College That big frightening word that instills such excitement and fear into the hearts of home schoolers. Well, from experience I can say college isn’t that bad. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. When I was 16, a junior in my home school, I started attending two night classes at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. I was enrolled in a special program that allowed any high school student to take courses free of charge. If the student then matriculates at U.Mass. after he or she graduates from high school, the credits are applied for free. Using this program to my full advantage, I now have 27 credits (over one year of school) under my belt before even turning eighteen.

    Whether you’re jumping into college feet first or just taking a small step, there are a few basic things you should know. The following are guidelines for entering your local college and doing a great job once you’re there.

1.   Take the SAT: Almost every college requires SAT scores for acceptance. It can be taken your sophomore, junior, and senior year if need be. Call up a local high school (public or private) near you and ask for testing infor­mation. There are tons of books out to help prepare you for the SAT. It’s hard enough walking into a packed classroom where you don’t know a soul to take a difficult test. Being prepared and confident make it much easier.

2. Take the GED

(high school equivalency exam):

Some colleges don’t require this for acceptance, but it is good to have just as a cushion. It is necessary in order to receive financial aid and most scholarships. Although longer, it is much easier than the SAT. This is basically a reading comprehension test. If you can read a paragraph and then answer questions about it, you’ll have no problem. Again study books are available. Call your local community college for testing information.

3. Polish your writing skills: I cannot overemphasize the importance of developing good writing skills. If you can’t write an organized, coherent, and intelligent paper, you’re going to have a real hard time making it in college. So start working hard to improve now!

Tips: Have someone proofread your papers for you. New eyes catch mistakes. Buy a thesaurus if you don’t have one. In college a thesaurus and a dictionary are your best friends.

4.   Be a good note taker: College professors talk fast and aren’t always organized so learn to write quickly, abbreviate, and write down only the important words. Fill in the rest later. For example:

Profs talk fast-no org. -write fast-abrev.. - imp. words only - fill in later

A good way to practice for this is to take notes during sermons, at conferences, and during field trips.

5.   Develop EXCELLENT study skills: Home schoolers usually have a head start in this area, but it is still very important. Try your hardest to stay current and up-to-date in all your classes. Read all assignments before they’re due. Go over your notes regularly, and as you go along make a separate set of study notes. When a paper is assigned (usually two weeks ahead), start working on it right away. When an upcoming test is announced, start studying immediately. Make up flashcards, songs, anything to help you memorize, memorize, memorize. Cramming does not work.

Tips: When you get a reading assignment, divide the number of pages by the days you have to read the material. Then read that number of pages per day. 15 pages a day is much better than 75 the night before. Have a highlighter handy when reading and use it. When you come across a word you don’t know, look it up!

6.   Do it for Jesus!: Don’t measure your college success by grades only. Remember that you are there for a greater purpose: to prepare and better yourself for the Lord’s service. What you learn and retain for His glory is the most important part of you college education.