Seniors Only! Getting ready for college in 2011

Seniors, in a few short months, you'll be finished with high school forever! If you're going to college and need help figuring out what exactly you need to be doing during these last few months, this is the post for you (just like we promised on p. 16 of the January ec)! 

January

• If you’re taking AP classes, register to take all the tests. Even if you don’t think you’ll do well, you might surprise yourself and end up with several hours of college credit (and several hundred dollars saved). At the very least, you have another testing experience under your belt.
• Schedule another college day to visit your desired school. This time make appointments with admissions counselors, and interview at least one professor in your desired field of study.
• Choose a teacher, employer, student minister, or club sponsor to write your letters of recommendation. Research exactly what your school requires and go ahead and contact your references. Be sure to send them a thank you note for recommending you.
• Finish filling out all applications and apply for scholarships.
• Apply for financial aid (FAFSA). You may start applying as early as January 1. This application will determine your eligibility for loans, work study, and grants. It’s a lengthy process and must be completed by March 1, so start now.

February

• Talk to someone a year older than you who received scholarships. Ask for help on applying for specific scholarships, writing letters, and standing out from other applicants.
• Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) and double check for accuracy. You receive a SAR when you apply for financial aid. It includes your expected family contribution and lists how much government assistance you’ll be receiving, so review carefully.  

March

• Visit a friend in college and spend the night with him/her. If possible attend a class, eat on campus, and sleep in a dorm to get the whole college experience.
• Request your transcript be sent to your prospective colleges and verify its arrival.

April

• Choose your school and celebrate!
• Send in your acceptance letter to the university. Mail in all required deposits. Notify the schools you don’t plan to attend by sending an e-mail to the admissions counselor.
• Attend a financial aid workshop with your parents.

May

• Apply for housing. Don’t hesitate to make special requests like ceiling fan, lower floor, and so forth. You'll never know if you don't try! Also if you’ve visited a few times and want to request a specific room, even better. The worst they can say is “no.”
• Get with your advisor and plan your schedule. Yes, freshmen usually get the last pick of classes, but you can be first of the freshmen! Don’t overload your schedule. Take anywhere from 12-16 hours depending on the difficulty of the classes.

June

• Attend summer orientation with your parents. Meet other students (They’re all nervous).
• Visit several churches in the area. Look for a ministry that offers worship for college students, mission trips, small groups and opportunities to serve locally. A strong community is essential for your spiritual growth. Don’t wait until your first Sunday on campus to look for a church. Even if you live too far away to visit, check out websites and Facebook groups.  E-mail the college minister/ leaders and introduce yourself.
• Get move-in day on your family’s calendar. It might seem like a tiny dorm room couldn’t possibly be hard to move into, but trust me it takes longer than you think. Plus you’ll be fighting several hundred other freshmen and their stuff. You will need as many extra hands as possible, so invite the whole fam.

July

• Shop for college. Pick up last-minute supplies and start packing!
• Meet your roommate. If you went potluck and don’t know your future roomie, consider scheduling a lunch meeting or phone call. (Or skype your first conversation.) Get to know each other and discuss who will contribute what to the new place.
• Review your orientation documents.

August

• As soon as you receive a syllabus for class, buy your textbooks. Look online for great deals on used books and order early.
• Shop tax free weekend for a computer and printer.
• Plan a going away party and celebrate this new chapter of life!
• Expect mixed emotions from you and your parents. Some days your mom will be fine. Other days she might not let you out of her sight. This is normal.
• Decide how long you will stay on campus before your first trip home. It is great if you can last one month, because it forces you to make friends and spend a few weekends on campus.

Exit Strategy: 5 Things you need to do before you leave home

This is it! You are finally headed off to college or into the “real world.” You have probably been preparing for this moment for years. You have worked really hard on your homework, research, GPA, applications, room assignments, class selection, and so much else. Consider yourself triumphant! One aspect you may not have thought about as much, though, is preparing yourself spiritually. That’s where this article, the last in our summer series on preparing to leave the nest, comes into play. Let us help you as you make plans and take action to go deeper in your relationship with God.  

If you are headed to a secular university, you need to understand all the struggles you will face and be willing and ready to stand strong. If you’re going to a Christian college, hopefully the environment will not be as worldly, however, there are still going to be all types of existing bad influences and pressures. If you’re going into the military or the workforce, it’s time for a reality check about the things you’re going to face. Never fear, though! There are things you can do to set yourself up for success.

1. Prepare your testimony.
Wherever you are—secular university, Christian college, or out in the “real world”—you will come in contact with people who are searching for Jesus. Be equipped to witness to them when the time is right and the Holy Spirit leads you. To prepare your testimony remember these three points:
1. Before
2. When
3. After 

First, talk about who you were and how your life was before you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Next, tell how Christ came into your life and saved you. Finally, talk about who you have become in Christ and what your life is like now. Those three are the backbone of a testimony. You can add more to make it personal and relatable, such as sharing significant points and spiritual milestones in your life where you could see God’s hand.

2. Set your standards.
Before you ever leave home is the best time to draw your line in the sand. If you wait until you are in the moment and confronted face-to-face with temptation, it will be much harder to make the right decision.  Make the firm choice to live out your life for God everywhere you go. You will be challenged with all types of temptation. Decide now how you will respond in a Christlike way when faced with drinking, smoking, drugs, dating, sex, pornography, cheating, gossiping, rule-breaking, and anything else that could compromise your beliefs.

3. Find someone to hold you accountable.
Whether it is an accountability partner, a mentor, or a friend, ask someone to help hold you to those standards. It is best to have a person you can meet with face-to-face. If you are planning on retaining an accountability relationship with someone long-distance, arrange a set time to talk on the phone. Once a week or every other week is a good period of time to schedule conversations. Choose someone you completely trust and with whom you can be honest.

4. Research local churches and on-campus religious groups.
Get involved early with the right people. Most of the people who made huge mistakes in college or during young adulthood blame it on the fact that they fell into the wrong crowd.
Find a nearby church with a college or young adult ministry. If you’re going into the military, talk to your recruiter and/or get in touch with a chaplain. Church is not only a great place to nurture your ­relationship with God but will also help you make friends. Plus, you can take your lost friends to church with you in the future. If you’re going to college, also keep in mind that the large majority of
colleges have Christian groups that meet on campus. Campus Crusade for Christ, Baptist Campus Ministries, and Christian fraternities/sororities are just a few examples.

5. Have a Bible study guide and journal ready.
No matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, a big change in your life has an effect on every relationship in your life, including your relationship with Christ. That’s why it’s so important to invest in that relationship even as everything around you is changing. Have a Bible study guide or book already with you and ready to go when you get to school, basic training, or your new town or job. If you don’t plan ahead for this, it may be difficult to carve out the time—and find the cash—once you get to college or your new situation.

And, yes, I know you’ve probably heard all about the benefits of journaling. But really, it cannot be understated. Journaling can be a vital part of your relationship with Christ and can be especially helpful when you’re in a new stage of life and feeling a little ill-equipped, lonely, or confused. If you don’t know what to write when you journal, here are some ideas: prayers, thoughts, quiet time revelations, notes from sermons or lessons, quotes, song lyrics, dreams, and goals.
Keeping track of your spiritual growth will remind you of God’s faithfulness in hard times. You might be overwhelmed with homework, books to read for class, stress and expectations of your job, or all of your new friends and experiences. The most important thing to remember is that even when life is crazy and insanely busy, you always need to make time to read your Bible and pray.