Prepare for College
During winter holidays, you may want to do a TV series marathon, reconnect with friends on social media, or load up on nostalgic snacks. All of those things are great. But what else are you doing? You could think about how to prepare for college during winter break!
You have worked hard to establish good, smart, or healthy habits. So over the break you should establish a routine or regular activities that are similar to school so you can maintain the growth you have made.
It’s important, during breaks, to work on mental skills and organization. Doing service and spending productive time with friends also helps you to use your time wisely. As you prepare for college, you may want to consider some of these great activities:
- Volunteer in the community: You can get some good service hours helping in places close to home. Look into volunteer hours at a retirement center, hospital, homeless shelter, community center, or church. The time spent serving can be used for extracurricular hours or learning more about possible careers. You can also invite a friend to join you.
- Study for the ACT or SAT: Daily preparation for college entrance exams can help you improve your score. Get a practice book, try the sample problems online, or take an SAT or ACT prep course. Improving your score improves the probability you will get into the school of your choice.
- Do an educational activity: Visit a museum, national monument, or science center to spend time engaged in science or history. You can take a day to explore a large museum or a few minutes to take a virtual tour. Another option is to play a game that stimulates thinking and problem solving. This will keep you thinking about school subjects during the break.
- Learn about a career: It is a good idea to explore careers you may be interested in before you apply to a preferred area of study in college. Many professionals welcome the opportunity to have you shadow them. Contact businesses or organizations to ask about short internships to help you explore a potential job. You can also interview a family member or friend to understand what his or her job entails.
- Search for scholarships: There are many college scholarships available but you need to take time to apply for those you are eligible for. Check out sites such as Fastweb and Cappex to create an account and sign up for scholarships that fit your criteria.
When you do good things during your break time, you feel better, think more clearly, and get more done. Today we discussed just a few ways you can begin to prepare for college during winter break. This gives you the boost you need to get into a great school. Empowerly can help you prepare your college applications.
