97 Things to Do Before You Finish High School

by Erika Stalder

  Say It in a Drawing

  Op-eds also take the form of cartoons. If writing isn't your thing, express your views in pictures. A single-panel cartoon with a pithy caption is worth the proverbial thousand words.

  73 Donate to a Homeless Shelter

  L ook around your house — can you believe how much stuff is piled up? It's jamming every closet and cupboard, so that you can never find the one thing you're looking for. Do you really use half of these items? It's time to purge your pad of extras and donate whatever you can to a homeless shelter. This is a great exercise in distinguishing want from need, and the estimated 2-3 million homeless people throughout the US will greatly appreciate your well-maintained castoffs.

  New Gift Instead of Thrift

  Can you imagine wearing someone else's holey socks? Gross. If you can spare the funds, buy some inexpensive socks, undies, or other personal items and donate them while they are brand new. That way, those who are momentarily down- and-out can enjoy some of the simple comforts we take for granted every day.

  How to Do It

  Ask family members to go through their closets and set aside items in good condition (no threadbare collars or stained sleeves) that no longer fit or haven't been worn in ages. Coats and sweaters are particularly useful in cold climates. Check bathroom cabinets for unopened bottles of shampoo, tubes of toothpaste, and other essential toiletries that you've purchased in bulk. Blankets and pillows are always needed, as are diapers, children's toys, batteries, and paperback books. Gather everything together in boxes — make sure they're not too heavy — and call a local shelter to arrange for delivery. Organizations such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army will often pick up boxes from your home — but don't expect them to take ratty old couches or torn mittens off your hands. They can only use items in good shape. Save the organizations some time by separating the good stuff from the junk and throwing out the junk (or recycling it, when possible) yourself.

  74 Raise Money for a Charity

  As you may already know, doing the right thing in your community is often about sweat equity, meaning that your volunteer time, friendliness, enthusiasm, and donation of services and goods to a worthwhile cause are just as important as contributing cash. Sometimes, though, it takes dollars — and lots of them — to bring swift assistance to those in need. Raising money for a charity or disaster relief takes persistence and persuasiveness, but if you feel truly passionate about the cause, your urgency will convince like-minded philanthropists and cheapskate skeptics to fork over a little cash.

  How to Do It

  Identify a charity whose mission moves you. Maybe you know someone with diabetes, cancer, or another illness that requires research dollars and preventative care outreach. Or maybe there's a timely cause — a natural disaster has wreaked havoc on a city, or the local children's theater is in danger of closing due to a rent hike. Whatever your pet cause, work with a representative from the organization to help raise some funds. Decide on a target amount — this will help the group push to meet the goal — and then recruit fellow do-gooders to help with the cause. You can put on a car wash, a battle of the bands, or an open mic night and charge a cover or take donations at the door. Other ways for young people to raise money are by organizing silent auctions, a bingo or poker night, or the tried-and-true bake sale. If you'd rather raise funds without getting caught up in time-zapping organizational work, join a walk, bike or run for your favorite cause and solicit donations from your friends and family. It's essential to be creative with fundraising — it makes it more fun for everyone, and it makes raking in cash a lot easier.

  Think Global, Act Local

  Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which affected Louisiana and Mississippi, and the tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia cause unbelievable damage totaling in the billions. Folks in areas that are hit by sizeable natural disasters need all the help they can get for years afterward. Head up a local fundraiser for disaster relief for one of these places (or another that you know of), and send the collected amount as a gift from your entire town.

  EIGHT: Because You Should

  75 Get a Job

  Some of you are already all over this. Lots of kids start working somewhere, somehow in middle school. But if you're just cruising through high school without knowing the joys (and, yes, sometimes agony) of being employed, you're missing out. Sure, you're busy with school, blog reading, and soccer practice, but setting aside a few hours a week for work is definitely doable. Even if you don't need the money (though, who doesn't?), working has a lot of benefits. It gives you confidence, independence, a competitive edge when you're applying for college, and something to put on a résumé when you really do need to start looking for a job. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment that far surpasses reaching level 62 on Prince of Persia.

  How to Do It

  Scout out your favorite shops, restaurants, and organizations for “help wanted” signs. Inquire about openings even when you don't see a sign, especially if there is a place you'd really like to work. If you're eager enough, a busy employer may hire you anyway. You'll need to fill out an application with contact info and work history (with start and end dates), so it's helpful to bring with you a premade cheat sheet to complete applications on the fly. Also drop off your résumé (see page 164), if you have one. And don't worry if you have little or no prior experience — entry-level positions are usually designed for newbies. If your school has career advisers, check in with them, too. They probably keep a list of more unique job openings that are perfect for students (part-time gymnastics coach, anyone?) Persistence pays off — call or visit your prospective employer one week after applying if you haven't yet heard back. You'll stand out as ambitious and proactive, and will beat out those slackers who submit sloppy applications and don't follow up.

  Adventures in Babysitting

  If you are not already watching your younger siblings for free (or even if you are), a paid babysitting gig is a great way to get started in the world of working. Sure, dirty diapers are an odorific fact of life that most people would rather not deal with, but there are lots of other aspects of baby-watching (witnessing little Leo try to walk is serious entertainment) that make it worth it. For your first few adventures, babysit for a close relative who will be more forgiving if they have to be called home to handle Justin's or Jasmine's endless screaming spree.

  76 Write a Résumé

  Some after-school jobs are easy to come by — a neighbor asks you to babysit or your dad's friend hires you to help at his shop because he, well, knows your dad. But unless you're ridiculously lucky, you won't get every job based on connections alone. To fight for the most coveted positions out there, like resident indie expert at the record store or commision-earning salesperson at the new upscale boutique, you need to be armed … with a résumé. This page-long personal stats sheet not only gives you a chance to flaunt your specialized knowledge, skills, and education, but also sends the vital I've-got-my-shiznit-together message to potential employers, showing them you're organized, motivated, and serious about working for them. Oftentimes, a manager won't be able to meet your dazzling self when you've chosen to drop by, but if you drop off a killer résumé, she can read it later and call you for an interview. Résumés are also essential for internships, scholarships, and even volunteer positions. Mastering the art of writing job-landing prose will help you secure big opportunities down the road — and steer you away from the yeah-whatever-i-guess-I'll-take-it gigs in the meantime.

  Cover Your Butt

  One of the most essential parts of a résumé isn't the résumé at all — it's the cover letter. When applying for more serious jobs, include a brief, two-paragraph cover letter that shows optimism and enthusiasm, and explains why you are perfect for the job. It's a necessity for more full-time jobs down the line and will show your prospective employer that, even working part-time, you mean business.

  How to Do It

  To start, look at some other résumés. If you have an
older sibling or friend, hit him or her up for a quick lesson. Your English teacher can also point you in the right direction — either with an after-school tutorial or a good book with some prime examples. To begin your résumé, put your name and all of your contact info at the top. Then, write a one-sentence job goal that highlights your strongest skill, such as, “To contribute my shopping expertise and enthusiasm to the retail sector.” After that, make a date-ordered list (most recent first) of all your prior work experience (yes, babysitting and working for your parents' business counts). List the duties you had at each job, using sophisticated language, like “tendered cash” as opposed to “rang people up at the register,” and “assisted in administrative duties, such as filing” instead of “put files in order.” Add in sections for extra-curricular activities, especially things that show leadership (captain of the debate team, choreographer of the dance squad), special skills (language, computer, interpersonal), and references (use teachers and past employers, not your friends or parents). Finally, make sure the résumé is cleanly formatted, easy to read, spell-checked, and printed on attractive, colorless paper. (If pink résumé paper didn't work for Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, it's probably not going to work for you.) And remember that job-searching is a lifelong quest. So don't delete your résumé after you've landed a gig. Keep a copy of the master file handy, and modify it as your work and life experience grows.

  77 Make and Follow a Budget

  If you have a job — or very generous parents — you have some money coming in. Even if you are forced to use some of it on necessities, you probably have at least a little left over to spend on yourself. Rather than blow it all on one pricey video game or pair of designer shoes, you're better off parceling out your hard-earned dough into specific categories and keeping track of how, when, and where you spend. That means making a budget. Initially, developing a budget may seem like a homework assignment for econ (so maybe not a thrill a minute). But you can actually learn a lot about yourself by creating a list, or table, of all the things you spend money on (like food, entertainment, gas, public transportation, and school supplies). By laying it all out in front of you, you can see what your financial needs and desires are and learn to prioritize — so you spend less money on stuff you don't really need or want and more money on stuff you do.

  How to Do It

  You don't need to have an MBA to make a budget — you just need to know how to make a spreadsheet. Either on paper or in a computer program like Excel, list everything you spend money on throughout a typical month. Include school supplies, clothes, movies, snacks, sporting equipment, magazine subscriptions, online memberships, and anything else you toss cash at. Assign a maximum weekly dollar amount to each category. At the end of the week, add up how much you've spent in each category and compare the total to your maximum amount. Are you over your limit in clothes but under in movies? Maybe you need to adjust your budget so it's more in line with your spending habits or financial limitations. In any case, try to meet or spend less than your total monthly max. Establish reasonable spending and saving patterns, and you'll feel better about splurging on front-row tix to that Black Eyed Peas concert.

  Choose Not to Charge

  Sure, celebs may look totally happy in major credit card commercials when shown spending their lives away. But they can afford to pay off huge credit card bills every month. The rest of us can't. Credit card companies specifically target teens through advertising, knowing that people in your age group are tempted to take a new Visa or MasterCard on a no-holds-barred shopping spree. Don't let them get you. It's easy to “charge it” now, but when big balances and interest pile up it's a lot harder to pay it off later. If you're not careful, you can get yourself into a mess that your parents won't be so thrilled to bail you out of. Besides, owing other people is a drag. Be smart and just use a debit card or cash.

  78 Open a Savings Account

  You're certainly entitled to spend hard-earned dough on high-end jeans, iTunes downloads, limited-edition kicks, and other bling, but it's never too early to start saving. Hip-hop icon Ludacris made his millions by releasing his albums independently. That way, he kept all the profits without having to share with the record companies. How did he do it? He had enough of his own cash to start his business. So, how much have you got hidden under the mattress? If the answer is zilch, it's time to open a bank account and start saving for college tuition, a car, and other big-ticket items that will allow you to invest in yourself and make your dreams a reality.

  The Zen of 10

  Try to put away at least 10 to 15 dollars every month — that's just one less night at the movies or extra-large pineapple pizza. With a few bucks in the bank, you'll feel more like a high roller, less reliant on your folks, and free to call your own shots. (Think Donald Trump … but with better hair.)

  How to Do It

  Remember that goofy piggy bank you got from Aunt Ethel for your eighth birthday? Bust it open, count your coins, and march down to the bank to open a savings account. Many banks offer special deals for teens who are opening their first account, so ask a teller to explain the options, and make sure your nest egg earns a decent interest rate. Just about every bank has a website, so you can log on to keep track of your savings.

  79 Understand the Stock Market

  Buy low. Sell high. Diversify your portfolio by dumping those risky hedge funds and opting instead for a blue chip mutual fund. Huh? Stock market terminology and financial data are like a foreign language at first — you have to study and practice it to understand it. But with time and devotion, you can learn the lingo well enough to play the game — and hopefully win. The stock market, which has a long history in the US and even longer abroad, is perhaps the world's biggest casino (you have to be 18 to participate, but you can start learning about it sooner).

  To play the market, people buy different types of investments such as stocks, which are actually small portions of a company. If the company with which you bought the stock does well during the year, you generally make money. If that company does poorly (or worse, goes out of business), then you're in trouble. Experienced investors usually know the right strategy for investing and when to buy and sell. That being said, the market is unpredictable, and even the best “gamblers” sometimes lose a bundle. At some point you'll have a few hundred or thousand to spare, and having a better idea of how to invest it will save you from losing your shirt. Of course, playing the stock market is always a bit risky — never invest money that you cannot live without.

  Put Your Money Where Your Mind Is

  To learn all the ins and outs of buying low, selling high, and coming out ahead, pick up these top reads.

  Standard and Poor's Guide to Money and Investing: gives you a soup-to-nuts understanding of the financial market

  The Warren Buffett Way: a book about the investment strategies of a world-famous stock market genius

  Stock Investing for Dummies: an intro to investing in the stock market for newbies

  How to Do It

  The best way to begin to understand the stock market is to pick a few stocks to follow and chart their ups and downs over a period of three to six months. To do this, go to the finance sections of major websites such as www.finance.yahoo.com or www.moneycentral.msn.com. Pick companies you like and believe in, or new ones you want to learn about, and track their stocks' progress on a spreadsheet. To better understand why the stocks fluctuate, check out the latest news on the companies (maybe they announce a merger or roll out a new product) and see how recent developments affect the stock prices. You can also check out the Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine for more in-depth coverage. By the time you're able to legally participate in the game, you'll have a basic idea of how to play.

  80 Take Care of a Pet

  When it comes to companionship, reliability, and emotional support, animals offer distinct advantages over humans: They listen attentively as you complain about your geometry teacher, they stick to a predictable routine of ea
ting, sleeping, playing, and pooping, and they provide unconditional love as long as you scratch their tummies and reward their obedience with gross-smelling treats. Taking care of a pet is also a great way to learn how to be responsible for another living creature, and your very own Garfield, Snoopy, or Stuart will teach you much about the importance of dependability and loyalty. Just be sure you're ready for the commitment before approaching Mom and Dad about that “adorable puppy” — after all, your parents are not going to be the ones cleaning up Spot's less-than- adorable mess.

  How to Do It

  Carefully consider the size of your living space and your amount of available time. Dogs take up plenty of room, are hands-on, and require early morning walks and plenty of exercise, while cats are more independent and like to pretend they don't really need you once they've outgrown the ball-of-string phase. Cost is a factor, too, and goldfish or hamsters are perfect if you don't want to spend too much on your pet's upkeep. Whether you adopt a floppy-eared puppy with a bark-worse-than-bite complex, a slinky feline with don't-bother-me eyes, or a bashful turtle with intimacy issues, your pet will have a distinct personality that you'll need to nurture or modify through training. Take cues from TV's famous dog whisperer, Cesar Millan, or similarly wise pet experts. And if you are absolutely not allowed to have an animal in the house because of family-member allergies or distaste for things not human, get aquainted with a neighbor's pet or volunteer at a local shelter for a few hours a week.