8th Grade: Get ready for the big time.

Download the 8th Grade Checklist
Descarga la lista de sugerencias de Next Steps para estudiantes del grado 8

This year you will begin thinking about your plans for high school and life after graduation. Take a deeper look into what the next five years and beyond might look like.

Start the conversation.

The adults in your life—family, teachers, counselors, coaches, mentors—are there to help you channel your ideas and interests into personal goals. Although it may feel overwhelming, weʼre all here to help you succeed!

Next Steps

While you can always change the plan, making choices now with your future in mind
could help guide you toward the career(s) you see yourself pursuing.

Next Steps

  • Use the Next Steps 8th Grade Pathway Plan activities to start thinking about your goals and what you’ll need to do to achieve them.
  • Talk to your teachers or counselor about what classes you should take.
  • Learn more about career training you can start in high school. Many Idaho schools offer classes that can lead to professional certifications before graduation and jump-start your career. Some programs take all four high school years to complete, so you’ll want to talk to your guidance counselor to make sure you get started in time.
  • Consider whether internships or apprenticeships might aid your career plans. There are opportunities in many different industries to learn valuable skills while earning a paycheck and sometimes college credits.

The ISAT simply measures your progress in
ELA/Literacy and Math. A good score will show that you are mastering
grade level content and open more opportunities for you when it comes
time to apply to colleges.

Next Steps

  • Prepare for the ISAT by taking practice tests. Familiarize yourself with the format and question types.
  • Focus on areas where you need improvement based on practice tests or teacher feedback.
  • Develop test-taking strategies like pacing yourself, reading questions carefully, and checking your answers.

The grades you earn freshman and sophomore year are probably the most important grades you receive. Why? Because the law of averages means that itʼs much harder to bring up a low grade point average (GPA) during the last year of high school. So lock in early and get off to a great start. Youʼll be happy you did.

Next Steps

  • Learn how to develop good study habits and test-taking skills.
  • Get familiar with the grade point average (GPA) metric – how it’s calculated and how you can improve yours.
  • Find out how your GPA can affect which type of college you might be able to get into.
  • If your GPA is low, you’ll need to score higher on entrance exams to get into college. Your best bet is to work hard at keeping your GPA up throughout high school.

The State Board of Education runs a program called Idaho Campus Choice to pre-admit Idaho high school graduates to attend college in Idaho. All you have to do is focus on graduating from high
school and weʼll guide you through the rest of the process.

Next Steps

  • Visit the Idaho Campus Choice website.
  • Explore your college options – take a look at the eight schools in Idaho that are available to you and see which one you think youʼd like to attend.
  • Learn how Financial Aid works to pay for college.

Take advantage of the tools on Next Steps Idaho to consider your options. Research specific career options and learn about the education you might need to pursue the job you want. Make a plan to track progress on (and regularly evaluate) your goals. Once youʼve chosen a few potential careers, identify the financial needs those choices may require.

Next Steps

  • Take an interest or values quiz to better understand how your talents might translate into a rewarding career.
  • Explore career clusters (subject areas) that fit your interests and learn about specific careers in related fields.
  • Use “Plan Smart” to figure out what kind of lifestyle you want, and how much it might cost

Life after high school might mean going to a four-year college or enrolling in a technical training program or figuring out a way to continue your education while you work.

Next Steps

  • Consider the benefits of going to community college.
  • Figure out if the career you want requires an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree and start to look at what Idaho’s institutions have to offer.
  • Look into Idaho’s technical programs. (once referred to as trade programs), many of which can be started in high school and continued at the college level or lead to professional certification.
  • Research career opportunities in the military, where you can serve, get career training and earn money to help pay for college
Two students sitting at a table looking at their smartphones.

Explore Career Clusters

Chances are good you may not know exactly what job you’d like to do when you grow up. Rather than trying to home in on one specific job, you can start to narrow your focus by looking at career clusters—loosely grouped occupations that share common features. It’s one approach to investigating sets of jobs that correspond to your skills and interests.
A man in a mechanical workshop reviewing content on a tablet.

Learn How You Learn

Taking stock of how we learn best and our preferred modes of learning can sometimes help to clarify career and education pathways. Answer 30 questions. Then see the learning styles you favor and the learning modes and techniques that suit you best.