Is freshman year important?
The path to post secondary options really starts with freshman year. Staying ahead helps avoid common mistakes made by freshmen. While not all ninth graders make these mistakes, it is important to be aware, so that their grade point average (GPA) isn't severely impacted.
Please remember that your child's GPA means a lot when it comes to college admissions. High school is an exciting, new and fun time, and your student should definitely make the most of their experience. But keep in mind that senior year and applying to college will be upon your freshman before you know it, and preparing early will go a long way. Now is the time to start planning for college and working on keeping one's GPA high and maintaining an impressive transcript.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Believing freshman year doesn't really count and grades can be improved at a later time.
- Sacrificing grades for a social life.
- Being chronically absent or late to class.
- Neglecting to make up missed assignments or tests.
- Assuming you’re not doing well because the teacher “just doesn’t like you.”
- Not participating in extracurricular activities.
- Deciding that high school is about socializing and not classes.
- Neglecting to ask for help.
- Not asking questions in class.
- Taking classes just because your friends are taking them.
Start the New Year with a Fresh Mindset
New years resolutions can be inspiring, but they can also be disappointing when you find yourself breaking them, once again. They key to resolutions “sticking” is all about your mindset going into them.
““Unless you first change your mind, don’t expect your health goals to materialize. As the saying goes, ‘it’s not the horse that draws the cart, it’s the oats.’ It’s not the gym, Pilates class, or diet that will change you—it’s your mind.” – Dr. Joseph Luciani US News & World Report
1. Think small and set realistic goals
Nothing is worse than the feeling that you’ve let yourself down. By setting smaller goals, you’ll begin to feel more confident and prouder of yourself- and in turn you’ll likely start to see better results.
2. Write Everything down
Having your goals and ambitions on paper has been proven to yield a higher chance of you achieving them. Journal about it all- your goals, your setbacks, your progress. This will also help relieve stress as you work towards your goals.
3. Accentuate the Positive
No one’s life is without negatives. The key is to train your brain to focus more on the happy things that happen in your life, and soon you will be able to let the negatives roll off your shoulders better than you used to.
Have you taken the SAT, ACT, ACCUPLACER, or ASVAB yet? It’s not too late! Junior year is a great time to prepare and take advantage of these multiple choice exams.
These important exams can be overwhelming to think about since there is a lot riding on your scores, like college admission, scholarships, or your military occupational specialty (MOS). Solid exam scores open up opportunities for you whether you are planning on attending a 4-year college, 2-year college, trade school, or joining the military. If you’re planning on attending a 4-year college, RHHS school counselors suggest that you take the SAT and ACT to see if you score higher on one than the other. We also suggest that you take the SAT or ACT at least twice to boost your score.
Here are some links to prepare for the material on the SAT, ACT, ACCUPLACER, and ASVAB:
SAT: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
ACT: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation.html
ACCUPLACER: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/students/prepare-for-accuplacer/practice
ASVAB: https://www.asvabpracticetests.com/
Mastering the art of multiple choice test-taking is half the battle when it comes to these tests. While it is crucial to prepare for the test material through study sites and apps, you should also prepare for how to tackle a multiple choice test.
Watch the video below to learn some critical multiple choice test-taking tips so you can achieve your goals after high school:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1y8c_MZYvE
Ready to register?
SAT: sat.org/register - register by 2/14/2020 for the 3/14/2020 test date
ACT: act.org/register - register by 1/10/2020 for the 2/8/2020 test date
ACCUPLACER: Google Form will be released soon - date TBD
ASVAB: Google Form will be released soon for the 3/11/2020 test date
New Year Resolutions!
It is 2020, another year has passed and a new year is upon us. With a new year comes new year’s resolutions, but what does that mean? To make a resolution means you must resolve, “decide firmly on a course of action”, something. Starting the final semester of your last year of high school is not the beginning of the end, but instead an opportunity to prepare. Concentrate on where you envision yourself in 1 year, then 5 years, and 10 years. Now take the first steps toward making that vision your reality. Once you walk across the stage in May the “real world” has already begun for you and challenges are awaiting you, ready or not. Resolve that with the new year, you will empower yourself. Challenge yourself to be involved in your school and community, determine to spend time with your friends, and be intentionally grateful and gracious with those with whom you make contact. Make a resolution to end your high school career as the best version of yourself; resolve to finish strong.
RHHS COUNSELOR CASELOAD:
Rhashida Bunyan- (A thru De Cesari)
Emily Neff- (De La Cruz thru Hicks)
Tam Daniels- (Hickson thru Medrano)
Debbie Kilpatrick- (Medsker-Sams)
Saraswati Hendrix- (Sanchez-Z)
Deanna Appleton (College and Career Counselor)
Dawn Imler- (Military Family Life Counselor)
COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
Email: rbunyan@bryan.k12.ga.us
Website: https://rhhs-counselors.wixsite.com/rhhs-counselors
Location: 1 Wildcat Drive, Richmond Hill, GA, USA
Phone: 912-459-6403
