There are two viewpoints to this getting ready for college business. Getting ready will take up most of the summer, and new college freshman and their parent(s) will be involved in every step of the process. This blog discusses what the new college freshman may face, and what is available in the way of information and help. My blog next week will focus on the parent(s). Everyone is headed into new territory, and forging ahead takes just as much preparation and courage as letting go.
If you are in the process of readying yourself for that first year of college, you already know it's not easy. What do you bring? What do you buy there? What does the school supply? What will your roommate bring? How do you get it all there? That part alone will cause sleepless nights. Even when you communicate with your roommate in advance, there are still surprises. I talked endlessly with my future roommate before my freshman year, only to discover when I arrived, that I had been given one name, but actually had three roommates!
Your school will most likely send a large packet of useful information. Read everything, no matter how boring! Your college website is often helpful as well. Many websites have FAQ for new students or an option to ask questions of currently enrolled students. Some colleges have videos or slide shows of what newly arriving students should expect. You probably visited the campus before you applied and maybe again after you were accepted, but you will need specialized information when it's time to move in. Important things like "where do I get my room key?" Or "how do I get into my dorm if the outside door is locked?" The worst suprise that we had involved "how heavy should I pack my boxes?" My son's dorm room was on the 5th floor of a building with no elevator. Had he known this, he would have packed very differently!
If you are headed to the same school that some of your friends are going to, or even someone from the same town, you will at least see a familiar face occasionally on campus and be able to compare notes on how things are going. If you are headed across the country or even just to a school where no one else you know is going, pay attention to what is in your orientation information regarding special programs for incoming students. It may be worth taking a week off from work in the summer, or even leaving an extra week early to go to an orientation, which may not be mandatory, but will be worth your time. Even knowing a handful of people when you arrive will make a difference.
The library has some books which answer questions that you may not have even thought of yet. One of my favorites is Been there should've done that which covers not just social stuff, but the things which keep you from flunking out of school. Another useful book is Getting ready for college which combines good advice with stories from students who learned these things the hard way. College bound is a somewhat older book, but it offers solid suggestions for things like handling that first visit home after you've been on your own, and what to do if your grades go south. Another book of advice from those who have been through the same situation is How to survive your freshman year, some of it is good advice and some of it is not so good experiences.
Until next week, just keep packing. Two final pieces of learned- through- experience wisdom. Don't do anything drastic with your hair before you go and don't spend a fortune on clothes until you see what everyone else is wearing! Two things I wish I'd known before my picture appeared in the freshman face book!