Freshman Year Calendar:

What to do When

Jan

Feb

Mar

Monthly tips are provided as a courtesy from CollegePlanning.org.
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Aug

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Start off on the right foot with your grades. Your freshman grades matter. Colleges look at your overall grade point average (G.P.A.) through all four years of high school. It is more difficult to improve a G.P.A. that starts low.
Find extra-curricular activities in which you have an interest. This is a great way to meet new people! There are also scholarship opportunities for being involved in different high school and community activities.
Stay organized by using a planner or electronic organizer.
Get to know your teachers, counselors and administrators so you understand what resources are available in your school.

Sep

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Talk to your parents and other adults in a variety of professions todetermine what thy like and dislike about their careers. Also find out what kind of education is required for each type of job.
Did you know some colleges recommend you complete 4 years of English, 3-4 years of Math, Science and Social Studies, 2-4 years of Foreign Language in high school? Work with your school counselor to make sure you're on the right track.
Get to know the four different "types of colleges." There are colleges and universities that offer 4-year degrees and beyond as well as community colleges and technical institutes that offer many different programs that can last 12 months to 2 years in length. There is a type of campus and programs that will interest you.

Oct

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Know yourself. Think about what you like to do, what you are good at and what you value most. The first step in career planning is self-discovery. Visit the Iowa Choices portal and complete an assessment to help you determine your interests and values.
Start developing a resume to keep track of your participation in extra-curricular activities. Iowa Choices has a resume feature within Choices Planner. You will find this to be a great resource when applying for a scholarships during your senior year.
Get to know the four different "types of colleges." There are colleges and universities that offer 4-year degrees and beyond, as well as community colleges or trade schools which offer 1-year certifications up to 2-year degrees.

Jan

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What are your interests? Are you creative? Do you like to help people? You can tie you interests to a future career by using your Choices portfolio at the Iowa Choices portal. Visit the High School Planning link on the Choices Planner Learn tab to find a layout of classes you should take in hish school to help you prepare for your career.
What is financial aid? Financial aid is made up of four types of assistance: grants, scholarships, loans, and work study. Grants and scholarships are FREE sources of mone which do not have to be paid back. A loan is money given to you to help pay for an expense (i.e., semester/year of college) which you will have to repay. Work study is funding awarded to college students who earn money by working part-time at a campus-approved job.
You will not need to apply for financial aid UNTIL your senior year, but you can take steps now to become familiar with the process. Check out the Financial Aid section of the College Planning Center's website as well as CCPrep to learn more.

Feb

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According to the latest U.S. Census, 48 of the 50 fastest growing jobs in the United States require some type of post-high school education. Which jobs are in demad? What types of tasks would you have to perform? How much will you earn? What type of education/training is required? Vist the Iowa Choices portal to learn more about thich careers may interest you.

Mar

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April

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May

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Check with your school counselor to see if there are any academic summer camp programs you could attend. This could be be a great way to catch up or to get ahead.

Learn about the work. Experience differrent careers yourself trough job shadowing, volunteer work or summer internships.

Keep track of adults (teachers, counselors, coaches and community members) with whom you have developed good relationships. These people may be sources of recommendation letters for college admission and scholarships.

Check your summer reading list. Start to plan for things you want to read over the summer.

Freshman Year Calendar:

Aug

Sep

Oct

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

May

June