The Freshman and Sophomore Planning Guide 2320 Huntington Turnpike Trumbull, CT 06611 School CEEB Code: 070797 College and Guidance Counseling Department Phone: 203-378-9378 Fax: 203-375-7922 This book belongs to: 1
IMPORTANT INFORMATION www.edline.net Edline Username: Edline Password: Naviance Username: Naviance Password: www.connection.naviance.com/sjhs Other important usernames and passwords 2
Table of Contents Freshman Checklist 4 Top 5 Freshman Myths 5 Study Skills and Organization Skills 6 Time Management Skills 7 Test Taking Skills 7 Note Taking Skills 7 Stress Management Skills 8 Sophomore Checklist 9 Standardized Testing 10 Visiting Colleges 12 Questions to Ask Your Tour Guide 12 Naviance 13 Edline 14 NHS requirements 14 SJHS Sample Transcript 15 SJHS Grading Scale 16 Record of Co curricular Activities 17 Sample Resume 18 Co Curricular Clubs and Activities 19 Sports Teams 20 3
Freshman Checklist Meet with your guidance counselor at least six times throughout the year to discuss your transition to high school, grades, how you can start planning for college etc. Build strong academic, language, mathematics, and critical thinking skills by taking challenging courses Strengthen your vocabulary by increasing your reading Get Involved!! SJHS offers over 40 Clubs and 24 Athletic Teams Take the Do What You Are Personality Profile on Naviance Family Connection and begin exploring colleges and careers Keep graded papers and a record of co curricular activities Begin saving money for college Know NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) requirements if you want to play sports in college 4
Top 5 Common Freshman Myths 1. Believing your Freshman year does not really count and you can improve grades later If you slack off in your freshman year, it will be hard to catch up later. Your freshman grades count towards your overall grade point average, just as much as your grades in later years. You want to establish a strong GPA for better college admission possibilities. 2. Sacrificing your grades for your social life You should try to have a good social life in high school, but that doesn t mean you can t get good grades, too. Social activities are a big part of high school life, but not the most important part. Good grades are your ticket into college. High school is only four years, but the college you choose and your career path affects the rest of your life. 3. Missing homework assignments Homework assignments help you learn the subject matter. Failing to hand in assignments not only hurt your GPA, but can also hurt your scores on the SAT and ACT. Even if your assignment is late, turn it in. 4. Not signing up for extracurricular activities Many students say they don t have time for extracurricular activities, but keep in mind that these activities can help both your social life and college applications. Colleges look for well rounded students, who participated in extracurricular activities with a challenging academic program. This doesn t mean you should sign up for every activity, just find a few that you like and dedicate your time to these. 5. Not asking for help. If you are having problems in school, there are many people out there who can help you: parents, teachers, and your school counselor are good resources for advice and assistance. Your counselor is your advocate and is there to assist you with whatever you need. Teachers are also there to help you succeed when you need them. Parents know you well and can always be there when you need support. We also offer Math tutoring, NHS peer tutoring, and the Writing Center as avenues for success and help. 5
Study Skills 1. Find your own quiet place at home to study where you can concentrate and do better on your homework. Use the same location daily. 2. When studying, sit in a comfortable chair but not one that is TOO comfortable. 3. Don t do homework in front of the TV it is too distracting. While you re at it, try to ignore the phone (texting, Twitter, Facebook) your friends can leave a message! 4. Quiet background music might help you stay focused while you are studying. 5. Study with a friend or a group of friends. Compare notes and ask each other questions. 6. Know what your learning style is, and study in a way that best matches your own learning style. 7. Take short, but frequent breaks, like a five minute break after twenty five minutes of studying. 8. Try to relate what you are studying to things you already know to remember information more easily. 9. Start with the most difficult tasks or assignments, and then move on to the easier ones to focus maximum brain power on the hardest tasks. 10. The quality of your study time is much more important than the quantity of your study time. 11. Get into the habit of studying every day. (e.g. review class notes each night, get ahead on work) 12. Try to determine your best study time and plan on studying at that time every day. 13. Think of homework as practice, not work. You know that you don t get better at things like sports or music or cheerleading unless you practice. School's the same. 14. Plan on a fun activity for yourself as a reward for when you are DONE with your studying. 15. After each study session, try to recall the main points and as many details as possible. 16. If you are not sure about something, ask a teacher, parent or friend for help. Asking questions is one of the most effective ways we learn! 17. Plan to spend MORE time (not less time) on the subjects that are harder for you. 18. Be familiar with the Media Center. Organizational Skills 1. Use things like outlines, charts, flashcards, or IPAD apps to help you organize and learn new material. You ll be reviewing the material while you are making these tools, and you ll have them to use later when it s time to study for tests. 2. Use a planner to keep track of homework assignments, tests and projects. Write in your planner every single day so that it becomes a habit! Make note of your Edline and Turnitin username and password in your planner. 3. Keep a notebook or folder for all your notes and homework assignments. You might need one for each subject to make things easier. 6
4. Keep a "To Do" list. Write down things you need to do, then decide what needs to be done right away and what can wait until later. 5. Keep all tests and quizzes for study guide use. 6. Organize your locker for before lunch / after lunch classes. 7. Use a wall calendar for long range planning. 8. Use ring binders. Color code binders and textbooks. Time Management Skills 1. For each study period, decide what you want to accomplish and how long you will spend on each subject or assignment. If possible, study the material from the class before. 2. Break your workload down into manageable chunks and take your homework one step at a time. 3. Don t procrastinate (that s a big word that means putting things off). Give yourself plenty of time to get things done by planning ahead and sticking to a schedule. 4. Be aware of things that distract you or waste your time, and keep them to a minimum. 5. Check Edline DAILY! Test Taking Skills 1. Be well rested before taking tests. 2. Don t cram for tests! It is okay to spend extra time studying the night before a big test, but don t try to learn EVERYTHING that night. 3. Meet with your teacher a day or two before your exam to review your notes and ask any questions. 4. Try to find out what type of test you will be taking (essay, multiple choice, True/ False, matching, etc.). It s likely that test questions will be similar to homework you have done, because homework is "practice." 5. DON T PANIC. Just tackle one question at a time. If a question is too hard, skip it and come back to it later. 6. Skim the test before writing anything and before final submission. 7. Don t leave blanks, hope for partial credit. Note Taking Skills 1. Don t try to write down everything the teacher says. Focus on the main ideas. 2. When you are taking notes, use your own words/shorthand. 3. Keep your notes organized. They will be as important as the text book. Write the date at the top of each page. 4. Don t put your pen down or your brain may shut down as well. 5. Use color to highlight the important information. 6. Each night, review the notes you took that day. This will make things easier to remember when it comes time to study for the test. 7
Stress Management Skills 1. Don t sweat the small stuff. Try to prioritize your activities, and focus on the most important ones. 2. Work off stress through some kind of physical activity. Exercise is a great stress reliever because it takes your mind off of things that are bothering you. 3. See your counselor or the school social worker to help with stress. 4. Listen to music, keep a journal or try breathing exercises. 5. Don t cram for tests or quizzes. Plan a study schedule ahead of time. 8
Sophomore Checklist Meet with your counselor at least six times throughout the year to discuss college planning, grades, etc. Take a challenging course load and continue to get strong grades Take the PSAT (offered at SJHS) Stay involved in extracurricular activities Attend a College Fair (St. Joe s/local/national) Take the Career Interest Inventory on Naviance Family Connection and start researching colleges Take the PLAN (offered at SJHS) Do something productive with your summer (get a job, volunteer, attend a summer program, visit/tour colleges) 9
Standardized Testing The Basics Explore Freshmen will take the ACT Explore exam in the spring Sophomores will take the PSAT in the fall and the ACT PLAN in the spring Students are registered for these exams through the school and do not need to do anything additional SAT and ACT will be taken in the spring of junior year Taking ACT EXPLORE as 9th grader tells you things you need to know to: Plan your high school courses Prepare for the ACT Test Think about college, or choose a career direction ACT Explore includes four multiple choice tests: o English, Math, Reading, and Science. Your skills in these subjects will make a big difference in school and, eventually, in your career. Your ACT Explore score report will help identify your strengths and areas where you need improvement. PSAT/NMSQT The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. The PSAT/NMSQT measures: Critical reading skills Math problem solving skills Writing skills You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn't require you to recall specific facts from your classes. 10
The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to: Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice. Use My College Quickstart for personalized feedback, practice, and college planning based on PSAT results. See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college. Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11). Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT. Receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to Student Search Service. How are PSAT s scored? PLAN Each section of the PSAT is reported with a score from 20 80. When translating that to what a student would have gotten on the SAT, simply add a 0 to the end of the score and this would be the equivalent. Ex. 56 on the Critical Reading section of the PSAT would be a 560 for the SAT Critical Reading section. The PLAN is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and beyond. Taking ACT Plan as a 10th grader is a great way to: Prepare for the ACT Test Help you get ready to succeed in college and beyond! Helps 10th graders build a solid foundation for future academic and career success and provides information needed to address school districts' high priority issues. ACT Plan includes four multiple choice tests: o English, Math, Reading, and Science. Your skills in these subjects will make a big difference in school and, eventually, in your career. Your ACT Plan score report will help identify your strengths and areas where you need improvement. 11
Visiting Colleges It is important that you visit a variety of different colleges/universities in a variety of campus settings. This will help you recognize which college/unive rsity best suits you. Questions To Ask Your Tour Guide What is your average class size? Are students required to have a laptop/printer on campus? When do you have to declare a major? What are the mostt popular majors at your school? Are some dorms better than others? What makes them unique? Do many students life off campus? If yes, why and when do they move off campus? How accessible are your professors? Are tutors available if needed? What percentage of students studies abroad? What impact do fraternities and sororities have here? Athletics? Describe what are weekends like on campus? What do you like best about your experiencee here? Which areas of the United States do students usually comee from? Why did you choose this school? 12