Plan for college and set up for success

If you want to go to college it’s important that you develop a plan for it., like with any goal having a plan will allow you to make the most of your time and increase your chances to achieve it. I will present you with some questions for you to really ponder and think about. The plan for your goal, it starts right now.

The first thing that we really need to think about is what do you want to do with your live, in many instances people go to college without really knowing why they are going to college, only go because that is what is expected from them, don’t let this be your case, go to college with a plan for your life this will allow you to stay focus throughout your college career. Ask yourself what career are you going to choose and why, money is great but if that is your only motivation for waking up every morning for the thirty years of your working life then you are up for big trouble.
After you have decided that college is your choice then it’s time to start thinking about SAT preparation. Before you do anything, take a SAT diagnostic test, which can be found in the collegeboard website, this will allow you to see which areas will need the most reinforcement. After you have the results of this diagnostic test develop a study plan, determine what resources you will need to study, determine if you will you be able to attend a class or tutoring. If you do set out a time to attend the class and also set out time for independent study, even if you do attend a class you should also do independent study, set up a time to study for the math section and to study SAT vocabulary words.

After you have plan your SAT preparation it’s time to plan the college application, look for colleges that offer the degree you want , look for their requirements and fees. Most colleges will give fee waiver to those who request them ahead of time, and by ahead of time I mean almost a year before the application process. Also colleges usually require a personal statement, three application letters as well of a certain GPA and SAT score. Start working on the personal statement, it’s better to write a draft and to improve on it over time than to try to do a good one at the last minute. Talk to your teachers about the letters of recommendation at least one semester ahead.

This is only a guide to help you start planning your entrance to college; there will probably be other thing that you should consider that pertain your personal case. Try to cover all possible bases as this will be key to your success.

Now writing a plan in paper is one thing, executing the plan is a completely different. Many people write out a plan to achieve their goal and end up not executing it because they are constantly postponing it for tomorrow, I have to admit I’m guilty of this. This is the hardest part of achieving a goal for there is no substitute for discipline. The only thing that you could do to help you in your execution is to write a contingency plan for when thing don’t occur the way you expected them, for example what to do when something comes up during your independent study plan, find a partner to motivate you but decide ahead of time to study on your own when your partner lacks motivation, and also start working on your goal way ahead of time that way if you fall behind you will still have time to finish.

In the end nothing will make up for discipline but a good plan will increase your chances of success. Good luck.