Key Takeaways:
-
- College prep over the summer helps students keep on top of responsibilities and learn new skills.
- Create a checklist to determine what you need to complete, when, before your first day of classes.
- Over the summer, stick to healthy habits, attend orientation, and create a budget to have a successful start to college.
You’ve graduated high school – congratulations! And now you’re off to your next big adventure – college. The madness of applications is behind you, but that doesn’t mean your summer is free of responsibilities. There are actually quite a few tasks you need to do so you can be sure you’re ready to attend courses in the fall. From signing up for orientation to creating a budget, here’s a list of 14 college prep steps.
Why Should You Prepare for College?
During high school summer breaks, you don’t typically have to do much. You might have some summer reading or a part-time job, but outside of that, summer is yours. You simply attend school the following fall.
The summer between high school graduation and college is yours, too, but there are quite a few more tasks you’ll need to cover during the coming weeks. It’s more than just packing! You need to send off vaccination records, attend orientation, review your budget, and more. By preparing for college now, you set yourself up for success for your first semester and the following four years.
College Prep in 14 Steps
Below, we’ve listed 14 steps to successful college prep over the summer. You don’t have to follow these in any particular order – just keep an eye out for school deadlines.
1. Celebrate
Make sure you take some time to celebrate your achievements this summer! How you celebrate depends on you. You might want to take a vacation with your family or friends, host a grad party, or eat out at your favorite restaurant. While you might want to jump straight first into college prep, don’t skip this step. Graduating high school is a major milestone.
2. Get Organized
This step is going to set you up for success over the rest of the summer. There’s a lot to do, and you likely have less than 14 weeks to cover it all. That might seem like a lot of time, but it will be gone before you know it. Plus, organization is always a great skill to have.
You’re receiving quite a few emails from your college at the moment, to the point it might be overwhelming. Some information may even seem conflicting or confusing – reach out to the appropriate department as soon as possible to get clarification.
To stay on top of this influx of information, organize your email inbox. Use a separate document or spreadsheet to note any important college dates, requirements, and deadlines, such as housing selection and orientation sign-ups. Add to these documents as more information comes in. Then, use time management to set your priorities. What’s the most important thing? What should you submit first due to an upcoming deadline?
The required tasks and documentation depend on the school. Your college should provide you with a tailored checklist, but you may have to create your own using any emails they send you. Commonly required forms and paperwork include:
- Final high school transcripts
- Orientation selection
- Housing selection
- Course selection
- Financial aid offer acceptance
- Medical forms
- Health insurance
- ID photo
- Meal plan selection
3. Choose Housing
If you’re not living at home while you attend college, you need to arrange for housing, whether you’re staying off campus or on.
Students staying on campus can follow their colleges’ instructions for housing and roommate selection. Research dorm rooms ahead of time, as they’re not all created equal.
If you’re staying off-campus, compare several options. Some schools offer discounted rates at nearby affiliated apartments. Try to go in person to view the rental, too. Read over your lease carefully before signing.
If you have a roommate, reach out to them. Ask them questions about themselves and take some time to discuss furniture and decorations. Getting to know your roommate now will make move-in much easier. You might just meet your new best friend.
4. Attend First Year Orientation
Most colleges require incoming first-year students to attend orientation the summer before classes start. Even if it isn’t mandatory, don’t skip it! They present students with unique opportunities to explore the school, make new friends, and learn campus policies. Some tasks, such as choosing college courses, are done at orientation, too. It’s much easier to select your first classes with an advisor than do it all on your own!
Orientation can last a few hours to three days, depending on the school. Many also offer parent orientation, where families can learn more about their children’s schools and help support them over the next four years.
5. Select Your Classes
You might select your courses at home or during orientation. During your first year, you’ll want to focus on general education requirements, or GEs. If you didn’t complete it in high school, you’ll likely need to take College English 101 during the first semester. Colleges might also require you to take introductory colleges, tailored to help students make the most of their school, especially if you’re in an honors program. For other requirements, you should have wiggle room.
Try to look at course options before it’s time to select your classes. There’s often a lot to sort through, but if you have an idea of what interests you, it makes it easier to choose.
6. Tackle Finances
Even if you have enough money to afford college – either through your family’s income, financial aid offers, or a mix of both – you need to set a budget. It’s all too easy to overspend, especially if you’ve never tracked your finances before.
Here are a few tasks you need to tackle:
- Set a budget. With your parents, use a worksheet to account for tuition, books, food, cell phone, personal spending, extracurricular costs, and more to understand the true cost of attending college. Stick to your budget throughout the year so you don’t run out of money.
- Select financial aid. If your college offers a financial aid package, you need to select which parts of the package you’re accepting.
- Open a checking account. Open a checking and savings account with a bank or credit union. If you have any money left over after financial aid disbursement, your college can send the money to that account.
- Finalize payments. Note any financial deadlines for the college and make sure you’ve submitted payments by the deadlines.
7. Learn Life Skills
Beyond your finances, you also need to know life skills while you’re at college, from doing your laundry to cleaning the bathroom. If you don’t know how yet, take some time over the summer to cook some simple meals, wash your own clothes, and create a cleaning checklist for your dorm.
8. Stick With Good Habits
During your time at high school, you likely picked up some good habits – going to bed at a reasonable hour, brushing your teeth twice a day, and exercising. Don’t throw these out the window while you’re at college. You won’t have your parents there to remind you.
Instead, you have to be responsible for your health and well-being. It’s much easier to stick to good habits than break them and try to remake them in the future. Eat healthy, attend regular doctor appointments, and become familiar with your campus health clinic.
9. Read Over Syllabuses
Many of your professors will publish syllabuses online before classes officially start. Try to look at them ahead of time. Some might require you to complete reading before your first meeting (or you can simply get a head start). Review what you’ll be doing, when, and note any important dates, such as tests, on your calendar.
Even if you don’t have any assigned reading, reading a lot over the summer helps you maintain good habits and skills.
10. Pack Strategically
It’s all too easy to overpack for your first year of college. Then, when you try to avoid this common mistake, you under pack.
To avoid both sides of this coin, make a list of necessities, such as toiletries and bedding. Then, consider what would be nice to have. For example, you don’t have to bring your entire library of books – just a few of your favorites will do. You can always ask your parents to send something later or retrieve it when you visit home.
As you create your packing list, keep the size of your dorm room in mind. Pack and organize your dorm strategically by using storage containers. You should also create a list of items you need for class and general things, such as cleaning supplies. If you’re traveling far, it makes sense to buy those items in your new city rather than at home, where you’ll have to pack them and use up valuable space in the car.
If you’re bringing anything big, talk to your roommate beforehand so you don’t bring duplicates.
11. Research Your New Home
Living away from your hometown gives you plenty of opportunity to explore. But you don’t have to wait until you get there to start finding the best spots. Research your new home online by looking into local restaurants, movie theaters, attractions, parks, and more. Join social media groups to learn about events and must-visit areas.
You can also use the summer to research your campus and facilities. You likely didn’t have time to explore every corner during the tours.
12. Stay (and Get) Involved
If you’re already involved with volunteer organizations or extracurriculars, stay involved during the summer! It’s great experience, and they’ll likely welcome you back the following summer, too.
In addition, summer is the perfect opportunity to review your college’s clubs and extracurriculars. Make a list of a few that interest you and note their first meeting dates. Some clubs won’t allow you to join if you miss those first dates.
13. Spend Time With Friends and Family
Of course, as you move away from college, your friends will also be going away to their future. You don’t have to say goodbye at graduation. Make plans to spend time together over the summer.
Take time for your family, too. Play games, go out to dinner, and attend family functions. Talk to your parents about what college will look like for everyone. How often will you call or visit?
14. Move In
Finally, it’s time to move into your new dorm. First year college students usually have to arrive on campus a few days prior to upperclassmen, to help them adjust to the school. Select a move in time and get an early start. If possible, plan a meal in the city with you and your family as a mini going away party.
There’s one last thing – enjoy your weeks off from school. While you have a lot to get done over the warmer months, it’s not going to eat up all of your free time. Staying organized early in the summer can help you make the most of the season and keep on top of all of your responsibilities.
Did you know that scholarships aren’t only for graduating seniors? Even if you’ve left high school already, there’s likely awards you qualify for! Use our Scholarship Search Tool to get started.