Prepping For College: Do You Have Your Why?

What do you need to prepare for college? You might think you need things for your dorm, your textbooks, your class materials. And you do need those things, but before any of that– before you take any tests, before you submit a single application, you need to have goals. And what’s more, these goals need to be specific. You need to know your why.

On its own, getting into a great school is an achievement. But there’s a difference between doing something for the sake of it and doing something because you are driven. Your why is the answer to the questions “Why am I doing this? Why am I spending so much time preparing for exams and studying and learning all of these test-taking skills?”

Your why is what will get you over the finish line. 

Finding Your Why

When I was preparing for college, I wanted a high SAT score, of course, and I had a reason. My why was getting into the top competitive medical programs and getting guaranteed scholarship money to help pay for school. I believe it’s critically important that you know what inspires you. Before you start preparing for these exams, you need to look deep within yourself and identify what motivates you to study. 

After all, studying for the SAT or ACT is hard work, and it’s not the only work you need to do to prepare for college. You’ll have to write essays and prepare the rest of your admissions packages. A great amount of effort goes into applying to top colleges, and if you don’t have a reason to study, it’s hard to put in that work. Understanding your deeper goals and what you want out of college and life beyond helps clarify your desires and motivate you to dig deep and work hard. 

At Prep Expert, our course materials are designed with the understanding that while standardized testing might seem like purely a numbers game, there’s more to your experience than just a number. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you’re going to continue to work hard to earn your place at a highly selective institution. Your goals are the driving force behind all that work you’re putting into the application process, and that’s why the first thing we ask you to do is write out your goals. 

At the start of our prep course books, there’s a special page that’s dedicated to what you really want– the real reason you’re prepping for college. Maybe that goal is a list of the exact schools you want to get into, or the amount of scholarship money you want to earn. It might be the requirements for competitive professional programs, like law, dental, pharmacy, nursing, or medical tracks. Maybe you’re an athlete, and your goal is to qualify for elite collegiate athletics. Whatever your goals are, clarifying and refining them is what will give you the edge and inspire you to put in the hard work associated with success. 

And then, once you’ve hit those goals? Once you’re attending Princeton or Yale, or once you’re in that highly selective pre-professional track, your goals will grow with you. At the end of the day, you’re not taking the SAT to get a high score, and you’re not going to school just for the sake of saying you did. Your college education is a springboard to future success, letting you meet your future goals and accomplish the life you want. 

And it all starts here, with finding your why. 

Taking Why to How

Once you’ve determined what your goals are, the next step is doing the work to meet them. And I’ll be honest with you: this is the hard part. Knowing what you want for the future is great! But there’s a difference between dreams and goals. If you want to turn your dreams into actionable goals that you can achieve, you’ll need to put in the work.

When I was designing Prep Expert’s materials, I approached them with the belief that hard work and merit could pay off. I believe that test taking is a skill that you can learn, and that standardized testing is a way to show more than just factual knowledge. When you take a standardized test, you’re demonstrating your ability to use logic, to strategize, to make smart decisions. You’re showing your mental agility and proving to the world that you have what it takes to succeed. When you’re motivated and able to put in the work, you’re an unstoppable force. 

That’s the power of knowing your why. That’s how you prep for college… and the world beyond. 

It all starts with you. But even when you have your why, you have to figure out how to achieve it– and that’s where we come in. Prep Expert is here to help you hone those skills and strategies. We have the tools you need to help you strive towards those goals, and with our courses, you’ll learn how to use them. Whether you’re prepping for the SAT, the ACT, or you want the total prep package, we can help you realize your goals and bring those dreams to reality.