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High school students get lots of advice about what they’ll need to succeed after graduation—from their families, teachers, guidance counselors and college representatives. Rarely, however, do they hear from their peers on this issue. For this article we went to the source: Graduates who are now reaping the benefits of what they learned in high school (or paying the price for what they didn’t learn).

• Time management – Knowing how to balance multiple demands was mentioned more than anything else. Having relied for so long on mom and dad to help keep them on track, some said they felt sorely unprepared to prioritize responsibilities on their own once they left home. One grad who admits to having slacked off in the area of personal responsibility during high school says that he paid the price during the first couple of years of college. "Once you are in college, there are lots of different components, not just academic, that you have to learn to juggle. You have to be very organized. In college you also have a lot more free time. I had to learn how to handle all the freedom and still get my work done."

• A solid knowledge of core subjects like English and math – Good writing skills, whether to complete college papers or to write clear and concise job applications, topped the list of skills post-graduates say they draw on most from high school. Math was also a subject area that those interviewed say they use frequently in education and other areas of their lives. For example, a senior majoring in photography at Drexel University says he uses math every time he mixes photo developing chemicals or calculates the pixel size of a picture. Outside the classroom, a solid math foundation also comes in handy as they manage their money, figure their taxes or keep track of inventory at part-time jobs.

• Taking challenging courses. Many of the grads interviewed said the higher level subjects and advanced placement (AP) courses they took while in high school were very beneficial once they hit college. "I am very glad to have taken three AP classes and one university-in-high school course before attending college," says one SUNY New Paltz student. "Besides the obvious academic preparation they provided me with regard to early exposure to what college curriculum would be like, they also allowed me to bring in 12 credits as a freshman, which was a nice benefit." Indeed, she believes all high school students going on to college should consider taking at least one advanced level class solely for the experience.

• Take more than just the minimum foreign language graduation requirement. Grads say this can sometimes mean less work once in college since many colleges will consider additional foreign language coursework in high school as comparable to their own freshmen and sophomore language requirements.

• Learn what interests you. Taking a demanding course load in high school, studying hard and getting good grades are all important to a teen’s future success. However, one young student who recently took time off from college to reevaluate her major, wishes she had also spent more time in high school exploring her interests. Some valuable ways for kids to discover what they want to do with their lives include: Internships, volunteer work, part-time jobs, school-to-work programs, and study abroad.

• Enjoy the ride – Yes, college is hard work. Yes, holding down a job can be tough. But life after high school is also fresh and exciting. Though it is always important to put forth a best effort, many of the high school graduates surveyed said they wish someone had told them that it was okay to relax a little, too.

• Transfer responsibility for schedule-keeping to them.
• Encourage them to stretch themselves academically in high school. Don’t let them slack off even in their senior year.
• Help them move "outside" their teen culture by getting involved in part-time jobs or volunteer work related to their career interests.
• Talk to them about how to balance their busy schedules with a little relaxation.
• Support their choices, whatever they are. The question for many families of soon-to-be graduates seems to be not if, but where kids will be going to college. One parent whose son decided to forgo college to pursue his musical career – and was recently a guest performer with country singer Shania Twain – talked of the importance of supporting whatever learning pathway your teen chooses. Time and again, high school graduates echoed this sentiment, saying that although college is important, it is really only one of many viable post-graduate options. Also, it’s important to realize that college-delayed is not college-denied. In fact, a little extra time spent out in the job market can often motivate young people to work all that harder at furthering their education.

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