Middle school students start planning early

High school students are constantly bombarded with life-changing decisions what classes to take, where to apply for college, what career paths to study.

These choices, on top of graduation, part-time jobs, community service and more, can get a little overwhelming, which is why Lisa Oates, counselor at Bob Courtway Middle School, is encouraging her students to think about college now.

Carrie Strode  

Cathy Yang, mother of a seventh-grader and a high school sophomore, picks up fliers provided by admissions counselors and financial aid counselors from various colleges along with other parents at the College Awareness Night held at Bob Courtway Middle School Thursday. CARRIE STRODE

"Teachers work hard to prepare students to become lifelong learners and students need to see there are lots of options, it's just in how you prepare," Oates said.

The second College Awareness Night was held Thursday at the school and served as an hour-long crash course in college planning.

"Students who prepare earlier are able to set higher goals, know what classes they need to take in high school and make realizations that certain colleges need requirements you should start on early," Oates said.

.story-ad {

width: 310px;

float: left;

margin: 0 10px 10px 0;

padding: 4px;

}

- Advertisement -

OAS_AD('x22');

Students and parents who filled up the school's media center learned everything from how to pay for college to how to make the most out high school to what is required for scholarships.

"The key to success is to have a plan," Susan Dewey, a representative from the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, told the group. "Students who prepare and know what to expect in college and know it's a lot of work are more likely to stay in school and be successful."

Dewey also told parents one of the biggest hurdles families are faced with when talking about sending their student to college is paying for it; however, she said this is not a decision to put off.

"Ninth-grade is the time to start thinking about paying for your child's college," Dewey said.

Grants, scholarships, internships, loans and payment plans are just a few of the options Dewey lined out for the parents who were curious about financial aid.

Two counselors from both campuses of Conway High School were also available to give the parents and students a glimpse into the near future.

The pair talked about the college entrance exams students should take, and have to take, to get into certain colleges and concurrent enrollment and Advanced Placement courses to get a head start on college credit.

"Advanced Placement courses provide an excellent opportunity for your student to take classes for college credit," Kathie Houston, west campus counselor, said. "And it's very rigorous, it's truly like a college-level course, but it is a free way to earn college credit before you even graduate from high school."

The seventh- and eighth-graders who attended the event also got to hear from high school students who gave testimonies to how being prepared can help.

Na'Dra Robertson, a Conway High School senior, said she was in the young students' shoes not too long ago and it made a big difference to start thinking about college early.

"I did walk these hallways before and it really does start here getting ready for high school," Robertson said. "You just have to have ownership of your education and going into high school with goals and knowing where you want to go with your education is important."

Robertson recently signed with Alabama A&M University with a full scholarship to play basketball and although she is known as an athlete, she said it is important to be a student first and stay focused on academics.

Morgan Hill, another senior at Conway High School, said knowing what opportunities are available in the community is a great way to prepare for college.

"In school, you have a lot of clubs and student organizations you can be a part of, but in middle school I had no idea about the programs Conway offers," Hill said.

From volunteering at Conway Cradle Care to being involved with Teen Court, Hill said colleges love seeing community service hours.

Hill, who will attend Hendrix College in the fall, said she also became involved with the Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute as a sophomore in order to give back to her community.

According to Oates, there are a few students on the Bob Courtway campus who have already learned a thing or two about preparing for life after high school. These students were part of a voluntary college education class during the fall semester.

"They did a lot of research on college Web sites to see what they have to offer and they got familiar with terms like GPA, academic advisement and all the different degrees offered," Oates said.

Eighth-grader Christian Thompson said he chose to take the class because he was interested in the requirements for college and what he needed to be eligible for certain scholarships.

"Middle school students should be prepared because there's a lot of requirements you have to meet and if you don't know what they are, you can't get into college," Thompson said.

Harrison Jones, another eighth-grade student, said he enrolled in the course because he wanted an edge on the other students by knowing what to take in high school to reflect his career choices.

(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)