EPCC – The Best Place to Start The El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Come Visit Us! El Paso Community College Wants to be the College of Your Choice! It’s Not Too Early to Think About COLLEGE! Middle School Student Guide The Office of Recruitment & School Relations is ready to help you with the enrollment process. We can help you with: ● Admission Workshops (Apply Texas) ● Financial Aid Information ● Educational Conferences ● Career-Oriented Field Trips ● Special Programs El Paso Community College Office of Recruitment & School Relations P.O. Box 20500 ● El Paso, TX 79998-0500 (915) 831-2575 ● recruitment@epcc.edu www.epcc.edu/recruitment COMPLIMENTS OF: El Paso County Community College District Office of Recruitment & School Relations What You Can Do Now Eighth Grade Decisions Start Thinking About Your Future You Need a College Education Now is the time to start planning your education. Now is the time to start learning what you need to know to achieve your career goals. If you are in middle school, you are probably already making some of your own decisions about which courses to take. When you get to high school, you will make even more of your own decisions. These educational decisions become more and more important as you get older. But they are important today – right now! The more education and training you have, the more career opportunities you will have. When you have more choices, you will be more likely to find the career that fits your interests, values, and personality. A college education can greatly improve your chances for success. Make School Count Your first priority should be learning your basic skills. You must have three skills no matter what career you choose. When you think about your schoolwork, you should think about how it will affect your career. When you dream about a career, you should automatically think about the courses you could take to help you make your dream come true. Make Career Decisions Making a career decision, even if it changes later, will have a positive effect on your life. This decision will give you a sense of what direction you would like your life to take. Decide what you would like and what you would not like. Try to narrow your career choices to the one or two kinds of careers that seem best for you. You can always change your decision. Remember, changing your career choice is better than never making a choice at all. By the end of the eighth grade, you will be deciding what classes to take in high school. Your counselors, teachers and parents can provide suggestions to assist you in choosing what classes to take in high school. To prepare for college, you need to take several required courses each year. In addition to the required courses, you will need to choose electives. Be sure to choose electives that will help you reach your career and college goals. Here’s what you should plan to take in high school: ENGLISH (4 years) HISTORY (4 years) Include Writing, American Literature, British Literature, and Speech. Include World History, American History, and American Government. MATH (4 years) FOREIGN LANGUAGE (2 to 4 years of the same Include Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry and Pre Calculus. language) For example: Spanish, French, German, Latin, etc. SCIENCE (4 years) Include Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. ELECTIVES To supplement the basic courses, consider taking classes that will enrich you. A few suggestions are Computer, Music, and Art. Keep this guide and use as a bookmark and ruler