COLLEGE PREP 101

College is within your grasp...you just have to prepare! These are some vital preparation steps to take NOW to start your life as a college student:
course selection
Keep your grade point average up! Take the most rigorous and challenging courses that you can at your academic level. Advanced Placement or AP class provide willing high school students the opportunity to study and learn at the college level. Successfully completing these courses (mathematics, sciences, and foreign-language courses) — and doing well on the exams — demonstrates to colleges that you are capable of success at the college level! Talk to your counselor about getting you into AP classes!!
resource: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/prepare
standardize tests
A strong standardized test score helps students convince colleges that they are ready! The ACT is the most common standardize test score that colleges and universities accept; however, you can also take the Accuplacer and the SAT®. Khan Academy, the PSAT test, AP coursework, and college planning resources are great tools for testing practice!

Take the SAT/ACT in your junior year and prepare by taking practice tests, taking a course or working with a tutor. Test dates can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com and http://www.act.org . Some colleges require SAT Subject Exams — you should become familiar with those and learn the admission requirements of the colleges where you are applying.
resource: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/prepare
extracurricular activities
Colleges expect students to have interests outside of academics, such as sports, community service, and internship opportunities in your field of interest to show that students are well-rounded and can contribute to life on campus.

Working a part-time job indicates a sense of duty and commitment, further proof that students are ready for the responsibilities college entails. Volunteering does, too, but not with an excessive amount of organizations - especially with no longevity! Do things that you like, with an organization that you like, and stick with it — depth and continuity are impressive on a college application. 

It is wise to only select a few activities to not stretch yourself too thin! And make sure they all tie in with things you are genuinely interested in and could see yourself doing in the future! Talk to other students and adults to see if they have additional ideas. Network with those you know.
resource: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/prepare
start researching potential colleges
College visits are your friend! Researching colleges by visiting, attending information sessions, reviewing websites, attending college fairs and getting on college mailing lists. While attending local college fairs, find some that appeal to you. Start considering criteria such as academic programs, location, cost and size of school, retention rate, campus life and housing. Take notes on colleges of interest and learn what distinguishes one college from another.

A quicker way to determine which college you want to go to is by narrowing down what you want to study in college - OR - what type of degree you want to get:
  • Associate Degree
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree
  • Doctorate Degree
  • Professional Degree
  • Trade/Vocational Certification
resource: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/early-college-preparation_b_7699820
learn your Funding options
Discuss money. Will you need financial aid? How much is tuition at your choice college or university? Has your family saved money for your college education? Remember, the college will determine the true cost of college where you will attend. Some private colleges give their own scholarships and grants so you want to investigate the options.
found at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/early-college-preparation_b_7699820
get to know your counselor & TEACHERs
In high school, your counselor and your teachers can be the initial recommendation in getting you to your goals! Their recommendation letters (and references) are often required for college acceptance, when applying for scholarships and internships, and on job applications. So it is very important that you get to know and establish relationships with them!

REMEMBER: Recommendations represent you to someone who has no idea who you are! Always represent yourself well!
resource: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/early-college-preparation_b_7699820
practice writing
Being able to write a complete thought in the form of sentence is great part of college - from start to finish! Guess what? You are now in the "start" position, so practice your writing skills! Most college essays will require you to be self-reflective and write in the first person, so keep a journal where your practice just that. Formally and informally expound on your thoughts, and edit as necessary. Practice makes improvement. You can't improve if you don't practice!
resource: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/early-college-preparation_b_7699820

20 Questions
to Ask College Representatives

​Whether you meet them at a college fair or on a campus visit, college reps genuinely enjoy talking to high school students and answering questions about their college. The following questions will help start a good dialogue:
  1. What makes your college unique?
  2. What academic programs is your college most known for?
  3. How would you describe the kids that go there? Where do most of them come from?
  4. Where do kids hang out on campus?
  5. What happens on weekends—are there things to do on campus or in town, or do most kids go home?
  6. Are fraternities and sororities a big part of campus life?
  7. What are the housing options for freshmen?
  8. Do many students live off campus?
  9. Is there a sports complex or fitness center?
  10. What are the most popular clubs and activities?
  11. What’s the security like on campus?
  12. What’s the surrounding area like? Is it easy to get around?
  13. What are the most popular majors?
  14. How would you describe the academic pressure and workload?
  15. What support services are available (academic advisers, tutors, etc.)?
  16. Do I need to bring my own computer?
  17. What’s the faculty like? How accessible are they outside of class?
  18. Are there opportunities for internships?
  19. Is there job placement help for graduates?
  20. Are any big changes in the works that I should know about?

​Source: Get it Together for College 2nd ed. (College Board 2011).
Copies of Arkansas Next Magazine are available in Ms. Donahue's office

What Type of Degree Do You Want?

Now research to see which college offers it!

UALR TRIO PROGRAM

Looking for money for college?  Need to take the ACCUPLACER or want help preparing for it?  Not sure about what to do after high school?
 
TRIO Talent Search has been working with Hall High for years to help students prepare for work and life after high school.  Apply today (it's FREE!) or email questions to [email protected].
 
TRIO application: https://botform.compansol.com/201676396284061
 
Free help with:
  • FAFSA completion
  • Resume Assistance
  • ACT Prep
  • College Application
  • ACCUPLACER Prep and Test Administration
  • Scholarship Search
  • Scholarship Essay Writing
  • Subject Tutoring

Our office is open until 5 or 6pm M-F.  However, evening and weekend appointments can be made for individuals and/or groups.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Essential Skills for College

High School is the ideal and traditional phase to prepare for life after your 18th birthday. Regardless of the direction you want to go, developing a foundational skill set is always essential to your success. Becoming a college student is no exception!

Here is a few skills that are essential to you becoming and being a successful college student. Please understand that these skills will not come or be perfected immediately, but can have a great influence on your collegiate experience if worked at regularly. PLUS, you can apply these skills to any ventures of your life!
"Even though the world is constantly moving at a pace faster than light, there are fundamental skills that will never go out of fashion when it comes to thriving as a person...every college student needs to develop [these skills] in order to be successful both on campus and long after you have graduated." - Robert Farrington
Time Management Skills
Contrary to popular opinion, the best timer managers were not born with planners, calendars and alarm clocks in their hands.

We all agree that there are certain personality types who are more prone to be organized when it comes to time but by and large, time management is a skill anybody can learn.

Time management is not about filling every single hour with your day with an activity. It is mindfully scheduling classes, activities and appointments on your calendar so that you achieve your academic goals while remaining relaxed enough to also enjoy the social aspects of college life.
  • There are only 2 things you need when it comes to managing your time: (1) a list of all your activities (curricular and extra-curricular) for the semester and (2) a calendar/planner.
  • Once you determine what deadlines fall on what dates for assignments that are due in your classes, you can then begin to place each of these items on your calendar.
  • Once you have a “big picture” look of where everything falls on your calendar, it is now time to organize those activities by a daily schedule with assigned times.
  • Now that you know what your daily schedule looks like for each day of the week, it is up to you to follow the activities you have set forth to the “t” so you are not scrambling to complete assignments the night before it is due.

A really handy time management skill for completing tasks - especially if it is not a class but a self-driven activity like completing homework assignments - is to set a timer for 45 minutes to 1 hour and focus on working on the assignment only during that time.

During this 45-60 minute time frame, you will turn off social media, your cell phone or minimize as many distractions around you as possible. This period is for deep work. When your timer goes off, you are free to get up, stretch, take a walk or take a break before you. Do this for 2-3 hour time blocks each day and you will be amazed at how far ahead you will be come semester’s end!
found on https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20345/5-skills-every-college-student-must-develop-to-be-successful/ on 8/28/2020
Study Skills
When it comes to study skills, it is best to know what works for YOU. One style of study does not make a person a better student than the other. So play to your strengths. If you are a highly visual person, can you create simple illustrations that allow break down complex ideas? If you are the note-taking kind, do you need to go back and read the assigned portions of the textbook, making your own notes/notecards ? Once you determine that best way to study for you, use your scheduled study time to focus on those learning strengths.

A point here about studying for subjects you don’t like but have to take: it is always helpful to find a way to make it fun. If you are having trouble, definitely take advantage of your professor’s office hours to get their help on topics that are especially confusing for you and their advice on how you can do better in their class.
found on https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20345/5-skills-every-college-student-must-develop-to-be-successful/ on 8/28/2020
research skills
You can escape many things in college. Writing college papers is not one of them - regardless of your major. Writing an A+ paper means you need to have stellar research skills. Here are a 5  tips to help you master the art of researching for a college paper:
  1. Find your sources. These days you can find anything by simply entering a Google search. However for more specific areas of study, you might want to use databases like PubMed, EbscoHost or Google Scholar. Another excellent place to find your sources and more databases are your school library’s online directory.
  2. Gather your most relevant sources and skim them for important details, charts , numbers etc.
  3. Summarize your findings from your sources. If you need to interview people, make sure to bring an audio recorder or use your cell phone voice recording function so you can summarize your interview later.
  4. Be clear on the citation format your professor is asking for on your paper (e.g APA style versus MLA style) so that you don’t do all the work in one way and have to change it around at the end
  5. Save your references. Most college libraries will give you free access to citation software like EndNote or Write-N-Cite. With both of these, you can save your references in your personalized database and easily click a button to cite them as you write - saves you time on typing.

Now that you have done your research, it is time to put it all together using your own words to discuss the findings you made.
found on https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20345/5-skills-every-college-student-must-develop-to-be-successful/ on 8/28/2020
Social/Networking Skills
College life would not be balanced without a social life. Even the most introverted of us all need to interact with other people once in awhile. Like time management, while being social comes naturally to some people, the good news is that it is a very learnable skill. And honestly, the relationships you build throughout your college life can have an immense impact on your life after college for years to come.

[...] “Friend signals” that can get people, even strangers, talking to you and liking you:
  • A genuine smile as you near a person you would like to talk to
  • A slight raising of the eyebrow when you first see somehow
  • A slight jutting out of the chin towards the person you would like to engage with
  • Listening to and reflecting back what your new friends is saying by using phrases like that acknowledge that you are listening
  • Another handy acronym for upping your social skills is F.O.R.M. - Over centuries, it has been found that if you are able to converse with people about their Family, Occupation, Recreational activities and/or their Motivations, those people are more likely to see you as a trusted friend.
found on https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20345/5-skills-every-college-student-must-develop-to-be-successful/ on 8/28/2020
communication skills
Last but not least, communication skills are a must for any college student. Most people get by in their lives without talking to anyone. Ever. We completely understand. However, when the time comes for attending your first job interview, giving a class presentation or even casually talking in social situations, like we described in the point above, it does not hurt to learn a thing or two about communicating efficiently.

A few tips to help you on your way if communication is a problem for you:
  • Be aware of your own body language. If you are interviewing for a job and your shoulders are droopy, it can easily be read as disinterest and could cost you the job.
  • Be aware of other people’s body language. This will help you avoid many awkward situations. For instance, if you are talking to someone and you realize that their hand are folded across their chest, they keep looking down and their feet are pointed towards the exit, this is a clear indication that this person wants out of the conversation. End the conversation politely and move on.
  • Tell a story. Storytelling has always been an engaging format of conversation. Have some great stories that are appropriate for the situation ? Tell them. Even during interviews, this can work if you spin it well.
  • Ask questions that indicate you are listening to the other person.
  • Put away distractions and give the other person your full attention as they speak.
found on https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20345/5-skills-every-college-student-must-develop-to-be-successful/ on 8/28/2020