Before graduation know-hows?

[ValRN]

I will be graduating my first child next year and would like to know what things a senior should absolutely know how to do before going to college.

 

In the past couple of months I've been thinking that ds may need to take a gap year to mature a little before attending college. The reason I say this is because he taaaaaakes sooooooooo loooooooooooong to complete his work on a daily basis. He has never missed or been late on any assignment in his high school career, and he gets decent (mostly A's some B's). He does not have an exceptionally heavy load: Music Theory II at the cc, English (grammar, composition, and literature) online, chemistry online, algebra 2 online, and French 1 online. He also has a music lesson once a week, music composition lesson every other week, and youth orchestra (for what seems like all day) every Saturday. Of course he does daily work/practice for those classes. We are in the car for more hours than we care to be each day because the cc is 35 minutes away, trumpet lessons are 1 hour away, composition is 1hr 15 minutes away, and orchestra is 1.5 hours away. But he usually takes work along and completes it in the car.

He begins working around 9AM and most nights will work AT LEAST until midnight. He is not really the lollygag-type. (My rising 9th ds has lollygagging down to a science, but he's another story).

 

Anyway, in order for me to decide whether or not I will make him take a gap year (yes, I said "make"....ds is VERY opposed to the idea), I want to make a concrete list of goals to be accomplished by the end of senior year 1st semester (but I'm willing to give him into 2nd semester) to determine if he is ready to go to college. I need ds to be able to visualize what is expected of him.

 

I've come up with a couple of things, but since he is my first high schooler, I can use the advice from moms who have btdt.

 

Here is my list (not complete yet) of things that I would like ds to know how to do and prove he is able to do before he graduates. Please add to it as much as you like.

1. Seek help from instructors/use resources available on campus to get assistance.

2. Initiate communication with instructors. DS is very reserved and is the type that will go unnoticed.

3. Be able to read 300 pages per week.

4. Schedule all assignments/quizzes/tests/projects, etc using a daytimer or calendar on his laptop (I prefer the daytimer).

5. finish all work in enough time to get at least 8 hours of sleep

6. prefer - finish normal school work in 6 to 8 hours (excludes extra work/projects)

7. write a good 700-1200 word essay (rough draft) in 30 to 45 minutes

 

 

I know there are many other things that ds should accomplish before graduating, but these are the areas where I think he is lacking most. Please chime in and let me know how you prepare your seniors. I'm clueless.

 

Thanks

[ValRN]

Anyone?

[Twigs]

You may find some ideas by doing a tag search on life skills.

[regentrude]

Here is my list (not complete yet) of things that I would like ds to know how to do and prove he is able to do before he graduates. Please add to it as much as you like.

 

1. Seek help from instructors/use resources available on campus to get assistance.

 

 

Extremely important- can not be emphasized enough. He needs to know that asking for help is a sign of being resourceful and smart!

 

2. Initiate communication with instructors. DS is very reserved and is the type that will go unnoticed.

 

 

I would add: not just with instructors, but with administrators, offices, all kinds of people. He should be comfortable making inquiries and appointments over the phone. He should know how to write email to an instructor that includes a subject line, an appropriate greeting (including academic title if appropriate), and signature. (Can you tell this is one of my pet peeves as an instructor? You would not believe what kinds of emails I receive, and these do not create a favorable impression)

 

3. Be able to read 300 pages per week.

4. Schedule all assignments/quizzes/tests/projects, etc using a daytimer or calendar on his laptop (I prefer the daytimer).

 

 

He should also learn to prioritize. The reality of college is that even with the best planning not everything will and can get done, and that students need to be able to make strategic decisions. So, they need to be able to distinguish between urgent and important, only important, only urgent matters and prioritize accordingly.

Which means: know which of the 300 pages need to be read with pencil in hand taking notes and which can be skimmed for general gist.

 

Time management is a biggie. A college student often does not have several-hour chunks of uninterrupted time; he needs to learn to work with a fragmented schedule and effectively use smaller chunks of time throughout the day.

[Lori D.]

Sounds like you have a steady worker, but it just takes him more time. I'd strongly suggest starting the first year of college taking *just* the minimum credits (usually 12-13, which is about 4 classes) for full time, and to NOT be trying to work at the same time, to give him the time to sort how how to make it all work for HIM. :) As far as specific skills -- you already listed a great set of "life skills" and study skills in your post, plus more ideas from the other posters. So, instead, below I'm tossing out some ideas for specifically HOW to practice these skills before graduation. Maybe once a week, take off from homeschooling for the afternoon, and put some practice and exploration time in. BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

 

 

Take a Classes as Dual Enrollment at Community College

- the best practice there is for college -- it IS college! ;)

- student is responsible to outside instructor, deadlines

- student learns classroom skills, gets real-life practice of note-taking, study skills, time management, test prep, test-taking, etc.

- student practices interacting with instructor (have student make it goal to contribute in discussion at least once EACH class, and to also speak informally at least once EACH WEEK with the instructor -- before/after class, visit during office hours)

- student learns firsthand how to apply, take admission tests, do paperwork, etc.

- student becomes familiar navigating around a campus

- student gets to enter college with several credits already accrued!

 

 

Take a Study Skills Class

- often, students will more willingly *listen* to and apply info from someone OTHER than mom, so try outsourcing this

- most community colleges offer one -- sometimes they are free if you are a student

- local homeschool co-op class

- summer class offered through a local public, private, or charter school

- Teaching Company: Great Courses: How To Be a Super Star Student

- Study Guides & Strategies website articles = http://www.studygs.net/'>http://www.studygs.net/

 

 

Weekly Timed Essay Writing From a Prompt -- for Future College Class Timed Essay Exams

- practice with essay questions from various textbooks/programs you are using

- use past SAT essay prompt questions = http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/sat-test-prep.html

 

 

Practice Note-Taking from a Lecture

- take a Community College class

- use a lecture series (ex: Teaching Company: Great Course) as part of your History, Economics or other coursework

 

 

Practice Reading Skills

- read through the guides on "Reading and Research" at the Study Guides & Strategies website = http://www.studygs.net/

- assign large amounts of pages to cover

- have student practice highlighting, note-taking, summarizing, studying for tests, etc, from textbooks

 

 

Practice Navigating the College Website Together

- whatever institution the student will be attending post-high school, spend time on the website, learn what resources are available to students, and how to access them (if there is a "site map" option, usually at the bottom of the page, that can be a very helpful starting list)

- find the college's financial aid/scholarship web page -- many institutions allow you to sign up on a special web page one time, which then will search for you for all the scholarships you are eligible for

- find the college's online course catalog; together, look up classes student will be taking in the Fall; talk about what is a good way to schedule classes (i.e., NOT back-to-back "brainbuster" classes); look up the different instructors at http://www.ratemyprofessor.com to help see who to take or who to avoid

 

 

Tour the College Campus DS will Be Attending

- together, schedule a campus tour with a college student guide; have student make a list of questions in advance to ask -- the college student guide's own experiences there, and what resources the student has used, tips, mistakes to avoid, etc.

- together, actually go to the tutoring center, talk with a tutor

- together, make an appointment with an academic advisor; have student make a list of several questions in advance, and then ask those questions and any follow-up questions at the appointment

- together, sit in on a class so student can get a feel for a typical lecture

 

 

Go Over "College Survival" Skills or "Life Skills" Resources

- The Graduate's Survival Guide = http://www.daveramsey.com/store/prodgsg.html

- set up a checking account; go over personal finance resources; discuss use of a debit or credit card for college expenses; etc.

- go over basic life skills by practicing: do laundry at a laundrymat; making good choices about eating balanced meals; find healthy quick foods for having in a dorm room for eating when hungry and the cafeteria isn't open; set a schedule for getting good rest; getting out for some regular exercise each week; what to do if you get sick; etc

 

 

Esp. If Your Student Will Be Going to College Out-of-Town

- here is a nice list of many types of tips = http://www.collegebound.net/content/article/31-things-you-need-to-know-about-college/2119/

- visit the college town several times; practice navigating getting to places off-campus that the student will need to use; practice using the public transportation

Edited April 26, 2012 by Lori D.