Freshman year is complete and high school is moving right along. It might be easy to sit back and coast a little. It's not called a sophomore slump for nothing. Don't lose momentum now, things are just starting to get interesting. Classes should be getting more specialized and electives should be taking up more of your schedule. All of this creates the perfect opportunity to shine in areas of interest. Look for ways to focus projects on areas that you really enjoy so that you put maximum effort into them. If you were a little too overwhelmed by the transition to high school to get involved as a freshman - don't worry - you still have time to find your club or organization (or maybe a couple) that you really like and find people with similar interests. Don't join for the sake of joining or just because you think it will look good on a college application. Look for groups that will allow you to build your skills and interests and have some fun while doing it. High school shouldn't be all about work.
It might seem like senior year and college applications are a distant thought, but the next three years will fly by. Now is a great time to start thinking about where you want to go from here. If college is your goal - take a college tour. It doesn't have to be your dream school - you don't even have to have a dream school. Just get on college campuses so you can begin to figure out what you like and don't like. Do you want to be in a city or more suburban or rural? Do you want a large state university with huge school spirit and sports or do you prefer a smaller more reserved campus - or somewhere in between. This is also the time that parents need to start having honest conversations about college expenses. Do not wait until May of the senior year to reveal that you have no money for college and no way to help pay for the school that your student has been excited to attend for a year. There are lots of financially sound options for college so just be honest and set reasonable expectations so realistic decisions can be made throughout the process. Is it easy to say no to a school - absolutely not. It is easier in 10th grade than to wait. Merit scholarships are a possibility but have back up plans until the aid packages come in - but we'll address that in later posts.
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