The summer after 8th grade is an interesting and liminal time. You have finished one part of your academic journey, and are about to embark on a new one. You may be excited, or nervous, or apprehensive, or blase; all are valid options, as is any admixture of these. What happens often, however, is that students find themselves at loose ends, unsure of how to prepare themselves for high school, or even if such preparations are necessary.
In this article, we’re going to go over how you can best make use of your time in the summer before high school, from preparing for school itself, to finding other exciting and rewarding ways to spend your free time. High school is an adventure, and as with any adventure, will have its ups and downs. What you do now, however, can make for a far smoother time, so let’s see how that works!
Explore Your Passions
High school is the time when most students really buckle down and decide what they want to focus their time and energy on. Now, a small percentage of students already know or are deeply involved with their passions already; we’ve worked with ballet dancers who started at age three and gymnasts who have already competed nationally before even entering high school. This is great, but not expected or compulsory.
If you have your passions already sorted out, then you can skip this step of course. Most students, however, have likely tried a smorgasbord of different options, and maybe found a few they rather liked, but without clear favorites. Maybe you haven’t found something right for you; nothing has clicked yet, and that’s fine too; it can take time to discover a passion.
What you should do then, is start actively looking. Try new things just to try them, and see which excite that spark of interest in you. Summer is the best time for this, as you are unlikely to be bogged down with schoolwork or other responsibilities. While it is likely too late to sign up for an organized summer program, you can still find many options that will allow you to explore; programs at local libraries, lectures available for free online, and myriad resources on the internet can give you an introduction to any topic or hobby of your choosing.
This is something that can and should happen during high school as well, joining a variety of clubs to see which appeal to you, but getting a head start on this over the summer can give you a sense of where to begin, or let you cross off some options as things that you don’t really care for.
Planning Out Your High School Courses
You will likely have chosen your 9th grade courses at the end of your 8th grade year; or at least made the choices you can. Most schools have very strict requirements for freshmen, so you likely only had one elective to work with, the rest devoted to mandatory core academic subjects, with the only differentiator being what level of class you are taking.
We, however, recommend all of our students take a bit of time and plan out their high school course schedule more fully, making a plan for all four years. This doesn’t have to be an onerous task; most students can finish in an afternoon. This also isn’t going to create a plan which is set in stone, but instead should serve to get you thinking about what exactly you want to do in high school, and understand what your course options are.
We have a whole other article on choosing your high school classes, and we recommend you read it. To sum up, however, you want to focus on your core academic subjects, while also picking out electives that enable you to explore your academic areas of interest. If you intend on applying to top colleges, your schedule should be heavy on advanced coursework, as this is what they expect of students.
Finally, you should see if there are any courses you want to take that may improve your quality of life. I personally took both cooking and personal finance as electives in high school; they didn’t add much to my college application, but they certainly helped when I was living in an apartment for the first time and trying to feed myself on a budget. Different schools have different options, and many students are surprised at what may be available to them. The only way to know is to check, so you should do so now.
Read Something
So we do hate to jump on the train of adults telling children to read more, but we do have good reason to do so. Every year, we help students compose essays for college. This is fun, helping them tell the story of themselves, their hopes and dreams, trials and triumphs. This is, however, challenging too, as writing something personal and introspective always is. One thing we have noticed, however, is a strong correlation in the students who read often outside of school, and those who have the easiest time writing their essays.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t write great college essays without reading for pleasure. We help students of all backgrounds and situations with their applications, and have helped a number of students who do not particularly care for reading craft wonderfully compelling essays. That said, just as a student who jogs regularly is better equipped for a 5k, one who never runs may struggle with it. I never run, but I could probably do a 5k if I had to. It would be a terrible time for me, but I could do it. Essay writing is much the same.
Reading, fiction or non, books or articles, helps you to understand how language works, and how stories are constructed. Just as jogging regularly builds the muscles in your legs needed to run a 5k, reading regularly helps build up the same neural pathways you use to write.
This doesn’t mean you need to spend your whole summer reading, but cracking open a book or two just for pleasure is a good use of your time, and the kind of thing that can definitely serve to benefit you later on. It doesn’t even have to be a book; magazine articles or shorter written works can serve this purpose too.
Relax Intentionally
Summer vacation is a break from school and work and struggle, a time where you can just relax and let go. We quite approve of this; students need time to unwind and digest what they have learned during the school year. That said, not all forms of relaxation are created equal, nor are all fully beneficial to you.
When you relax, it should be done intentionally; choose an activity you want to do for its own sake and your enjoyment, and then do it. This can include just sitting on your phone and browsing social media, but if this is what you are doing, it should be intentional, rather than something you simply fall into doing in place of making a decision.
The reason we advise this is that it is quite easy to find your time frittered away, spent by dribs and drabs on things you don’t particularly care about, spent on distractions meant to hold your attention for a moment. It isn’t wrong to enjoy browsing these sites or enjoying these distractions, but they are an easy pit to fall into, leaving all else to fall by the wayside.
Prepare for the Year Ahead
The final way to spend your summer before high school is by preparing for high school. In general, this won’t require too much effort; high school serves as a continuation from middle school academically. It is a step up, sure, but not a giant leap, rather the logical continuation of what you are already doing.
That said, if you were struggling in middle school, you will find those same issues compounded in high school, when the demands on your time are even higher. There are ways to prepare for this, and the simplest and best we have found is by building strong habits.
Spending your summer learning how to set your schedule and self-organize can be done regardless of what else you are doing, and will pay excellent dividends in the years ahead. High school is more work than middle school, but is intended to be reasonable, if you budget your time well. It is this act of scheduling which is often the problem, as creating and sticking to a schedule is a skill in and of itself, one many students are not taught.
This can be done quite simply; decide when you’re going to get up, how long you’re going to spend on various activities, and the like. This doesn’t have to be a minute-by-minute breakdown of your days; find a method that works for you and your processes; maybe you schedule in blocks, maybe you like more granular detail, maybe you prefer some flexibility in when things occur. All are valid options, but finding out what works for you now can make implementing scheduling in high school a much easier task.
Final Thoughts
It can be daunting and exciting to face the start of high school, and the last summer beforehand often feels like the calm before a storm. Some students embrace the challenge ahead, while others do not, but time continues passing all the same. In all cases, we have found that understanding and preparing for challenges ahead of time both makes them easier to face, and less daunting to conceptualize. We hope that this article has given you a sense of what you can expect from high school, and how you should prepare for it as you stand on the precipice.
As with every challenge in life, it is easier to deal with the transition to high school if you have a guide with you. That’s where Ivy Scholars can help. We have a long experience helping students grow their skills and manage the challenges of high school, helping them find their passions and excel academically. If you have concerns for your own journey, or want advice on your own unique situation, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We’re always happy to hear from you.
