If you’re looking at this article and laughing because it seems absurd to think about college planning in middle school — I have some news. The years are about to fly (sorry!) and getting ready for college will be just around the corner. We’re not talking about scheduling college tours or ACT prep in 7th grade. But there’s still so much you can do to encourage your kids along the right path toward planning for college — yes, even in middle school.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Whose Auntie didn’t ask, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” when you were only four and in preschool, right? Don’t miss the opportunity to have discussions about big picture things like careers or interesting fields of study in small, ordinary ways. Like, “Wow, isn’t it cool to think that being a voice actor for Amphibia is someone’s job?” or “This bridge we’re driving over is really pretty — I wonder how they built it.” These casual conversations can open the door to finding out more about your child’s passions. College speak: College majors and job goals.
What do you love?
Speaking of passions, middle school is the perfect time to try out new things, from music, art, and theatre, to sports, robotics, and cooking. Kids are still finding out who they are and what they enjoy, and middle school is an opportunity to see what sticks. Once they start high school, they’ll be committing time to the things that are important to them and having to set priorities, balancing their time between friends, school, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, athletics, and — you get the picture. College speak: College resume and time management.
What do you believe in?
Another passion to nurture during this time is service. Maybe your child is already a Scout or involved in a church group that serves the community. This is the perfect time to make service to the community a habit, putting service firmly in the priority column as they become invested in serving others. If they love pets, they might be able to start working at an animal rescue or raise money to help purchase cat treats and dog food. By the time they’re in high school, perhaps they will seek additional training and become a more active volunteer — without any prodding from parents. College speak: Community service hours and leadership.
What kind of study habits do you have?
Ick — yes. We’re going to go there. Nearly every student — no matter how high achieving — eventually comes to a point where they hit a wall academically. The workload steps up a bit in middle school (and again in high school) and they’ll be challenged in ways they haven’t been before. Maybe something takes a little more time to understand, or it just takes more study time to prepare for a test. Developing good study habits now will go a long way for their future. College speak: Grade point averages and test prep.
What responsibility will you take?
This is major transition time. Remember how in preschool, the teacher wanted your child to learn how to hang up their own jacket and backpack, and open their own lunch? It’s time for your student to take on more responsibility. It’s painful — we’re not going to lie. But learning to be responsible — completing and turning in assignments on time, not leaving your lunch on the kitchen counter, reminding mom about the field trip permission slip — is a life skill. This is also a time when students can learn to advocate for themselves, and respectfully speak up to adults when they have a concern or an issue. College speak: Living in a dorm and communicating with professors.
While we know you might have had them in orange and white onesies since they were born, we don’t want to encourage anyone to start touring colleges in 7th grade (although tagging along with older siblings is always fun). But as this new school year starts, and your child is starting a new phase of their life, remember to use even the smallest of opportunities to help your child be prepared — for middle school, and beyond.
