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 they like about their job and what education they needed for it.

• Find out why you should prepare for college now.

• Find puzzles and games and learn about a wide variety of careers—both at NASA and elsewhere—at NASA’s “For Students Grades 5–8” webpage.

TO DO:

• Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to find out how much federal student aid your child might receive. This information will help you plan ahead.

• Continue saving for your child’s college education. If you have not opened a savings account, learn about the tax advantages of saving.

• Talk to your child about their interests and help match those interests with a college major and career.

• Help your child develop good study habits, such as finishing all work before going on social media or playing computer games.

• Stay in contact with your child’s teachers and counselor so that they can let you know about any changes in your child’s behavior or schoolwork.

• Keep an eye on your child’s grades, and help him or her find tutoring assistance, if necessary.