What's Your No. 1
High School Goal?

High school isn't just four years of soggy cafeteria French fries and sneaky text messaging. It's the foundation for your life beyond school.

Picture yourself on the day after high school graduation. Where are you headed next? Don't worry; you don't have to know already. Just remember that at some point in your life, you'll have to figure out an answer. And that's not scary. It's exciting! But just because it's exciting it doesn't mean you don't have to be prepared. So here are some ideas to help you prepare and plan as graduation day (and the rest of your life) approaches ...

Rule #1: Don't forget your prerequisites.

If you're thinking about college, taking the right classes is really important. Why? Because there are prerequisites (required classes) that you have to take before you can enroll in any four-year college. Even if you don't want to go to college, keep in mind that you might change your mind before graduation. Keep your options open! (And if you've dropped the idea of college because it's too expensive, don't forget that help is out there. It's up to you, not your school or your parents, to find the people who can help you make college happen. I bet they're out there. Community college is very cheap, and lots of scholarship money goes unclaimed. Some of it might just have your name on it ...)

Students often get to their senior year in high school only to find out that they lack the required credits they need to start at a university. Don't let this happen to you! Algebra I is required for high school graduation, but the prereqs don't stop there. You probably can't get into a four-year college without geometry and algebra II, too!

#2: Find something you're good at doing and really explore it.

What's your thing? ROTC? Basketball? French? Cooking?

Try to find classes that fit what you really like doing. If you already think you know which job you want to pursue once you leave home/graduate college, take the classes that are closest to that interest. If you want to be a writer, take a journalism class and a creative writing class. If you want to be a massage therapist, take an anatomy class. Someday you'll need to choose a career, and you deserve to have a career that you love. Explore all the possibilities you can, and don't forget that jobs can be exciting and interesting, no matter what anyone tells you. If you don't yet know what your interests are, talk to an older person whom you like and trust, like a teacher, a parent, or a (cool and understanding) school guidance counselor. Or ask friends and family what they think you're good at -- they might have detected something in you that you don't even know is there.

Rule #3: Tests are evil, but unavoidable. Be ready.

Look into the dates for upcoming SAT tests and ACT tests. You'll have to take at least one of them to apply to most four-year universities. And take into account that you may need to take them more than once to get a score that really reflects your best work. So take the test early in your high school career so you have time for retakes.

The ACT tests English, math, reading and science skills. The SAT tests math, critical reading and writing skills. Most people know how to study up for math and science tests, but how do you study for a reading and writing test? The answer, my friend, is going to be not a happy one for some of you. Sit down and get a Twinkie.

Got that tasty cream-filled snack? OK. Take a bite of courage if you need it. The only way to prepare for reading tests is by making a habit of reading. And you really can't do that in the weeks or even months before your test. I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, but being ready for a reading test really takes years of simply having the habit of reading. So if you're a big reader, great. If not, just try to read something every day (short reads are OK) and sort out the key ideas in what you read. Read until really understanding what you've just read becomes second nature.

Guideline #4: School isn't everything.

School is important, but your life is more than school. Extracurricular activities (activities outside of class) are fun, they help you figure out your interests and abilities, and they can really help financially challenged students get those fat scholarships. Scholarship committees look at grades, sure. But they also look at the clubs you've been part of, the offices you've held, the sports you play, the community service you've done and how you helped to improve life at the high school(s) you attended.

And you know what? When it comes to scholarships and college acceptance, extracurricular activities can be even more impressive than good recommendations from teachers. In fact, committees frequently don't even take look at recommendations unless the student is tied with another student for a place in the freshman class or for a scholarship. So if you're ambitious, extracurricular activities are the way to make your application stand out.

So that's the next few years of your life in a nutshell. (Easier said than done, I know!) But life is like that tempting array of desserts at your family reunion. Choose wisely for maximum benefit.