How To Prepare For Your First Year Of College

I spent the summer before college inhaling everything I could related to how to prepare for your first year of college. I read countless posts, watched dozens of videos and tried to learn as much as I could. These things are basically what you must do the summer before college because it’s going to help you prepare for one of the biggest experiences of your life, I promise.

This is me playing big sister because I never got to be a big sister. These are all of the things I would tell my incoming freshman self or my younger sibling (if I had one). I’m giving you the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this incoming freshman’s ultimate guide, friends. This is your handy guidebook on how to prepare for your first year of college.

Also, warning, this post is full of so much information. There are links to related handy posts sprinkled throughout and I hope you utilize them because college is a fun, stressful time that is always aided by an informative post. I promise I won’t be boring. Time to get tab-happy! You’re in for a lot of helpful information before college. All of the links open in a new tab, so don’t worry about leaving the page. If you don’t have time to read the related posts, pin them and read later!

Also, be sure to give Things NOT to do the Summer Before College a read as well as Mistakes Freshmen Make & How to Avoid Them. They’re the opposite of this, but both are super handy.

Connect with your roommate

You don’t need to form a life-changing friendship by any means, but it’s nice to get an idea of who you’re living with. Make some small talk! If nothing else, figure out who is bringing what and what you’re splitting in terms of big ticket items (ie: rug, miniature fridge, microwave). Figure out each other’s preferences, necessities and quirks (ie: snoring? only sleeps with window open? allergic to peanuts?), exchange some basic fun facts and also brush up on Common Roommate Problems & Solutions. It’ll come in handy and it’s good to know before diving into living with a stranger.

I also recommend printing out the Printable Dorm Room Cleaning Schedule that might be good to discuss and put in place early on in the year. If you’re particularly looking to be the best roommate you can be, definitely check out the Guide To Being A Good Roommate.

Also, definitely see Mistakes Freshman Make & How To Avoid Them for more on this and lots of other freshmen faux pas! To prepare for your first year of college it’s important to be aware of things that could go wrong so you can avoid them ASAP.

Look up your professors

But take all reviews with a grain of salt !!! Don’t automatically assume the worst and don’t believe everything you read. Generally, take the reviews that combine positives and negatives the most seriously. Rate My Professors is usually pretty accurate when it has 10+ great reviews of a professor but even so you might not like the professor or you might love them.

Don’t make an automatic assumption (like I did, oops). Honestly, one of my professors had HORRIBLE reviews and in my head I pictured him as an old grump who couldn’t teach and he ended up being a very attractive young man who was a brilliant professor. I mean, not that his appearance mattered, but it definitely didn’t hurt. The main reason it helps to look up professors is to get handy tips for their grading style or teaching style. Some students will leave comments like “She never used the textbook!” or “He gives surprise quizzes often!” so keep an eye out for that.

Learn how to do laundry

Some of you may know how to do this already, but if you don’t you must figure it out this summer. Seriously, give the washer and dryer in your house a few test runs. Also, be sure to check out the Ultimate Guide to Doing Laundry in College in order to brush up on your college laundry room etiquette! Trust me, you don’t want to be that ass hole in the laundry room. Even if you know how to do laundry, you don’t know how to do laundry in college just yet. Warning: it sucks.

Plan move in day

Move in day is incredibly busy and overwhelming. You’re often torn between saying a proper farewell to family, unpacking and wanting to dive into the social game ASAP. To make it a little bit smoother, check out my 18 Move In Day Tips. 

There are also 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Moving into College that is extremely handy for both you and those helping you move in to read.

Connect with people from orientation

Your orientation has either happened or will happen. College Orientation Tips are handy to know before and even after. Be sure to add some of the friendly faces you encountered on Facebook and send a message! It’s great to make friends before college starts. Pre-college, a bunch of kids made a GroupMe with incoming freshmen for my school and I ended up making a few friends from it. Trust me, knowing people is SUCH a relief when you’re going to orientation and move-in day. It’s very comforting to have a few friendly faces, even if it’s someone you can go up to and say, “Hey! I think we’re friends on Facebook.”

Join your class Facebook group

This ties to the prior thing on the list. Most incoming freshman classes generally have Facebook groups called “COLLEGE NAME Class of YEAR” Search it on Facebook and you should find it. Join it! Introduce yourself, interact with others, try to go to meet ups. It’s not as scary as it seems, I promise. It’s a good way to scope out some friendly faces (and cute classmates to crush on, AHEM).

Sort your laptop files

You need a fresh, clean slate for college! Create folders for your old high school assignments and photos and delete anything you don’t need. Create new folders for college and get into a habit of sorting your files; it’ll make finding things much easier. Bonus if you read some tips on How To Stay Organized in College in order to get ahead of the organization game.

Plus, you can further organize and prepare your computer. It’s going to be a LIFELINE for you while at school! The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Computer in College can be a handy read.

Purge and sort your high school papers and books

This is related to the previous thing, I know. Acceptances to colleges you’re not going to shouldn’t be thrown on your desk, get rid of them. Toss old assignments you don’t need, put your yearbook on a shelf and get it together. Also, you probably don’t need to keep your random books from high school, so either shove them in the attic or sell them. But, keep classic books! I ended up having to re-read a lot of classics in college. Don’t throw out “Lord of the Flies” or “Hamlet” just yet. Plus, you shouldn’t throw away a book anyway. Tsk, tsk.

Your room should look like a clean slate for college, not a shrine from high school. Keep the memories…just don’t leave them all over the place in a cluttered mess.

Create a realistic packing list

Ready for some eye-opening truth? Most of the packing lists on Pinterest are a load of crap. GASP! Oh yeah, all of those visually appealing lists are pointless. They’re not tailored to you and they forget a lot of weird things and they throw in a lot of shit you don’t actually need to be packing. They’ve also been in rotation on Pinterest for years. YEARS.  A lot of things change.

Take into consideration my How To Avoid Over-packing for College post. It’s so easy to overpack.Think about what you need, combine a lot of the pre-made packing lists and also check out  12 Things You’ll Forget to Pack For College for some weirder items you might forget and 10 College Essentials Under $10 which is a perfect list for the little necessities we tend to forget about.

Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to reach out to the college, an upperclassman or your orientation leader if you have any questions about anything. Also, don’t be afraid to ask if you can or cannot bring something. You can also check your school’s website. Yes, hair straighteners are allowed. No, lava lamps never are.

Establish good studying habits

You don’t need to start studying yet, but at least try to get an idea of how you plan to take notes and study next year. Definitely read up on How To Get Good Grades In College, How I Get Straight A’s In College, 12 Habits That’ll Help You Boost Your Grades or The Priority Ranking Method. 

Also, in college you’re definitely going to have a ton of presentations so brush up on these 15 Tips For the Perfect Presentation. No matter what your major is, you’re going to know how to be a kick ass public speaker and Power Point maker. You’ll also need to know How to Write a Kick Ass Paper in College, even if you’re a math major.

Oh, and there will be a lot of group projects (which are the worst), so you might need this Ultimate Guide To Surviving Group Projects, too.

Additionally, get yourself prepared for college classrooms. They’re a bit more discussion-y than they were in college, definitely try to speak up a bit more than you did in high school. On that note let me throw in my How Not To Be An Asshole: College Class Edition post, just ’cause.

Plus, it’s important to establish good note taking habits, as that’s a huge foundation of college. Your notes are everything!

Forward your magazine subscriptions/give out your new address

This is might be a little bit dated considering we seldom get actual mail, but if you want your subscription to Teen Vogue to get to you on campus, be sure to update the subscription address! Also, give your address to friends and family and definitely encourage the sending of letters or care packages. Nothing is more exciting than receiving mail in college.

Go dorm shopping

This is most likely going to get expensive. Utilize some Money Saving Shopping Tips, create a shopping list (more on that was mentioned previously) and make a few trips. Don’t try to cram all of your dorm shopping into one big event, because it’ll likely end in a breakdown or arguments with the parents. Don’t fall into the trap that Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target set in which you buy all of the college things that you don’t freaking need (Note: 10 Things Not to Buy For College). It might be pretty and sound awesome, but you don’t need a lot of the “college essentials” that are marketed to you, I promise.

Make extra cash

A summer job will help spruce up your resume and earn you spending money. Along with this, try to create a bit of savings and some kind of budget so you’re not totally broke when you get to college. Having a bit of extra pocket money or money to put towards student loans is helpful. Also, begin to develop smart habits with your cash. My Ultimate Guide to Being Money Smart in College is a great primer. I also suggest finding a money app that works for you, I love the Wally app.

Read through college blogs & Pinterest Boards

There are a lot of College Bloggers You Should Be Reading for handy advice and guides and we all know how many college things are on Pinterest. Be sure to check out my College Pinterest Board for some dorm decor inspiration and helpful college info.

Plus, these boards are perfect dorm inspo. You can learn How to Make Your Dorm Cozy, find unique dorm decor ideas and other hacks.

Apply for a scholarship

Or a lot of scholarships. The truth is is that it’s competitive and you need to apply to a lot to see results, but it’s worth trying. A lot of the application processes are simple and being able to save on college is going to seriously ease the burden on you and your family. There are also a lot of weird ones. If you’re left-handed, you can apply for a scholarship. You get money for that, man.

Clean up your social accounts

Especially change your profile picture to something you don’t mind being judged on. Real talk: a ton of the other incoming freshmen are likely to Facebook creep on you. Now’s the time to delete embarrassing old Facebook statuses and to make your profile picture something more recent that represents you. If your picture game is weak there’s no harm in reading up on How to Take The Ultimate Selfie *cough*. Also, now that you’re a college student your social media profiles say a lot about you in the job and internship world, just sayin’.

Hang out with your friends and family

Even though they can be pretty annoying and will probably be clingy as hell on move in day, they’re going to miss you. I also encourage trying some Best Friend Dates Ideas with your hometown bestie before you part ways for the fall semester. Be sure to spend some time with your family and friends at home, because it might be at least a month before you can see them again.

Don’t be the kid that goes home every weekend in the first month of school unless it’s absolutely necessary. Home sickness might tempt you, but don’t do it and don’t call home every night, trust me on this one. You’re going to be in college and you can’t make college your new home away from home if you keep clinging to your actual home.

Freshen up your wardrobe

If you’re looking for a new style for a “new you” in college, try some tips to Refresh Your Style. If you simply want to just make sure you have the necessities, try out Shoes Every College Girl Needs and Types of Bags Every College Girl Needs. They’ll definitely be helpful to know before you finish shopping this summer! Also, if you’re going to a college that’s very cold or has harsh winters, College Girl Winter Essentials is a handy little shopping guide for you to have. If not, I’m already jealous of the warm weather you’ll be experiencing this January.

Hit up your favorite hometown eats

You won’t be able to go the deli with the best bacon egg and cheese every Sunday morning while you’re in college! Consume as much delicious food as you can before you’re headed to the dining hall life. Honestly, one of the best parts of coming home is eating the local eats and homemade dinners you’ve missed.

Make semester goals and bucket lists

Goals are always a great way to get yourself motivated. Set yourself goals that you believe you can reach. Some examples would be things like joining two new clubs, getting involved in a school publication, going to the gym at least once a week and getting at least two A’s. Here are some fall semester goal ideas if you’d like.

Bucket lists are always fun! You can incorporate college traditions, local culture, and plain old fun things. I have a fall bucket list that I always try to live by!

Prepare yourself to be social

This is important for introverts and extroverts. In college you’re in a constant social environment and it can easily be stressful. Getting in the mental mindset to be friendly and open to new people is key when entering college. It’s certainly not easy, but it is possible. Take note of How to Be Social in College for some extra tips.

You’ll also have to prepare for some major FOMO. With things constantly happening, there’s a lot of pressure to participate and it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. The more you prepare yourself, the easier it can be to deal.

Think about the major you want or re-evaluate your current choice

I had a few borderline existential crises (I hate the plural form of crisis, I cringe) regarding my major. I have gone from elementary school teacher to Advertiser to Interior Designer but eventually realized I was kidding myself and I was meant to be a damn writer and THUS here you are today, my darling.

If you’re questioning your major or career path, you don’t need to fret too much since you’re only going to be a freshman but it doesn’t hurt to double check you’re on the right path or to help find what major you want. Here are 10 Ways To Know You Chose The Right Major if you’re seeking affirmation. Here’s How To Choose A Major if you need a little bit of help and guidance. I promise it’s not full of BS soul-seeking things like “Follow your heart!”

Figure out how you’re getting home

When you eventually do come home (remember, not in the first month!) will you be taking a train? Is there a shuttle service? Plane? Will you be able to have a car on campus to drive home? Figure this out! For me, I have to take a train and a bus to get home. It’s comforting information to know that if you had to, you know how you could get home.

Complete any summer assignments or incoming freshmen paperwork.

Fill out any pesky forms that you need to fill out. If they assigned you a summer reading book, read it. Freaking read it. Even if you never read the books in high school, read this book, please. Don’t start off the year on a slacker note. Read a few pages a day and you’ll be fine. We all know how annoying those people who “brag” about not reading the summer reading books are. Don’t be that person. On that note, check out the How Not to be an Asshole: College Class Edition.

Prepare for that first week of college.

The first week is always incredibly stressful and overwhelming. Introduce yourself to as many people in your classes as you can, and note that these people may only be acquaintances inside of the class but they’re still great to have. Be sure to do the 10 Things to Do The First Week of College.

This first week is also when you really want to begin exploring your options and discovering your niche. Joining clubs is a great way to do this and I have a whole guide on joining clubs in college.

 There you have it! That’s exactly how to prepare for your first year of college. Are you ready yet?

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