The time to start thinking about future plans is during your freshman year. There is a wealth of information available to you to help you start planning, but you do not want to wait until the last minute to begin sorting through it all. As well as starting on some preliminary research, you will want to think about what you are doing in high school. Colleges look at your high school record, and this includes your freshman year.

Career Exploration
Jobs and Careers: What are you good at? What do you like to do? The answers to these questions can help you decide on careers you might want to explore further. If you are having trouble answering these questions visit the school counseling office. Your counselor will get you started by completing an interest inventory. This inventory will ask you questions about your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Using this information a list of possible careers can be formed.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is another way of exploring careers. This test measures students’ skills, interests, and personal preferences and aligns them with career opportunities. The test is available for students in grades 10 through 12 and is usually offered at DCS in December. The ASVAB is the same battery used by the military for entry qualifications. If you have further questions about the ASVAB and/or the results, please contact the school counseling office or visit the follow website: http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/asvab/.

Further exploration: Once you have narrowed the field to a few careers, you can do further research to see if you would really like them. The school counseling office, library and the Internet all have information on careers. Look at how much education is required to enter the field, possibilities for advancement, how likely you are to find a job in your chosen career, and even how much money you can expect to make. You will want to take all these factors into consideration and the research might take you a little while.

Still undecided? Do not be concerned even if you remain undecided about a career even after exploring various options. You will likely find that there are a number of careers that you find interesting. You may find that some careers are interesting, but difficult to find employment in, such as being an astronaut. You may find that over time you lose interest in some careers. What is important in high school is that you have a general idea of what you would like to do and where you would like to go after high school.

School Work
Course selection: It’s never too early to start thinking ahead. The state of New York and DCS have requirements you must fulfill to graduate. You will need to earn 22 credits before you can earn your diploma. Refer to your course description book to see how many English, social studies, math, science, and other specific credits you must earn. You will also want to look at some college view books. Many colleges require four years of math, while DCS only requires three for graduation. You may also want to think about taking 2 or more years of a foreign language. Many colleges require at least two years of a foreign language, where as you are only required to pass the proficiency exam to graduate from DCS.

NCAA: Students who are interested in playing NCAA athletics have another set of qualifications to meet. Before an athlete can play a sport at a Division I or Division II school he or she must register and meet the specific criteria set forth on the NCAA Clearinghouse form. Students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and a combined ACT score of 68 or a combined SAT score of 820.Students must also have completed specific college preparatory courses in English, math, science, and the social sciences. If you are thinking of playing sports in college, see your school counselor early in your high school career to ensure that you are on your way to meeting all of the requirements.

Grades: Whether you decide to go to college or enter the work force when you leave high school, you will need to show a copy of your high school transcript. Your transcript shows every course you have taken since your freshman year, and the grades that you have earned, as well as your cumulative grade point average (GPA) and class rank. You will want to keep this in mind, even during your freshman year. If you “goof off” in a class, it could have an impact on your future.

Recommendations: Once again, whether you are applying for a job or entrance into college you will be required to submit letters of recommendation and names of references. Your best sources for recommendations are your teachers, counselor, bosses, coaches, and activity leaders. Remember this as you sit in class: if you try your hardest, turn in your homework, and participate in class, you can almost be assured a good letter of recommendation.

School and community activities: Participating in a variety of clubs, athletics, community service and activities will round out your applications, open up new areas of interest to you, and broaden the number of scholarships you can qualify for. If an activity interests you, give it a try.

Note: Remember, high school is the time for you to explore and try new things. Take chances. If a club or sport interests you or a class sounds like something you might like, give it a try. Who knows, you may discover an unknown interest that could grow into a hobby or even a career.