Here are a few tips for helping your high schooler prepare for the future.
How to Help Your High School Student Prepare for the Future
1) Establish a School Day Routine
High school is not the time for your teens to fly by the seat of their pants. It is a time to establish a solid school day routine and put it into practice. This will be vital to help make sure they are ready for college or manage their workload in their career. Their routine should include, at a minimum:
- Create a digital calendar to which everyone in the house has access via computers and smartphones.
- Create a physical calendar and set it in a visible location in your home.
- Every assignment, test, and project should be included on the calendar. Additionally, sports, church, and extracurriculars should be added to digital and physical calendars.
- Students should plan to exercise daily, especially if they are not regularly practicing with an athletic team.
- Healthy, wholesome meals are an important part of a daily routine.
- A routine should include self-care. You want to help your teens evaluate signs of burnout.
2) Practice Effective Study Habits
The establishment of a routine will go a long way toward facilitating effective study habits. Your teenager needs a space to work that is their own, even if it is only a portion of a room.
It should be quiet and free of distractions. Reach out to teachers and administrators for more ideas about study habits that will be effective in high school and beyond.
3) Talk About Future Options for Teenagers
There are many options available for high schoolers following graduation. More than ever, there are non-traditional paths to college and the workforce. Depending on their interests, future goals, and God-given callings, there might be an option better suited to them than what you might have expected. Some post-graduation paths may include:
- Attending a four-year college or university
- Attending a two-year community college or technical school
- Transferring from a community college to complete a bachelor’s degree
- Entering the workforce with a certificate or license
- Gap year programs and international missions
Some paths will require continuing education at a high level, while others may delay college. Consider meeting with guidance counselors and professionals to put all options on the table.
4) Make a Flexible Plan
With the options on the table, it’s time to make a plan. There are goals your teen will need to reach while in high school in order to qualify for programs beyond graduation. Develop and implement a plan that is flexible enough to account for changing interests and updating paths.
5) Help Establish Good Spiritual Habits
The teenage years are a time when kids can really grasp and practice doctrine and theology. It is a season of life when their faith can and should become their own, and their relationship with Jesus will strengthen and grow rapidly.
Developing a spiritual routine is key to facilitating growth in high school and beyond. Help them have a spiritual routine that includes:
- Reading Scripture daily
- Daily prayer
- Church involvement
- Missions and service
- Fellowship with other believers
- Plenty of grace when we don’t follow the routine
6) Encourage Them to Try New Things
High school is a great time to try new activities to determine if they might have a passion for something that they could pursue in college and beyond. Encourage your teens to try sports, hobbies, creative activities, and anything in which they could possibly have an interest during this season of life.
7) Choose the Right High School
The right school will make all the difference in helping ensure your teenager is ready for the next phase of life. Our High School program is designed to help students develop mature skills of reasoning, expression, research, and problem-solving that will leave them well prepared to succeed in collegiate environments.
We have a partnership with Haywood Community College that allows students to earn college credits while they are still juniors and seniors. Our supportive community, teachers, and administrators are all committed to making sure each student is ready to make an impact for Christ in high school and beyond.
If you would like to know more about Haywood Christian Academy and our high school program, we would be happy to answer your questions and tell you more about our school. Contact us for more information today!