COLLEGE PLANNING What You Can Do Now To Prepare For College Use a calendar It doesn’t need to be fancy. You can even make your own. It’s a good idea to use one that displays a whole month at a glance. You may want to buy or make one that can be put in a three-ring binder, if that is what you use for school. Write down everything that you are supposed to do! That includes dates, work schedules, due dates for assignments, test dates, etc. Then refer to the calendar daily to keep yourself on track, and use it to plan ahead for papers, projects, reading assignments, and other time-consuming tasks. Read a lot Try to broaden your vocabulary. Many new college students are overwhelmed with the amount of reading that is required, but it won’t be that difficult for you if you are already reading regularly. Make lists of questions before you visit the campus. Don’t be afraid to seek information from the admissions staff and other college officials. Learn how to use a computer Computers can be a tremendous help to you in college and beyond, and, as mentioned before, most colleges, including USF, have computer labs available for student use so you don’t need your own. If you have basic word processing skills on nearly any brand, you can easily learn to use other brands too. If you currently type by the "hunt and peck” method, try enrolling in a typing or keyboard class before you leave high school. Take good notes Even if you're not doing right now to make good grades, it will help you establish some good habits for college, where you’ll cover a greater amount of material in a smaller amount of time. Take as many college preparatory classes as you can