College and Career Ready: What It Means for Middle School Students

What exactly can middle school students do to be college and career ready?  

To Do:

• Think about college as an important part of your future. Discuss your thoughts and ideas with your family and with people at school.
• Start saving for college if you haven’t already.
• Take challenging and interesting classes to prepare for high school.
• Ask your parent or guardian to help you research which high schools or special programs will most benefit your interests.
• Develop strong study habits.
• Do your best in school and on standardized tests. If you are having difficulty, don’t give up—get help from a teacher, tutor, or mentor. 
• Become involved in school- or community-based activities that let you explore your interests and learn new things.
• Speak with adults, such as your teacher, school counselor or librarian, relatives, or family friends, who you think have interesting jobs. Ask them, “What do you like about your job?” and “What education did you need for your job?”

To Explore:

• Find out why you should prepare for college now.
• Check out My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College, a workbook for middle and junior high school students.
• Learn about a wide variety of careers—both at NASA and elsewhere—from NASA’s Career Information center.