Junior year of high school is a pivotal year in so many ways.
You may feel overwhelmed with where to start or have that nagging feeling that you are going to forget something.
Don’t worry! I have a handy checklist to get you started and stay on track!
First things first, find out what your student knows and has started to consider for after high school.
Find a time to connect with your child about how they are feeling about the future after high school. Involving their favorite food is always a great idea when you want your teen to open up and have a conversation, so consider taking them to their favorite restaurant. This will give you the opportunity for one-to-one uninterrupted time, and the car ride is also a prime opportunity for your teen to let their guard down and talk.
By this time in their high school career, they most likely have friends who have graduated and others in the throes of college applications. Ask what their opinion of their experiences is. It most likely will influence them in some way, and that is important to gauge.
Assuming your child doesn’t have an obvious direction, such as playing sports in college or trying to get into a specific academic program, do they have any ideas on what they want to do after graduation? This can be a super overwhelming concept to grasp, and you may need to have several conversations.
Our starter question was, “What do you want your day to look like? Do you want to go to a location to work (hospital) or do you want the freedom to work from home (insert a variety of white collar jobs here) if possible? ”
The follow-up question was, “Do you want to deal with people all day or do you enjoy being in an office by yourself?”
This exercise will help spark career and job ideas outside of the big umbrella concepts.
During your chat, is a great time to set proper expectations on what your family can afford for secondary education. Things to consider, paying for a four-year college, should you include out-of-state colleges as an option, trade schools, and even investing in your child starting or buying a business.
Academically, I think the most important thing to focus on during junior year is not to ruin your chances for opportunity.
Take the challenging classes if that is within your child’s capacity, take the standardized tests and take them seriously, look for leadership roles in the clubs and sports you have been participating in. I know kids who swore they were not going to go to a four-year college, decide to apply and go spring of their senior year. If you do not take junior year seriously, you will forfeit the opportunity to choose a different path later on.
Pay attention to what the seniors are doing. Watch for the free college application window now, so you know when it will come next year. Watch for the school announcements for senior portraits and what the various events are that are being announced. Make note of them so that you know what to expect next year. Senior year comes at you fast, and it was helpful to know what to expect each time we had a senior.
At the same time that I am telling you to keep your eyes on the future, try to stay in the present. By junior year, you are already deeply involved in planning for after graduation. Try to focus on the fun things happening in the present moment, from getting their license, to driving, to their first long-distance driving trip, to events like Homecoming and Prom.
I liked to approach junior year (and senior year as well) as a time to dream and act. ANYTHING is possible.
Right now is the time to try whatever you want. Pick a direction and go. Whatever you do now will give you experience and knowledge for the next phase in your life. No experience or job is wasted. Get different jobs and see what you like and dislike about them. Working in retail and restaurants is such a great experience. Run a small business as well! My youngest taught private baseball lessons for a few years. This gave him an idea of what it is like to run his own business.
Try not to get wrapped up in the hype of picking the perfect career that will make a million dollars and never get taken over by AI. Try not to compare your child’s situation to others doing “this and that”. There are very few situations where the perfect program at the perfect school is actually necessary.
The next few years don’t have to be stressful.
Remember that your and your child’s worth are not tied up in the school they get into, the GPA they have, or what career they want to pursue.
Everything is going to work out, and your child is going to grow into a wonderful and capable adult.
Book recommendations to get you started!
Sports Parents!
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