I was homeschooled - and graduated early. Yet, I was behind my peers. I didn't take AP classes or clubs; I had no letters of recommendation, no volunteering hours. If I wanted to get into a fancy college...I was screwed.

Now 6 months later, I'm choosing to spend 2 years at Community College and then transfer to a University (which, by the way, is financially smarter). While I had a unique situation, even "normal kids" panic like this and miss out on opportunities. Here I'll share my game plan on making the most of these 2-3 years!

1. Join the honors program. This isn't too difficult. At my CC, I was able to apply once I got my GPA (which is normally after you finish your first classes), and then maintain the minimum GPA stated on your CC's honor website.

2. Join Clubs! I joined all the clubs that interested me, then narrowed down what I wanted to be seriously involved in.

I'm a member of about 4, and getting involved in 2. Don't feel pressured to join any generic clubs; get involved in the ones you truly like, revive them if you have to!

3. Get a dual degree. I'm getting a dual degree in journalism and anthropology, which is perfect as I plan on writing a cultural non-fiction book within the next 2-3 years

Image Credit: Darya Tryfanava from Unsplash

4. Apply for every financial aid chance you get. Even if you have a college fund, a trust fund, free tuition, you name it. Applying never hurts, and you're literally getting paid to share you're woes.

While FAFSA isn't very friendly to those with rocky parental relationships (that's a whole other article), you have the option to opt out of sharing you're parents' information. I recommend everyone to opt out; and when inevitably asked why, you don't have to pretend your home life was terrible (in fact, please don't, as lying on FAFSA is a felony), but instead share whatever rocky family situations you have such as your parent being in the army, family heath issues (for instance, my dad had leukemia and is on disability), or how your grandma is nuts.

5. If you're reading about community college, you're probably an adult or close to it. Now is your chance to spread your wings and be free (but still bound by morals and, well, laws.) Write crappy poetry and publish it, get involved in your passions, research, and publish everything you like. Now is the time to get involved, be weird, and have fun.

Neutral Extracurriculars Your Dream College Will Love

If you're not sure about your passions or major yet, have no fear! You can still join the honor society and get involved with clubs, and remember, you can always politely slip out of a club if you change your mind. Here's a short list of impressive clubs that are passion-neutral.

1. Student government. This is always a lovely opportunity is meet cool people and fix problems, whether you're the president or a committee member. Apply for a position you like (for instance, committee member for event coordinating), and remember you can always step down or change.

2. Volunteer for community aid. If you like animals, volunteer for your city's animal society (for instance, Austin Pets Alive is a Texas state-wide animal aid and adoption society with chances for volunteering, and they even own thrift stores in which funds go to animals!) Volunteering for a specific cause (like flood relief) is always a lovely thing to do, as well as showing your prospective college that you are a compassionate person.

Image Credit: Kyle Glenn from Unsplash

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Get Advice from Peers.

Your friends, graduated siblings, and fellow article writers could all have the advice you've been needing. Here I've collected some of the most helpful and in-depth articles on the TTM website for student life and tips that I regularly return to!

• How I Use Different Citation Styles: A Comprehensive Handbook by Elizabeth Gregg
• Are Your Extracurriculars Tier 1 Or Tier 4? Here's Why It Matters by Jaden Hong
• We Really Have to Stop Attaching Our Worth To Academic Validation by Chloe Soerjanto
• I don't have time for this, and that's exactly why I am writing about it by Nehir Cebecioğlu