The Planning Page The Counselor's Page
Year two of high school brings more challenges and much more to do. Similar to the freshmen year of high school; think ahead, and study! You should also review the "My Freshmen Year" page and continue on with many of the items listed there.
There are some additional challenges for 10th grade.
1. Academic Planning - very
much like the freshmen year of high school, sophomores often have several
"required" classes, like Math, English Science, and Physical
Education. It is important to continue on with your four year plan - taking the
course that you will need to build your future.
A. Increase Work Load - As you
get to the higher levels of classes, they will often include more work and more
time and effort. Get help whenever you can, and take time to study.
B. Elective Classes - You will
also begin to have the opportunity to take a variety of elective classes
(classes that are not required). Students should be encouraged to take a
"mixture" of classes from all academic areas. If you want to take
every Science class in high school, that's great - but make sure to take at
least one class from every other academic area as well (a shop class, family and
consumer science, music, etc. ).
2. Testing - Beginning the sophomore year students can begin thinking about college placement exams, like the A.C.T. and the S.A.T. While taking these standard exams is possible, Sophomores should start with the P.S.A.T., which is given in most schools in October. For most students it is recommended to wait until the junior year to take other college placement exams. (See the Testing Recommendations page).
3. Community Service - Yes, it was mentioned before and here it is again. Community service is the number one recommendation to students who want to increase their chances of getting scholarships for college.
4. Keep Records - Now that
things are beginning to get busy, lots of clubs and activities, taking the PSAT,
upper level courses...start keeping track of everything.
A. Start a File - Somewhere at home start a file with
all your awards, a list of activities, report cards and transcripts, and even
tests and term papers. All of these things will come in handy in the future.
B. Start a Resume - Sophomore students should
start compiling the information of their academic and activity records into a
resume. There are many formats and many places online to get help in writing a
resume. Many high school students will begin job hunting - and a resume to
present to prospective employers is a needed item. The resume will also serve as
a table of contents for your high school career, and show you where you may be
lacking some needed quality or item to make your chances of being successful
greater.
5. Stay busy and get organized. Keep up the activities and clubs and community involvement. Many students also need to work on their skills of organization. Start a day planner or carry a calendar to keep track of homework assignments, club meetings, practice schedules, and anything else you need to be aware of. Make sure to schedule some time simply to relax as well!
6. Continue the Career Search. As the 10th grade year comes and goes, students should begin to narrow down their career search, at least to an academic area (like Math or English). REMEMBER - it is not a crisis situation if you change your mind. In the United States today most people change careers in their lifetime three to five times. It just helps to get on the right path for now. There will also be more opportunities for programs like "school to work" and "job shadowing" as you advance though high school - enabling you to get a more practical look at various careers that might interest you.