Exam Prep and College Search IB 10 Seminar MS. HUNT IB SCHOOL COUNSELOR JANUARY 4, 2016

Important Facts to Know for Exams When do exams begin? Tuesday, January 26 th, 2016 When should you start preparing for exams? NOW! What percentage of your final grade does the midterm exam account for? 10%

Exam Schedule January 26, 2016January 27, 2016January 28, 2016January 29, 2016 Periods 1 and 2Periods 3 and 4Periods 6 and 7Period 5 Dismissal 1:00pm Dismissal 10:40am

Tips on Preparing for Exams: 1. Start preparing now. 2. Prioritize the tests. 3. Clarify the content and format of your exams. 4. Take a break! 5. Get a good amount of sleep before your test. 6. RELAX.

Why is it important to do well on my exams? It will count as 10% of your final grade Your final grade is reported on your transcript COLLEGES USE YOUR TRANSCRIPT TO DETERMINE YOUR ADMISSION STATUS!

Speaking of college… What other factors are important in the admissions process?  Courses taken  Grades received  Standardized test scores  Personal statements and essays  Recommendations  Extracurricular activities

So, what steps can you be taking right now to prepare for college?  Take on new roles.  Stay involved with your extracurricular activities and work toward leadership positions. Become involved in community service and other volunteer activities.  Read, read, read.  Developing your reading skills will help prepare you for tests and make you a well-rounded individual.  Practice your writing.  You’ll need good writing skills no matter what path you pursue, so work on those skills now to get prepared.  Meet with your school counselor…me!

Beginning the college search process.  Video from Big Future  How do I begin the search process? How do I begin the search process?  Look at the important questions posed in the video.  What are your favorite subjects?  What are your passions?  What kind of environment do you want?  Who do you want to be and how will that college help you?  Take some time to think about these questions.

Using Big Future in the Search Process  Knowing Yourself Activity Knowing Yourself Activity 1. What are some things you feel you do well? 2. What challenges you? 3. What do you like to do for fun? 4. Who do you look up to? 5. What is something you have always wanted to try? 6. What accomplishment has made you most proud? 7. What’s your favorite class? 8. What do you read about in your free time? 9. If you could do any job for the day, what would it be? 10. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

More on Big Future… College Search  Fill in the information based on your preferences Compare Colleges  Select up to 3 colleges to be compared REMEMBER- You will only be able to save your searches if you are logged in to your Big Future account

Let’s Discuss… What do you picture when you think college? What experiences have you already had with colleges? Did you find anything interesting or surprising in your searches?