Have you started thinking about college? If you have not, you might want to consider doing so as studies and seniors recommend it. Here are some reasons why it is important and tips and tricks to make the process smoother.

Studies by Professor Matt Might say it is important to look at the slots available for the classes you would like to take as soon as possible because they fill up extremely quickly. Some schools offer early registration as a ‘perk’ for participating in certain programs or for having honors credits, or you may be able to register using your student ID and password. According to The Princeton Review’ when you start researching the colleges you are interested in, it is suggested to start applying to about six colleges: two ‘safety’ schools, two ‘target’ schools, and two ‘dream’ schools.  A “dream” school is a college where your academic credentials [grades and  SAT  or ACT scores] fall in the lower end, or below, the school’s average. They might be a long shot. A “target” school is one where your credentials fall within the school’s average range. And a “safety” school is one where your academic credentials are above the school’s range for the average first-year student. If a class you want is full, check for drop outs daily until the first weeks. In the first week itself check many times each day. Professor Might also said, “Most classes will have 5-10% people drop out of their enrollment in the first week, and you can usually sneak in to your desired class.”

It is also a good idea to think about financial aid when creating your list of safety schools. Make sure there is at least one school that you know your family can afford on that list, but as Professor Might said, ‘’Don’t let the sticker price scare you away!’’

Senior Heather Epps said, ‘’I plan on having a job [in college] as well, so like full time college but then a job because I think it’ll be more cost efficient for my education, and I also think it’ll give me the opportunity to experience more things without the pressure of going to a four-year university or an ivy league.” This is a great point for a beginning year college student to consider and find the perfect plan for themselves. Her last piece of advice for underclassman was “stay on top of your work, so that you aren’t covered in a lot of homework and essay’s and projects.”

Additionally, Principal Andrea McCormick said, “It varies, anywhere from 91% to 96% graduate on time, and then even more graduate with one extra year. Some students need an extra summer or semester to finish up, and that graduation rate is closer to like 96% to 98%.” And students may want to know if as a senior, they could take any program or class that you could still take to get a scholarship. McCormick said, “There is no club or class as a senior you can take. Usually the sports are most approached.” She also said that she does not recommend any colleges ‘’because every student is different. We recommend students try to find one through our college and career center, or other resources that are a good fit based on their personality. Like whether they want to go to a small school or like a bigger college, or if they want a college with majors.” That means that at Issaquah High School you have the opportunity to use the career center as a resource to help you find your own personalized plan and figure out what you need to get there.

Now some helpful tips. Never pay full price for a textbook, always check online for cheaper prices or used textbooks. Sometimes a professor will tell you that you only need the textbook for a few chapters of the book; If so, borrowing the book from the school library is an option. If you become a TA [teaching assistant] you will probably gain access to a TA library, which has several copies of every textbook used within the school. Additionally, if you find yourself slipping behind, it is very important to contact your professor as soon as possible and look for recourses such as a tutor. In addition, always back up your files. Thomas Frank said, ‘’Google Drive (along with their Backup and Sync tool) makes this easy as can be (or Docs and Sheets) it’s the easiest option for students.’’

Lastly, like many of the students and staff said, when it comes to college a very important piece of advice you can take away from this is be confident, get out of your comfort zone, and try new things. College is a great opportunity for personal development.