all of your assignments are due. Work on projects and term papers several weeks before they are due. Do not procrastinate.  Get other professionals or students to review your work before you turn it in. You can get the most out of high school as you prepare for college by developing good habits.  You are in control of your level of college success so devote yourself to getting to excellence right now.

Dr. Stephen Jones is an author, keynote speaker and educator. His books are the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide. You can reach at http://www.studyskills2u.com.