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Planning to go to college? Use the summer to get a jumpstart
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Don't let summer opportunities get away from you.
I will be the first one to tell you that one of the most important things a college bound student can do during the summer is to take some time to relax, but there are a few other things you should consider doing as well. Here are a few suggestions that won’t steal all your relaxation time, but will help you prepare for college.
- Read. Did you know that reading is one of the best ways to boost your SAT scores? Pick up the newspaper and spend some time reading articles you’re interested in, as well as some that you know little about. Read a book you’ve never read before. Read a magazine about something you’re interested in, but don’t know much about. Once you’ve done that, tell someone what you’ve learned. It’s great practice for dealing with the writing samples you will see on the SAT.
- Volunteer. This is a great way to try your hand at something new or get experience in a field you’re interested in. If you can’t find something you like, look for a need and be creative. There may be a neighbor who could use help with yard work or a child who needs someone to help him improve his math skills. Get your friends involved. Maybe you could organize a food drive in your neighborhood to benefit your local food bank. The only limit is your imagination.
- Take a class or go to camp. There are many to choose from, but if you’re a Junior and are planning to apply to the UW, check out UW Admit.edu. This program, while targeting underrepresented minorities, is open to everyone. It will help you understand and make the most of the UW Application. Girls, you and your moms can also take a Safety Training class at Overlake Hospital. This is perfect for anyone who will be heading off to college. Keep in mind that all camps and classes have deadlines, so don’t delay.
- Do something creative. Consider keeping a journal and writing down what you’ve done that day or telling a story about someone or something you love. You can even take an event that happened long ago and write a different ending. How about using your camera to tell the story of your summer in pictures? Got wood? Try to make a birdhouse – or a bat box. There are no rules. Just have some fun with it.
- Visit a campus. If you can visit an actual college campus, that’s great, but if you can’t there are some good online options to choose from. Check out www.youniversitytv.com or ecampustours.com. Both offer virtual tours of many campuses. While you’re there, explore the colleges’ websites and get familiar with what’s there.
There are lots of other things you could do too that would only take a few minutes; like signing up for scholarship alerts, taking a short quiz to find out what major might suit you best, or signing up for SAT’s Question of the Day. Regardless of what you choose to do, if you’re serious about going to college, you’ve need to do more this summer than just think about it.
If you have an idea for an article or there's a topic you'd like me to cover, you can contact me by going to www.collegenavigation.net. I'd love to hear from you.
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