K – 8: THE BEGINNING OF YOU – Your focus from Kindergarten through Elementary School:

YOU: Family, friends, food, faith, social and entertainment (fun).

  • Be a kid.
  • Connect with people, make friends. Be fearless with your feelings. Trust your instincts.
  • Ask a lot of questions; learn that there is no such thing as a dumb question.
  • Learn to have a real conversation – in person.
  • Store away the good memories.
  • Learn from the bad ones.
  • Accept your parents for who they are.
  • Learn and practice empathy. Figure out which foods are good for you and eat as many of them as you can.
  • Learn to work with technology; and know that it is always changing.
  • Figure out the things you like and don’t like and know that these will change during a lifetime.
  • Start a journal.   Jot stuff down.
  • Start to think about your Me Plan.

SCHOOL

School, classes, grades, tests and exams, papers
  • Talk to your school counselor or teachers about Advanced Placement courses. See what courses are available.
  • Keep track of the subjects, teachers and classes you like.

SPORTS

Fitness, health, sports, teams, awards, scholarships
  • Exercise
  • Try out for sports. Play hard. Be fearless when you play. Trust your instincts.
  • Remember that only .01% of all athletes and entertainers become professionals so always have a back-up plan.

SERVICE & COMMUNITY

Volunteer, contribute, organize, intern, work-study
  • Volunteer for a cause or organize an event just to get an idea of what it feels like to lend someone less fortunate than you a helping hand. It makes you feel good and it might even become a habit.

COLLEGE PREP

Future, professions, degrees, schools, requirements, tests, finance
  • Use the career search at StudentAid.gov/careersearch to look at some of the career options. Know that your choice for a career might change a hundred times before you get to college.

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Applications, information, resources, data
  • Start saving for your child’s college education. Learn about the tax advantages of state-offered college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans at www.collegesavings.org
  • Read Saving Early = Saving Smart! at StudentAid.gov/resources #saving-early . This handout explains why it’s never too early to save money for college and how to use such resources as college savings plans and federal student aid.

PARENTS

It takes a team to win at this
  • Help your child develop an interest in reading by reading aloud to him or her.
  • Check your child’s homework and follow his or her progress in school by looking at report cards and attending teacher conferences.