A free course at Community College of Vermont can help you get ready for college.

Nearly 1,500 Vermont high school students take CCV’s Introduction to College Studies each year. Students meet once a week for two hours at twelve locations throughout the state. 

 “The goal of the course is to help students basically learn to how to succeed in college,” said Natalie Searle, director of secondary education initiatives at CCV. “We want to help all students feel that they can go to college.”

The 13-week course helps students work on skills that will help them succeed in college, including time management, test-taking, stress management, and applying for financial aid.

Searle said the course is intended mainly for students who aren’t sure if they will go to college. In the past four years, 76 percent of people who finished the course have enrolled in college.

“I would say it really makes an overwhelming difference for the majority of students who take the class,” Searle said.

Jenna Bresette, 18, who is attending CCV in Rutland, said she would recommend the class to any student.

“I thought that the Introduction to College Studies was a very informative class,” she wrote in an e-mail. “I got to meet new kids from different areas that were in the same boat as I was trying to figure out what to do about the whole college situation.”

Students who take ICS can apply for a voucher for a free college class at most schools in the state, including University of Vermont, Champlain College, and CCV.

The voucher, which must be used before enrolling in a school, gives students a taste of the college experience.

Classes start in late January. For more information, check out CCV’s website at www.gotocollegevt.org or www.ccv.edu.