Gear Up For Freshman Year: 5 Steps to Making Your First Year, the Best Year

You’d be surprised how many people don’t know how to do their own laundry, use an ATM, read a subway map, etc… Use your summer to figure it all out – seriously. There are tons of things you might never have realized your parents helped you out with. But now that you’re leaving, it’s time to take the lead on a few things. Trust us, you don’t want to find yourself conflicted over how much detergent to use or get stuck on a subway going north instead of south..

Typically students buy new laptops before college. Make sure you have time to get used to it, ESPECIALLY if it’s a new operating system. Nothing beats having to deliver that paper but not knowing how to turn on your computer! Many college students are switching over from PC to Mac for the first time. Just a quick heads up: The CTRL key and COMMAND key are not the same thing. Don’t lose all your work to your first assignment because you didn’t know how to properly save it! New technology does nothing for you if you have no idea how to properly use it.

Save your money for…er…nevermind. But, do not jump towards the campus bookstore for every purchase you have – it’s a trap. If you know what your required textbooks are ahead of time, look for alternative places to get them. More often than not, you can find your books cheaper on Amazon, Ebay, or textbook exchange sites. You don’t need a brand new version of your books, so consider renting or buying used paperback versions. You may not even want a physical copy of the book. Sometimes, you can get the PDF version of your books at a much cheaper price.

You may or may not have already been told that it’s okay not to be best friends with your roommate(s). Whatever the outcome may be, it’s always good to start communicating with them before hand in order to get to know each other. After all, you will be living together for the next nine months. At the very least, consider this as an opportunity to coordinate what to bring to campus. That way, you won’t accidentally end up with one two many mini-fridges or microwaves.

If you have one in high school, you should have one for college. A lot of its content will change as you get involved in campus activities, but having the basic copy to work with will make things much easier for you. Especially if you take the time to properly describe your skills and work experiences. Microsoft Word has preset templates to help you get started. A lot of universities start recruiting for on and off campus jobs within the first few weeks of the semester. You’ll be glad you have at least a preliminary version of your resume ready to go.

Best of luck as you begin to meet new people, learn new things, and have fun! Keep these tips in mind; they’ll definitely help you start off your freshman year smoothly.