So you got into college, congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment. It is now time to start the next big chapter of your life.
Once you have received your acceptance letter and confirmed your attendance, there are many more steps that need to be taken to ensure that you have a smooth transition from high school to college. In this post, I will share ten steps that need to be taken the summer before your freshman year of college.
1. Find a roommate
When deciding who you will be rooming with for the upcoming school year, you have two options:
- Go in blind
- Chose someone you know
You have probably heard many roommate horror stories that have made you cringe at the thought of going in blind. Do not let these stories stop you from choosing to be paired with random roommate. Most schools have some sort of system where students can find a roommate match based off of their personalities and preferences. This can be helpful in avoiding any potential conflict in the future.
Your other option is to choose someone you know which is the route I took when choosing a roommate. Knowing my roommate prior to college made it easier to communicate about
Keep in mind that you will be sharing a tiny dorm room with this person for the next nine months, so it is best that you find someone who you can agree with one most topics.
Most schools have a facebook group that you can join to find other people looking for roommates. These facebook groups tend to stay active throughout college with students looking to sell sporting event tickets, textbooks, find off campus housing etc. I would highly recommend joining a Facebook group if possible.
2. Save money $$$
If you’ve never had a summer job, now is the time to get one. There are many expenses in college and it is useful to have some money saved up. Aside from saving money, having a summer job is something that you can put on your resume which will help you when trying to find a job or an internship down the road
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3. Tour campus
Most students tour the campus while they are in the application process. Once you are accepted and you have decided what school you will be attending, you will probably have a number of questions that you hadn’t thought of before. Touring the school again can help to relieve some of the stress and answer some of the questions you may have.
Revisiting the campus can also help you in deciding where you want to live on campus, to get an idea of where your classes may be held, and to get a feel for the overall campus atmosphere.
4. Apply for scholarships
The further into
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5. Attend orientation
When you receive your acceptance letter, you are typically given a list of actions you must complete in order to start your classes in the fall. Included in this list is signing up for academic orientation. This is a chance for you to meet other new students, and to become more familiar with the campus and programs offered. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions and meet people before the year begins.
6. Clean out your closet/bedroom at home
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a room full of clothes and objects that you have been collecting since forever ago. Now is the time to reevaluate which of these things are necessary and which things it is time to part ways with.
Make piles for trash, donations, keepsakes, and things that you will be bringing with you to college. You can sell your old clothes, shoes, and accessories on sites like Poshmark, donate them, or pass them down to younger siblings or friends.
After you leave for college, it is nice to come back home to a clean and
7. Research clubs, organizations, and programs
Before you arrive to campus in the fall, be sure to do your research. This can make the transition process much smoother, and it will help you to feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed on your new campus.
8. Go shopping
If you will be moving into a dorm, prepare to take many trips to the store. You will need to purchase items for your room, school supplies, clothing, etc. I would recommend buying things little by little starting early in the summer. If you wait until the right before school starts, there is a good chance that there will be a limited selection left.
Below are links that will help make the shopping process easier:
Top 10 Items that you MUST Bring with you to College
The ULTIMATE College Packing List
School Supplies that you will Actually Use in College
9. Make your schedule
Making your freshman year schedule can be an extremely overwhelming process. With so many classes to choose from, and university requirements, it is difficult to know where to begin. Here are some of my tips for building your schedule:
- Use websites like ratemyprofessor.com so that you can get the best instructors.
- Have a map of your school handy so you can figure out where classes are relative to your dorm.
- See if your school has a website where you can see the grade distributions from prior semesters so you can assess how well you will do in that class.
10. Spend time with family and friends
Once you head off to school, it becomes difficult to keep in touch with all of your friends and family from home. Be sure to make time to contact the people that you care about. A simple text letting someone know that you were thinking about them can help you to maintain important relationships.
