For high school success, students should spend their time on three main tasks: time management, exploration of activities, and practicing self-advocacy. With a variety of different opportunities available for high school students to explore, it’s important for them to choose activities that show off their strengths and cater to their interests. While balancing their academics with extracurricular activities, your child should be encouraged to commit to just a few activities that mean something to them.
Have a discussion with your child early in high school so they have an idea of what to focus on. By offering support and encouragement, you can help guide them towards a successful and interesting journey. Students have a lot going on in their lives – from school work to outside activities plus their social lives, so they do need some support. Many high school students struggle to find a balance so it’s important to talk with your child as early as possible about the importance of focusing on activities they love. That way the balance comes easier.
Students who are positively reminded to focus on these three tasks seem to handle the rigors of high school much more successfully. Encourage students to self-advocate as it can prepare them to make important decisions in high school and beyond. They’ll be much more aware of their strengths and interests that way. Remind students to manage their time effectively as it’ll allow them to find balance in their lives while exploring different activities that could open doors to their future.
We encourage our students to interact with their counselors, administrators and teachers to get used to advocating for themselves. Through ongoing interactions, students obtain a better understanding of the importance of independence and responsibility while focusing on the steps to their future goals. After all, this is their education & they must get used to speaking for themselves to achieve what they want in life. Teachers, administrators and counselors are always there to support students, so students need to take charge and reach out to these people!
We discuss all sorts of ideas and options to help our students zero in on their passions. Every student has unique strengths and interests and it’s our job to help them figure out exactly what these passions are and what activities might further strengthen their interests. Through our one-on-one consultations & assessments we discuss various options to help them determine where their interests lie and what they can do to make themselves more compelling applicants and much more interesting people.
Call us at (818) 207-0263 to discuss how we can help you prepare your child for the new school year.
