Before College Tips
Tips and Information a college freshman should know before college
Don't Miss Orientation
Orientation will be your first chance to meet new people, and at some schools find a roommate. It will be your first experience to see the major parts of the school, and understand the rules. This is very important so you know what you have to do to stay in school.
Contact Your Roommate
Freshman typically are assigned roommates the first semester of college. It may not seem important at this time, but this is critical to get in touch with your roommate as soon as possible. Moving in (you will find out soon) is a very stressful and annoying time. By talking to your roommate ahead of time, you can find out what kind of person they are, what you have in common, and you can figure out who should bring what.
Figuring Out What To Bring
Make sure you contact your roommate before you start this step. Trying to figure out what to bring from your oversized room in your parents house to your new cramped dorm room will be tough. See our What freshman should bring to college page for more information.
Get In Shape
Now is your opportunity to get in the best shape of your life, and have one of the hottest body's on campus. Try to eat right and work out regularly so you are in top shape for your first appearance at college. Note: if you are attending a school in a warmer climate, this goes double for you. Most schools have warm temperatures during at least the first few weeks of school. Girls will lay out in bikinis to get sun, guys will play basketball and volleyball (if available) and most people will be showing lots of skin. Being in shape will put you at an advantage for meeting people on warm sunny days.
Save your money
Did you get a lot of money for graduation? Save all of it for college. If you are going to spend any of the money, make sure its for college (clothes for college, etc.) Don't spend it on anything that is not college related especially your car (see forget your car section below). A Freshman does not need a lot of money in college, but having it in the bank will definitely help. If you plan on joining a fraternity or sorority, or going on spring break, or going to the local mall, all of these things cost money, and you will be able to take advantage of more opportunities if you have some extra cash in the bank.
Forget your car
At most colleges and universities, your car means nothing. Most schools don't allow a freshman to have cars on campus, and if they do, chances are no one in college cares what kind of car it is. All college kids care about in college is a form of transportation. So forget your chrome rims, your $2,000 stereo, your tinted windows, exhaust... all worth nothing at college. All these things were cool in high school, now you are in college, let it go, buy some nice clothes, and meet some people. You may not believe this now, but a few years from now you will realize this information was right on.
More College Freshman Resources:
- Be the Most Popular College Freshman
- Freshman should bring these items to college
- Freshman should do this before college starts