You’re not cookie-cutter—although, sometimes, in middle and high school, it can feel that way. If you feel like you’re on a conveyor belt toward adulthood without much knowledge about the next step in the production process, know that you’re not alone!
Many teenagers wonder about the next steps after high school, and these thoughts often intensify as they progress from freshman to sophomore year, sophomore to junior year, and junior to senior year. Over the course of your education, you may have experienced glimmers of hope for the future and what it might hold regarding college and career一or perhaps you have NO CLUE what you want to do. Whichever camp you are in, let’s break free from the mold, analyze the steps of production toward adulthood, and supercharge your path to building the life you truly desire post-grad.
Introducing Teens’ Guide to College and Career Planning
Whether you already have a career plan or have no idea where to begin career development and planning, our newest addition to the Peterson’s platform, Teens’ Guide, will support you through your teenage years. It is designed to ensure that as you move up in class rank, you’ll gain increasing confidence in your college and career planning.
We sat down with Lacey Smith, PhD, content development manager at Peterson’s and lead writer of this course, to learn who Teens’ Guide is for, how to use it, and when. She shared that Teens’ Guide is the resource she wishes she’d had during college and career planning. She believes that Teens’ Guide is “for all sorts of students.” As she explains, “The student I had in mind was a lot like myself. When I was in high school, I didn’t have a lot of parental support around college and career planning, and I didn’t know what I was doing when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do regarding all that stuff. So, I had to rely on the resources at the library. When writing this course, I imagined I was that kid going to the library and saying to myself, ‘I want to tackle this. How do I do it on my own?’ We then developed the course with that kid in mind.”
Teens’ Guide is for anyone ready to take charge of their future一whether you’ve had a plan for ages, have no idea what’s next, or have support at home or not. Think of this course as a window into the many options and steps available to help you reach your goals.
Who Has Goals This Early, Anyhow?
High school students may ask themselves, “What are my career goals?” or “How do I begin the college search process?” At Peterson’s, we’ve found that career planning and college planning for high school students has many moving parts. Teens want to feel empowered to make their own decisions but need structured support to navigate the process. Without it, they risk spending all their time gathering information instead of acting on it. Teens’ Guide to College and Career Planning provides a comprehensive guide to college information and career resources so students can take meaningful steps toward their goals. All the while, they can still explore their options and streamline their college and career development efforts.
Customizable Content
While the course includes college and military sections, you can skip what doesn’t apply to you and focus on what’s most relevant. The course is highly customizable, allowing users to select the sections that most benefit their specific goals. As Lacey puts it, “You don’t have to read every module… If an option interests you or you want to consider all your options, that chapter is there for you! The course goes from eighth grade through college graduation and even includes a chapter on applying for your first job. So even if you have skipped college, have taken a different path, are applying to your first job, or are diving into your first adult years, Teens’ Guide is there for you.”
Topics Covered
After joining Peterson’s following two years of high school teaching and nearly a decade of university teaching, Lacey began writing this course with teenagers and their needs fresh in her mind. As she explains, “Coming straight from teaching to writing this course shortly after, I often thought to myself, what do students need to know? That includes stuff beyond school, like how to navigate an argument with your roommate or talk about consent. For example, say you borrowed your roommate’s stuff but didn’t ask them first. We clarify why that would potentially cause an issue. In the lessons devoted to navigating your first years after high school, for instance, we have a section on how to talk about house rules when you get your first place with a roommate. All of those sorts of scenarios that come up around college, career planning, and navigating your first years of adulthood are part of the course.”
Here are a few additional topics covered for career planning and development:
Getting Hyped for High School
- Mentally Preparing for High School
- College and Career Planning for High School Students
- Exploring Your Interests
- Building Meaningful Relationships in High School
The First Steps to a Career
- Interests and Strengths for a Career Plan
- Thinking About Your Future: Who Do You Want to Be?
- What If I’m Not Going to a Four-Year College or University?
Planning for College in High School
- Planning for Your Future
- Preparing for the Future If You Don’t Plan to Go to College
- Classes to Take If You’re Going to College
Other Options After High School
- A Four-Year Degree Isn’t Always the Answer
- Alternatives to a Four-Year College
- Community Colleges
- Online Learning
Considering the Military Option
- Determining if the Military is a Good Fit for You
- Choosing Which Branch to Join
- The ASVAB
- Paying for College through the Armed Services
The College Search
- Consult Your Best Resources
- Figuring Out What You Want in a College
- Campus Visits
- The Admissions Interview
- Should You Try for a Highly Competitive School?
Applying to College
- Your College Application
- Your Admissions Options
- The Gap-Year Option
- Writing the Application Essay
- Questions and Answers about Your College Application Essay
- Letters of Recommendation
Additional topics include college entrance exams, financing your college plans, academic expectations in college, succeeding in the workplace, additional resources, and a career inventory developed by Peterson’s—one reviewer, who is a librarian, noted that when she took it alongside her teen, it told her she should be a librarian, so you know it works!
Speaking as the author of this blog post, this course is undoubtedly exactly what I would have wanted as a teen. The videos make it easy to follow, and the information a teen needs is all in one convenient place. There’s so much to love about it.
Parents, What’s in Teens’ Guide for You?
You’re likely familiar with the joys and stresses of working, being a parent, juggling many priorities, and adult life. But for a teenager, the future can feel overwhelming, and it may have been some time since you’ve faced the unique pressures associated with middle school, high school, or life after graduation. What you remember may not reflect today’s academic climate, where transitions between these milestones can feel like giant leaps of faith.
Even if you are confident in yourself and your teen’s ability to navigate these hurdles, you probably still want to do everything you can to help them reach their goals. This guide will give you further insight into your teen’s world, featuring perspectives and quotes from teens, timelines for key school deadlines, and resources for planning ahead so you can offer the support and encouragement they need to pursue their dreams with confidence.
Benefits of Career Planning for Students
The benefits of career planning for students abound! Early career planning helps reduce stress and leads to better decision-making by aligning goals and efforts from the start, clarifying what to aim for after graduation. Career planning for high school students may lead to stronger alignment with institutions that fit their individual goals and can even help save money in the long run. Career development and planning are lifelong processes, and starting early allows teens to explore their interests, skills, and values as they develop.
Subscribe today to access the Teens’ Guide to College and Career Planning course. Proactive college and career planning can powerfully shape a student’s life. Most things don’t happen by accident—the future is ahead, and it will be what you make of it. Start career planning for high school students today.
Source: www.petersons.com