One of the biggest transitions in a teenager’s life is moving from middle school to high school. It’s a completely different beast that leaves many students feeling excited but nervous.
All of a sudden, they’re taking 4-5 different classes instead of sitting in the same room pretty much all day. Finding their way around and tackling the larger workload can be stressful.
You can take some of the anxiousness away from them by knowing how to prepare for high school. Keep reading to learn what you need to do when your child comes to you looking for guidance.
1. Help Them Develop Better Study Habits
If your child is going to a private middle school with a tougher curriculum, they won’t notice the workload jump too much when they make their way into high school. For other students, however, it’s a lot.
You need to know how to prepare your child for high school homework. There’s a lot more of it and it’s not as easy. There’s an added bit of pressure in every assignment they do because of their GPA.
Colleges will judge the grades they make, so if they aren’t equipped for studying, it will limit them later on.
Help them come up with a good homework schedule and stick to it. Prepare a work area for them that’s well-lit and free from distractions.
Teach them how to manage their time. This way, they aren’t trying to speed through all their assignments at the last minute.
2. Organization Is Key
When your student enters high school, they will be attending multiple classes. It’s easy to grab the wrong notebook for class if it’s not labeled.
Now they’re sitting in their lesson with none of the correct notes. They can’t follow along as the teacher goes over the material from the previous day.
Even worse, they take math notes in their science notebook. Now everything is a disorganized mess.
Make sure all their study materials are clearly labeled. You should also pick up a calendar that they can use to write down the due dates of all their assignments. This will help them keep track of their work and turn everything in on time.
3. Attend Back-to-School Night
You won’t know how to prepare middle school students for high school if you don’t know what to expect. To this end, it’s important to attend the high school’s back-to-school night.
This is an event that every facility has where parents can come out and meet their child’s teachers. They’ll give you a list of items that they’ll need for the class.
They will tell you what they expect of their students. You’ll also be able to talk to school administrators and learn about the various programs that the school has to offer. It’s all valuable information that you can use to help your kid succeed.
Keep in mind this isn’t the only time when you can go meet your children’s teachers. You can set up an appointment at any point during the year if you notice that your student is struggling.
4. Allow Them to Become a Little More Independent
If you don’t teach your child how to take more responsibility for their own learning while they’re in high school, they won’t be prepared to do so in college. High school starts this transition.
Teach them how to organize their due dates and schedule their homework time, but that’s it. Let them stay in charge of doing the actual work unless they ask for help.
When they first start high school, be sure to pop in each day to see how they’re doing. As time progresses, you can change this to weekly check-ins.
5. Talk to Your Child About Their Concerns
It’s important to know how to mentally prepare for high school. Again, there are tons of changes that will be happening. It’s stressful for any student.
Sit down with your child and ask them how they feel about starting their new school. If they’re scared they’ll get lost, go walk around the campus, for example.
Keep an open line of communication up as your child goes about their high school career. Ask them how they’re doing in their classes.
If you do this, they are more likely to be honest with you and tell you when they need a little extra help.
6. Take Them on a Tour of the School
High schools are a lot larger than middle schools. If you don’t know where you’re going, it will be almost impossible for you to figure out where your classes are.
Don’t force your child to go into panic mode on day one. Take them on a tour of the high school campus way in advance and help them locate their classrooms.
7. Encourage Them to Get Involved
When a child enters high school, a world of extracurriculars arrives at their doorstep. Encourage them to sign up for clubs and after-school activities.
It will allow your child to figure out what they’re interested in. They’ll meet new people and make lasting friendships. These activities also look amazing on college applications.
Teach Your Middle Schooler How to Prepare for High School
Making the transition from middle school to high school isn’t easy. An entirely new world opens up that can be both exciting and overwhelming.
That’s why you’ve got to sit down with your student and teach them how to prepare for high school. Use the tips that you’ve read here to set your child up for success.
Are you looking for more ways to help your child make it through school? Check out the Education section of our blog for all the latest tips.
