8th grade
Explore careers that match your skills and get involved in activities at your school and in your community.
Fall
As you come back from summer break, learn about career clusters and see what college programs match your career goals.
- 1
Connect your interests with a career cluster
Take, or re-take, a quick quiz to see how your interests match career clusters and if they've changed since last year.
Take the interests quiz - 2
Discover college programs
Explore college programs related to your interests and goals. Build a list of your favorites.
Explore programs - 3
Get involved
Build skills in and out of the classroom by participating in activities and clubs.
Learn about extracurriculars
Spring
In the spring, start tracking your activities and accomplishments by building a resume. Learn about high school endorsements and what classes to take to set yourself up for success.
- 1
Understand graduation requirements
Learn about the Texas high school graduation options. See how these options and requirements impact your college and career plans.
Explore endorsements - 2
Build your resume
Keep a record of all the cool stuff you do and things you achieve. Create an account to track your activities in your profile.
Update your profile - 3
Plan your high school classes
Choose an endorsement that matches your interests and goals and make a plan for classes to take.
Build your grad plan
Summer
Over the summer, prepare for high school and beyond by taking practice exams, exploring military careers, and learning about ways to save for college.
- 2
Take practice exams
Take practice exams like the PSAT 8/9 or the PreACT. They will prepare you for the college entrance exams in high school.
Take the PSAT 8/9 or PreACT - 3
Explore ways to pay for college
Learn about ways to pay for college like savings, scholarships, grants, and loans.
Discover college cost
Previous: 7th grade
Not sure if you completed all the tasks for 7th grade? Go back to review tasks.
Next: 9th grade
Once you complete your checklist for 8th grade, learn about what’s next in 9th grade.