Starting high school is a defining moment in your life’s journey. A new environment, new expectations, and new opportunities, making college seem so far away.

In truth, you only have four years that will zoom by. Planning for college is vital if you’re pursuing higher education after high school. Of course, you’re not expected to know what degree you want to pursue freshman year, but there are some steps you can take to prepare for the journey ahead. 

Taking the right classes in high school is the first and the most essential step in preparing for college. Knowing what career you’d like to pursue is highly recommended, as you’ll have an idea on possible classes to take. Extracurriculars are encouraged as well, since they offer students opportunities to learn the values of teamwork, endurance, competition, diversity, and a sense of the community. It also gives you a competitive advantage when applying for college. 

The ACT is the next step when choosing which college you want to attend.  The test is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions and scholarship decisions. If standardized testing is not your strength, you’re not out of luck. Many colleges no longer require ACT scores for acceptance, but higher scores could help you gain scholarships to help pay for college. Your ACT score, location of the schools you’d like to attend, and financial status are three crucial factors when determining where to go to college. 

Once you have your ACT score, you can start researching colleges. When choosing a college with those factors in mind, choose one that best fits your career choice. It’s recommended to keep back up colleges in case you don’t get accepted to your preferred college.

When all those steps are followed, you’ll be ready for college. Many people fail to realize high school is not about meeting a criterion but instead it enlists you and prepares you for college. My only advice is to enjoy high school while it lasts. Teachers are not lying when they say those four years of high school fly by. Goodluck out there, soldier. May you come home safely.