Academic Preparation All students entering a college or university deserve a fair chance to succeed in higher education. To do so, they must be adequately prepared for college-level study. Those who take a full program of challenging academic courses every year in high school, including their senior year, and who master certain basic subjects and skills substantially increase their probability of success in college or university work. Good study habits and skills are essential. College professors and instructors assume students know how to read a textbook effectively, know how to take notes, know how to plan an effective study schedule, and know how to master background material. High school Honors and Advanced Placement courses are strongly recommended for eligible students because of their academically-challenging content; however, students should be realistic about their abilities. A student earning “C’s” and/or “D’s” in Honors and Advanced Placement courses should meet with his/her counselor to reassess course plans and educational objectives. The basic academic competencies listed below outline what college entrants need to know and to be able to do. Developed by the Educational Equality Project of the College Board, they summarize the combined judgments of hundreds of educators in every part of the country. These recommended basic academic competencies are broad intellectual skills essential to effective work in all fields of college study. They provide a link across the disciplines of knowledge although they are not specific to any particular discipline. Three additional resources to assist your with academic planning include the folowing. U,S. Dept. of Education: Funding Your Education Planning for College Approved Course List for the University of California

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Reading The ability to identify and comprehend the main and subordinate ideas in a written work and to summarize the ideas in one’s own words. The ability to recognize different purposes and methods of writing, to identify a writer’s point of view and tone, and to interpret a writer’s meaning inferentially as well as literally. The ability to separate one’s personal opinions and assumptions from a writer’s. The ability to vary one’s reading speed and method (survey, skim, review, question, and master) according to the type of material and one’s purpose for reading. The ability to use the features of books and other reference materials, such as table of contents, preface, introduction, titles and subtitles, index, glossary, appendix, bibliography. The ability to define unfamiliar words by decoding, using contextual clues, or by using a dictionary. Speaking and Listening The ability to engage critically and constructively in the exchange of ideas, particularly during class discussions and conferences with instructors. The ability to answer and ask questions coherently and concisely, and to follow spoken instructions. The ability to identify and comprehend the main and subordinate ideas in lectures and discussions, and to report accurately what others have said. The ability to conceive and develop ideas about a topic for the purpose of speaking to a group; to choose and organize related ideas; to present them clearly in Standard English; and to evaluate similar presentation by others. The ability to vary one’s use of the spoken language to suit different situations. Mathematics The ability to perform, with reasonable accuracy, the computations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using natural numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers. The ability to make and use measurements in both traditional and metric units. The ability to use effectively the mathematics of integers, fractions, and decimals ratios, proportions, and percentages roots and powers algebra geometry The ability to make estimates and approximations, and to judge the reasonableness of a result. The ability to make, formulate, and solve a problem in mathematical terms. The ability to select and use appropriate approaches and tools in solving problems (mental computation, trial and error, paper-and-pencil techniques, calculator, and computer). The ability to use elementary concepts of probability and statistics. Computer Competency Students entering college will benefit from the following preparation: A basic knowledge of how computers work and of common computer terminology Some ability to use the computer and appropriate software for self-instruction collection and retrieval of information word processing (including the development of keyboard, composition, and editing skills) modeling, simulations, and decision-making problem solving -- both through the use of existing programs and through experience with developing one’s own programs. An awareness of when and how computers may be used in the academic disciplines and various fields of work, as well as in daily life.

Writing The ability to conceive ideas about a topic for the purpose of writing. The ability to organize, select, and relate ideas and to outline and develop them in coherent paragraphs. The ability to write Standard English sentences with correct sentence structure verb forms, punctuation, capitalization, possessives, plural forms, and other matters of mechanics word choice and spelling The ability to vary one’s writing style, including vocabulary and sentence structure, for different readers and purposes. The ability to improve one’s own writing by restructuring, correcting errors, and rewriting. The ability to gather information from primary and secondary sources; to write a report using this research; to quote, paraphrase, and summarize accurately; and to cite sources properly. Reasoning The ability to identify and formulate problems, as well as the ability to propose and evaluate ways to solve them. The ability to recognize and use inductive and deductive reasoning, and to recognize fallacies in reasoning. The ability to draw reasonable conclusions from information found in various sources, whether written, spoken, or displayed in tables and graphs, and to defend one’s conclusions rationally. The ability to comprehend, develop, and use concepts and generalizations. The ability to distinguish between fact and opinion. Studying This set of abilities is different in kind from those that precede it. They are set forth here because they constitute the key abilities in learning how to learn. Successful study skills are necessary for acquiring the other five competencies as well as for achieving the desired outcomes in the basic academic subjects. Students are unlikely to be efficient in any part of their work without these study skills. The ability to set study goals and priorities consistent with stated course objectives and one’s own progress, to establish surroundings and habits conducive to learning independently or with others, and to follow a schedule that accounts for both short- and long-term projects. The ability to locate and use resources external to the classroom (for example, libraries, computers, interviews, and direct observation), and to incorporate knowledge from such sources into the learning process. The ability to develop and use general and specialized vocabularies, and to use them for reading, writing, speaking, listening, computing, and studying. The ability to understand and to follow customary instructions for academic work in order to recall, comprehend, analyze, summarize, and report the main ideas from reading, lectures, and other academic experiences; and to synthesize knowledge and apply it to new situations. The ability to prepare for various types of examinations and to devise strategies for pacing, attempting or omitting questions, thinking, writing, and editing according to the type of examination; to satisfy other assessments of learning in meeting course objectives such as laboratory performance, class participation, simulation, and students’ evaluations. The ability to accept constructive criticism and learn from it. Return to OR H S Plan

A Four-Year Plan Before developing a four-year plan it is necessary to review graduation requirements review college entrance requirements evaluate current level of achievement and motivation consider interests and career aspirations understand that a plan is tentative and subject to change It is important for students to review and re-evaluate these points with their parents and counselor before scheduling classes each year. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities available to them through the school as well as outside agencies. To see sample plans, click on arrow.

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