Students in senior phase need to ask themselves if they are ready for college or other higher education. A prepared speech on this topic would advise a student to consider what college he wants to attend. Advise the students to consider whether they want to attend a large or small college, visit some colleges and begin to decide what they might want to major in. Does the student want to attend four years and then go to work? Or does the student want to attend a professional school, such as medical school, that will take years to complete. In the speech, advise the student to make sure he prepared to take the proper entrance exams and to seek appropriate study programs. Also, advise the student to begin to improve their students habits now, and they will be successful when they begin higher education.
Many students in senior phase have not found their niche. They do not know what they want to do in life. This speech topic will advise a student to begin to decide what they want to do in life. Advise the student to work with school career counseling to help determine if college, the military or other types of training is best for him. Give the students some tips on what books they should be reading, such as occupational handbooks that will help them to find out what they want to be when they grow up. Also, remind the student that traditional college is not for everyone, and some people prefer specialized or vocational training. In the speech, remind the students that community colleges are becoming a more affordable alternative to jumping right in to a traditional college.
Another good prepared speech topic for the senior phase involves the military. This speech will recognize, salute and thank the students who have decided to help serve and protect the rest of us. Those students have decided that a military career is what best suits them. Remind them to talk to recruiters of all major branches of service: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Also, do homework on the lesser-known branches, such as the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines. Know the academic requirements to enter today's military, and be prepared for any required tests. Participate in high school ROTC programs or other high school military programs. If the student knows that he want to be an officer and his grades support it, encourage him to explore what it takes to enter one of the service academies, such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy or Naval Academy.
This is a good topic for a prepared speech because it applauds senior phase students who have already started part-time or full-time jobs. For instance, some are already actively involved in seasonal farming and fishing careers, and they plan to continue on those paths full-time after graduation. Some might even leave school without completing the final two years. Those people should be encourage to make sure they are on a path that they want to be on for most of the rest of their lives. The best time to make a transition is heading into that senior phase.