5 Ways for Your Kids to Get Early Advantages While in High School Amy Smith, January 29, 2024January 29, 2024 As a parent, you want your kids to succeed in life, both in their chosen careers and as individuals. High school is the perfect time for your kids to develop their skills and interests for a successful future. Beyond the traditional classes and grades in high school, there are many other opportunities for your kids to excel academically. In this blog post, we will discuss five ways for your kids to get early advantages while in high school, which can help them stand out and succeed. Read on to discover these opportunities for your kids. Join Clubs and Extracurricular Activities High school clubs and extracurricular activities are a great way for your kids to pursue their interests and develop new ones. Being involved in clubs and activities outside of the classroom is an excellent way for your kids to showcase their strengths and build new skills. More experienced and involved students will already have an edge over others, particularly when it comes to applying for college or jobs. Take Advanced Placement (AP) Classes AP classes allow high schoolers to take college-level courses and gain college credit while still in high school. Taking AP courses will allow your kids to get early advantages for college and show schools they can succeed in higher-level classes. AP classes require much more hard work than regular high school classes, but the rewards are worth it in the long run. Attend Summer School High school students can take advantage of summer school by taking courses that they would have otherwise taken in the upcoming years of high school. This allows the student to progress further or open up spots for other classes of interest. Spending the summer in learning that focuses on your kids’ skills and interests will help them stay on track and excel in the upcoming school year. Join Volunteer Organizations Besides expanding their skills, high school students should look into community service organizations to boost their resumes. Volunteering shows responsibility, empathy, and a willingness to give back to the community. Students interested in pursuing degrees in social work, healthcare, or public service can benefit significantly from this work, but many colleges look at what extracurriculars students devote their time to and take them as a mark of character. Volunteering should be done for the intrinsic good of helping others, but it also doesn’t hurt to provide early advantages to college-bound kids. Apply to Internships and Other Job-Experience Programs Internship opportunities offer high school students hands-on experience in a particular field and work environment. Applying to internships will allow your kids to develop their potential career interests and prepare them to adapt to a professional environment. They can also sometimes participate in a industry-recognized certification program as part of these experiences, so look out for these chances. Students will also gain real-world experience and networking opportunities by participating in internships. In conclusion, there are many opportunities for high school students to build their skills, experiences, and resumes beyond the classroom. The above five ways are just a few of the many ways for students to gain a competitive edge and stand out amongst their peers when it comes to college admissions or job applications. By participating in clubs and extracurricular activities, enrolling in AP classes, attending summer school, volunteering, and applying to internships, your kids can gain early advantages and prepare themselves for future success. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash Share on FacebookTweetFollow usSave Education