Welcome to 9th grade. First off, you’re going to want to decide if you want to go to college at all. College is a big decision that many high school students will have to make. The total investment that you make in college can come close to, if not exceed, the equivalent to purchasing a house depending on where you choose to attend and for how long. The payments for those investments can last for years following graduation. College doesn’t have to be the right choice for everyone, though. There are multiple paths to a successful career that start with just a high school diploma. Attending college or a technical school, however, gives many individuals access to more higher paying jobs. There are also many jobs that will not accept individuals unless they have a certain degree, so make sure to research what requirements are needed for the careers that you are looking at and see what training your future career choice requires.
Here is a video that may help you with your decision of what you would like to do after high school.
Should you have any interest in attending college in the future (many of these tips even work for those who are not intending to go to college), here are some tips you can follow to start your journey to college as a freshman.
- Brainstorm what you would like to do after high school. Make sure you’re not just looking at what you are good at, but also what you’re interested in. In the end, you’ll want to choose what job makes you happy, so experiment with different electives to find out what you like to do. (e.g. I like to type a lot, so maybe I’ll want a job that requires me to type frequently. Perhaps I’ll type up a webpage someday.)
- Use your free time to try extracurricular activities. There are many that this school has to offer along with sports. While participating in these groups, you may find something interesting that you may want to pursue as a career. (e.g. Future Business Leaders of America sounds like fun. You get to compete against other schools with what you know about different topics. Maybe I’ll win something like that one kid in my Spanish class did.)
- College may seem far away, but watch your grades; they will count in the long run as well as your attendance. Your transcript will be one of the things sent to your college of choice and it will show all of your grades including those from your ninth grade classes, so you’ll want to make sure that they like what they see. Not to mention, getting good grades will make your parents happy too. (e.g. I didn’t do so well on that last test; maybe I should ask my teacher what I can do to work my grade up before report cards come out.)
- Consider taking more challenging classes if the ones you have are too easy. Talk to your school counselor about their suggestions for you and whether or not they think you should take more difficult classes. (e.g. That last test was a breeze and the teacher said that it was the hardest one. Maybe next year I should go for the honors class.)
- Talk to your parents about paying for college. This too, may seem a bit distant, however, payment for college is going to happen at one point or another, so be sure to bring up the topic if you are at all unsure as to where the money to pay for college is going to come from. (e.g. I know my parents will able to help me some with paying for college, but where will the rest of it come from?)