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<p>The transition from high school to college isn&#8217;t always easy. High schools don&#8217;t always to the best job preparing students for the challenges of college, but as a student you can take classes that will better prepare you for both college and whatever career path you choose. A few useful classes to take as a college-bound high school student:</p>
<p><strong>Personal Finance</strong></p>
<p>Whether you&#8217;re going straight into the workforce or to college, personal finance skills are essential to building a secure and successful future. With the focus on standardized testing, practical skills such as budgeting and managing debt are unfortunately put on the back burner by schools. However, most high schools offer personal finance courses so take it as an elective even if it isn&#8217;t required. A course in personal finance can prevent you from making the common financial mistakes many young adults make.</p>
<p><strong>Business Communications</strong></p>
<p>Business communications isn&#8217;t just for business majors. Knowing how to communicate in a professional manner is important in any industry, and may also be useful for personal business. If you&#8217;re going straight onto the job market after high school, you&#8217;ll impress potential employers and be more successful once you land a job. As a college student, you&#8217;ll be prepared for internships, part-time jobs, and networking.</p>
<p><strong>Speech/Public Speaking</strong></p>
<p>Public speaking is a common fear, but it&#8217;s likely you&#8217;ll have to speak in front of groups several times during college. In addition, you&#8217;ll probably need to speak in front of small or large groups of people in your career. The earlier you start practicing, the easier it will be to speak in front of people without too much anxiety. High school classes are generally smaller than college classes, so it&#8217;s a good way to work up to speaking in front of larger groups.</p>
<p><strong>Career Planning</strong></p>
<p>Entering college with information on how to choose a career and look for jobs will put you at a huge advantage. Most students choose a major without doing thorough research, leading to lost time and money or a bad career fit. If your high school offers a career planning course, take advantage of the chance to learn more about careers and job hunting even if you think you know which career you want.</p>
<p><strong>Computer Science</strong></p>
<p>A computer science course can help you learn to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database software that are commonly used in college courses. Although you may already feel comfortable with common software you can get more in-depth training in a formal course, which will make your college projects and papers much easier.</p>
<p>In addition to the classes above, you should become familiar with math and science concepts you&#8217;ll be building on in college because many students enter college unprepared for the challenge of college-level courses in these subjects. No matter what your major, you can&#8217;t avoid math and science completely. Writing is another area that proves difficult for many entering students, so work to <a href="https://www.collegecareerlife.net/how-to-improve-writing-skills-college/" target="_blank">improve your writing skills</a> before starting college or your career.</p>