Selecting Your Courses Part 5

The Arts
Research indicates that students who participate in the arts often do better in school and on standardized tests. The arts help you recognize patterns, discern differences and similarities, and exercise your mind in unique ways, often outside a traditional classroom setting.

Many colleges require or recommend one or 2 semesters in the arts. Good choices include studio, art, dance, music & drama. Many students have talents & extraordinary abilities in the arts.

Students should look within their own repertoire of talents and identify their artistic abilities and take college classes to develop their talents.

Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) 

To be sure you are ready to take on college-level work, enroll in the most challenging courses you can in high school, such as honors or AP courses. Research consistently shows that students who score a 3.0 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success & college graduation rates than students who don’t take AP.

Work hard in your righteous pursuits, and you will reap the benefits of self-fulfillment and job satisfaction. Don’t take shortcuts just to “get by,” instead, take challenging and difficult roads (courses) and reach higher peaks of achievement.

Selecting Your Courses Part 3

Science

Science teaches you to think analytically & apply theories to reality. Colleges want to see that you’ve taken at least 3 years of laboratory science classes. A good combination includes 2 semesters of each of the following sciences:

v Biology

v Chemistry or physics

v Earth/space science

More competitive schools expected you to take four years of lab science courses. You can add two semesters in one of the following subjects:

v Chemistry or physics (the science you didn’t already study)

v Advanced biology

v Advanced chemistry

v Advanced physics

Selecting Your Courses

Recommended Classes for College Success Part 1

 http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/33.html

The academic rigor of your high school courses is an important factor in the college admission process. College admission officers see your high school course schedule as a blueprint of your education. They’re looking for a solid foundation of learning that you can build on in college.

To create that foundation, take at least 5 solid academic classes every semester. Start with the basics and then move on to advance courses. Challenging yourself is part of what makes school fun; but you need a firm grasp of the fundamental before going on to more advanced work

Sarah’s Academic Success Story Part 2

My test study method: I have different strategies for different types of text or subjects. For me, any type of math is exceptionally difficult so I had to spend extra time on that. I would go back through the homework problems focusing on the problems that I had extra difficulty on.  Many times I would ask the teacher for any additional study materials they could provide. If it was a class that required memorization or applying concepts I would create a sort of study guide for myself many times focusing on what were key focal points in the class. If I knew there were going to be essays I would try to take the terms and apply them to an example or create different questions on the concepts focused on throughout the semester.

My time management secret: I always always always carry a planner with me. I even use different color highlights to show what each event on my calendar is for. For example Pink is personal, Yellow is school, Orange is work, Blue is for appointments, and Green is for my sorority. Although I use white-out frequently, I can see in bright yellow that if I have that project for finance due Tuesday, I need to start working on it on [the previous] Wednesday so I can just get it done. My friends have always been amazed at how early I get things