Q&A for How to Prepare for College/University

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How do I prepare myself for college academically?

Alicia Oglesby
Professional School Counselor
Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events.

Alicia Oglesby

Professional School Counselor

Expert Answer

If you've done the work in high school and you received good grades, it demonstrates that you've mastered the content necessary to prepare yourself for college. You don't need to spend the summer studying or anything like that.

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Question

When should you start preparing for university?

Alicia Oglesby
Professional School Counselor
Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events.

Alicia Oglesby

Professional School Counselor

Expert Answer

Technically, you're preparing as soon as you start freshman year in high school. Your academic record is one of the most essential components of getting into a good university, and you start building that record freshman year. Beyond that, you want to build a solid relationship with your teachers so that you have someone to ask for letters of recommendation. You probably want to start scouting schools your junior year and getting ready for the standardized tests you need.

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Do colleges really care about extracurriuclars?

Alicia Oglesby
Professional School Counselor
Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events.

Alicia Oglesby

Professional School Counselor

Expert Answer

Yes, most schools want to see some evidence that you're a well-rounded person. Things like clubs, volunteer projects, and sports are a great way to show schools that you'll be a dynamic addition to their community.

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My English writing may not be as good. What do I do?

Community Answer

Start practicing your writing. Read a lot, anything from books to articles, and then try writing summaries or opinions on what you read. That way, you will be getting good examples of proper writing as well as practicing your own.

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What do I need to make friends on the first day of my college?

Community Answer

A good attitude, good listening skills, acceptance, confidence, and being yourself.

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How do I overcome my shyness and tension in class whenever asked a question or presenting something?

Community Answer

Don't worry about anyone around you. If you think you know the answer, then say it out. Even if you get it wrong, your tutors or teachers will understand that you at least made an attempt and it shows initiative and engagement. If you stay shy and reticent about sharing your thoughts, they may think that you are daydreaming in their class or not doing the class preparation.

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What if I'm just preparing for college and not going now because I'm still too young?

Community Answer

If you're young, the best thing you can do now to prepare for college is to get good grades. Get in the habit of studying now and it will become second nature to you. Also, it's never too early to start looking over SAT/ACT prep books.

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What can I do to enhance my writing speed for final exams?

Community Answer

Just practice more. Write quickly in a journal for a few minutes at a time, like doing sprints, but with a pen and paper.

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How do I finish college while having a full-time job?

Community Answer

Reduce your sleep time, your body will get used to it, start by sleeping 30 minutes less each day and increase it when you want to. This gives you time to do your college work or revision early in the morning. Use all spare time to study, including when on public transportation and when waiting anywhere, even during mealtimes. Study smart, not long -- use what study time you do have really effectively so that you aren't wasting time. Forgo all leisure pursuits as you seriously don't have time till the term is over. However, book a trip or something like that as a reward when the studying period has ended, to give you something to look forward to.

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How do I find a relationship when at college?

Community Answer

First and foremost, be yourself. Don't go into college looking specifically to start a relationship, just try to make friends. Talk to people in your classes and people in your dorm, and find people you have stuff in common with. It's always a good idea to be friends with people before you date them anyway. Just get to know as many people as possible, and you'll probably end up finding a great girl/guy.

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How do I not worry about getting into my dream university?

Community Answer

Think about other universities, too, just in case you don't get into your dream university.

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How can I do preparation for USAT?

Community Answer

USAT is different for every discipline. Read a syllabus for the discipline you're studying. There are test preps available online.

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