Flickr user Illinois Springfield
Summer is drawing to a close and many of you have already attended your college freshman orientation. If you haven’t already, it’s most likely on the horizon. There are a few things you’ll want to do after orientation and before school starts:
Select Your Dorm
Some colleges have you select your dorm at the orientation, but if you haven’t yet, now is the time to do so. Review your options, the dorms, the rooms available, and your roommates before selecting. You’ll also want to take location and the type of building into account. How close is the dorm to the cafeteria, your classes, or the library? Older dorm rooms may not have air conditioning. Is that a necessity for you?
If your school doesn’t have dorms or is allowing you to live off-campus, it’s important to find an apartment or place to stay in town as soon as possible if you haven’t already. These places will be gone quickly as many older students wish to live off-campus, so you have to act fast to make sure you have a home while you’re in college.
Create a Move-In List
If you had an overnight stay during orientation, you now have a pretty clear picture of what it’s like to stay in the dorms. You know how much room you have and a good idea of what you need. It’s extremely easy to overpack for college, so create your moving list now and start to trim it down.
Be realistic about how much room you have. You don’t want to be cramped or inconvenience your roommate. Start with the necessities and then work from there.
Buy Your School Books and Materials
In the coming weeks, your professors will start to release the materials and books you need for their courses. You can always buy these at the store on your school’s campus, but you may be able to save a few bucks by buying them online at Amazon, eBay, or another store. However, ensure that they are the correct edition before purchasing.
You’ll also want to buy any materials you need, specifically if you are taking art courses. This is the time to start buying notebooks, pens, pencils, bags, and all the other back to school supplies. It’s highly recommended that you have your own computer to make life and work at college easier, though your school will most likely have a computer lab.
Connect With the Friends You Made
You most likely made some friends or connections at your college’s orientation! Try to keep up those relationships so you have friendships going into college. Everyone is experiencing this for the first time; having someone to go to dinner with after your first day of classes can be enjoyable.
You may want to text or add them to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or other social media profiles. Don’t push the topic though if your contacts seem hesitant.
Getting ready for college in the coming weeks will, of course, take up a good bit of your time. You’ll absolutely want to be prepared for the life-changing experience, but don’t forget to enjoy the rest of your summer too!
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