Deciding what to focus on during the last few years before college can be daunting, since the student is already involved in high school classes with their own assignments. There are certain forms of literature students can benefit from more than others, though, which will inevitably help during their college career.
Many high schools offer Advanced Placement English and History classes, and some also offer Biology and other subjects at that level. These classes are typically for students who have been scoring grades of B- or better during their first three years of high school. If possible, take advantage of these advanced classes. You will have more work than if you were to take a standard level class, but you will be eligible to receive college credit if you do well. I was able to skip some basic English, English literature, and composition classes because I took this particular route. The classics I was reading while in high school Beowulf, The Once and Future King, and various works by Shakespeare, to name a few, were confusing during high school, but when I had to re-read them for classes like literary criticism, I found them easier to comprehend than others who did not have the previous experience of painstakingly analyzing them during high school.
I will recommend several different forms of media and literature the college-bound student would do well to focus on in this article. As far as books go, here are some suggestions I can make from my own experience. Obviously, for certain majors there will be other things students should read, but most students start college by taking required classes with more of a liberal arts base, such as English and History. Others will take a certain major and not realize there are so many required extra classes that need to be taken to supplement the basic classes. So any student in a four-year program should be able to benefit from the following points.
1.) Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare. This is like "location, location, location" for real estate pros. I know, it's predictable, it's been done to death..but if you take any literature classes at all, you will be expected to have some knowledge of the basic Shakespeare classics, including King Lear, MacBeth, Hamlet, and others. If you intend on being involved in theatre at all, a basic knowledge of these works and others can also come in handy. The good news is that if you are rolling your eyes already, don't despair. You can read literary review books, which often come in the form of anthologies, from your local library. Take notes on the various points made by critics, and keep them with you for your classes. The notes based on critical writings will help you in interpreting the storylines and in understanding which key points you should be taking from each book.
2.) You may also want to try to gain a basic understanding of some classic myths from ancient Greece and Rome, as you will most likely be reading dramas and comedies and myths from these time periods. Having a basic background in these subjects will make reading the literature and critiquing and interpreting it in your classes much less overwhelming (especially if you are not planning on being a literature major but wind up finding yourself in a related class anyway). Never be afraid to supplement your reading of old classics like these with crib notes as well. As long as you're making an effort to read the book, you should be allowed to have "cheat sheets" to help you understand the basic plot. You can also rent certain plays and watch them first to get an idea what's going to be going on in the book. Literature like this contains so many outdated sayings and metaphors which don't make sense to the modern reader, that simply reading the books without any aids can be a daunting task, to say the least. Use all manner of summaries and notes available and you will thank yourself when the time comes for you to take quizzes and write your own critiques of this arcane literature.
3.) Essays. Dig into some historical essays written by very famous people from the
past. The best advice I can give is to read the Federalist Papers. These can be pretty heavy reading, but once you get through some of them and understand them, you'll have a better idea of what some of the founding fathers and their contemporaries had in mind when debating what the perfect country should look like. This will prepare you for classes that deal with news, political issues, international relations, history, peace studies and more. The act of simply reading these essays also enhances your reading comprehension and can boost your confidence as you will begin to see history and politics in a different light.
4.) Steer clear of reading only books that express views to which you are already partial. Get your hands on as many different points of view as possible in any field of study that interests you. As a political science and economics student, I came across a great book series in college called "Taking Sides". This series of books contains essays as part of debates specific to each book's title. For example, one book is dedicated to "clashing views on controversial issues in American Foreign Policy", while another is dedicated to contrasting different views concerning World Politics. Series like these of course are most beneficial for an understanding of world events, politics and history, but the point here is that it is very beneficial to read various literature that engages the reader in debate. You will very often be asked to debate issues in college, as well as to write papers on various subjects without making your own opinion very obvious. In these cases you need to have a pretty good understanding of the issue from all sides. This will also help you, in the long run, to solidify your own opinions and come up with more effective arguments of your own for the times when you are asked to express your opinions.
5.) You may think going to school for a business degree will just teach you how to be an effective manager or make more money than those without your degree. Business is more complicated than that these days. Make sure you are aware of current issues in business ethics. Read about case histories like Enron and other companies that have been convicted of misconduct and falsifying documents, and read about the repercussions and penalties the companies and employees incurred. Being a good businessperson is one thing, but there are other growing concerns these days as well. How does government regulate various industries? What affects to international trade and policies like minimum wage have on individual companies and business administrators? You will have to take classes like these in college, so it is a good idea to have some sort of background in these issues, so that those extra classes don't become overwhelming when added to the curriculum you already expected. You don't have to become an expert over the summer, but keep your eyes peeled for books on these subjects and newspaper articles as well. Some college professors expect students to have a working knowledge of basic background news related to their chosen area of study, and it certainly can't hurt.
5.) Getting away from books, another form of literature the college-bound student
can never get too much of is newspapers and journals. Look for peer-reviewed journals online. You can find guides regarding where to find these sources at your local library. Many journals written by experts in various fields are also available online at sites like www.eurekalert.org. It never hurts to browse articles about subjects you would like to study, and to keep an open mind and read articles that simply are of interest. No matter what your college degree is going to be in, you will be required at some point to show that you have sufficient research skills. You will inevitably have to find credible sources in the midst of all kinds of internet rubbish, and be able to document where all of your information for papers comes from. With this in mind, I'd like to share with you a site which I found to be absolutely essential during my college years. It's called Questia, and it does have a membership fee, but if you sign up for multiple months, you can save money. There are so many newspaper, magazine and journal articles at this site, you will never lack sufficient sources. This site saved me hours on important research papers. I continued to be a member even after I graduated because my intellectual curiosity had become insatiable with so much knowledge so easily accessible.
In regard to newspapers, most students simply don't have the money to spring for several subscriptions. Don't worry: Sign up for the New York Times online. This is a free service and certainly beats receiving bulky newspapers in the mail. Once in a while, buy yourself a Wall Street Journal and / or a copy of Economist Magazine. Vary your sources to include U.S.-based publications as well as those published in other countries throughout the world. The BBC online can give Americans a broader perspective than many news agencies based in the U.S., because the BBC focuses on much more international news than U.S. outlets do.
6.) If you are considering a foreign language to supplement your education, don't forget to keep up with the skills you've learned in high school. Get some workbooks from your local bookstore and perhaps some DVDs and practice your language skills once a week or so. If possible, keep in touch with other students in your class, or your former professor, in order to practice emailing in your chosen language. This will prevent you from forgetting any acquired language skills over the summer, and taking a language, even if not required for your major, can really round out your college experience and teach you about other cultures and world views.
These are just a few of the suggestions I would offer to the student getting ready to pursue his or her bachelor's degree. Stick to the options that make the most sense to you, and most importantly, make the most of your time before college by prioritizing and reading the literature you think will be most valuable. Lastly, keep in mind that once you start college, you will not have much time to read books just for fun, so remember to read a couple of books at the beach before you're locked in to your program of study in the fall.