Choosing Well Makes You an Attractive College Prospect

As a college prospect, the life choices you make will be closely scrutinized from the moment you enter the ninth grade.  That’s unfair to you and other young teens, but it’s the way it is. 

Think about it this way:  On the first day of your freshman year, you begin to paint a picture of yourself.  But, it’s more than just a head and shoulders portrait.  It’s a huge mural like one you might see painted on the wall of a building.  Yours shows the all paths you’ve taken, the people you’ve picked as friends, the mistakes you’ve made, the accomplishments you’ve achieved, the things you’ve done in the community and it also shows the opportunities you’ve missed.  This mural is out there for anyone to see, including college coaches.  

When you think about your life and what college coaches will think of you, it makes sense to be very careful about decisions you make, the priorities you set, the friends you choose, and the actions you take.  If you want college coaches to see you as someone who works hard at your sport and in the classroom, paint that picture.  If you believe that it will be important for coaches to see you as someone who volunteers in the community, or is involved in your faith, or is well respected by your teachers and other adults in the area, then it is up to you to paint that picture with your actions.  

No one else can paint this picture.  It’s all on you.  Your parents can’t do it for you.  Neither can your coaches, relatives or friends.  It’s yours and yours alone.  And your self portrait reflects the choices you make every day.  As tempting as some things may be to you such as alcohol, drugs, fast cars and parties, when you choose to get involved in those things, do not think that they will not be included on your picture.  They will. 

One of the most difficult things you must consider as you think about what you want your picture to look like is breaking bad habits and breaking away from destructive friendships or relationships.  It may not be clear to you now, but there will come a time when you will regret or rejoice in the choices you’ve made, the friends you’ve kept, and the bad habits you’ve left behind.  They will determine your success and failure in sports, the classroom, your career after college and beyond, and they all show up on your portrait.  Good choices lead to a good life.  Bad choices result in tough going.  It’s your life, your picture to paint. 

Here are some life areas to think about as you begin to paint the picture of yourself:    

Friends:  Your friends should be people who support your efforts to succeed in sports, school and life.  They make good choices.  They don’t test the limits of rules or break them for the fun of it.  They are solid every day.  They are positive people who respect themselves, their parents and their future by making choices which help them to paint their own positive portraits. 

Study habits:  The higher your grades, the more colleges which can offer you a scholarship and good grades begin and end with good study habits.  If you never study at home, you are guaranteed to struggle in college.  At college, professors will not give you time to finish your homework at the end of class every day.  Professors will not care if something happened to your textbook.  In college, you are expected to be a responsible adult.  Learn to study correctly now.  Take your books home and read some in each one of them every night.  No excuses. 

Time:  One of the most difficult transitions for first year college students is managing their time.  Mom and Dad aren’t going to be there to wake you up every morning.  The will not be there to make sure you get to practice on time every day.  In college, you are on your own.  Start good time management habits now and you will not suffer the consequences later.  If you need help, ask someone you know who is always on time, always getting things done when they are due and who you believe has time figured out.   

Significant other:  This is a tough one, but here’s the thing, the person you choose top be with today may be extremely important to you, but you have a life to lead, a picture to paint, so avoid allowing anyone else to distract you from the fullness of your portrait.  This person should complement your painting, not dominate it or keep you from making steady progress.  Choose wisely the person you will be investing so much time and effort on.  A good choice is someone who is not demanding of your time or attempts to rule your activities or keep you away from your friends and objectives.  That is a selfish person who does not have your best interest at heart.  A good choice is someone who manages their own life well, is positive about his or her own future, and respects that you want to take good care of your own life, too.   

Citizenship:  Being a good citizen matters more and more as you get older.  Being respectful of authority and taking on volunteer work are just two of the indicators of someone who is a good citizen.  Talk to your parents and to community leaders about their views on what a person can do to show good citizenship.    

Manners:  Never underestimate the importance of good manners.  Showing good manners is a sign of respect and humbleness.  They illustrate a level of sophistication which is lacking in today’s society.  However, when you practice good manners, they become a part of who you are as a positive person.