Everything You Need to Do in the Pre-College Summer: a Checklist
The summer before you go to college can be a whirlwind of activity, and as exciting as it is, things easily fall through or are thrown away until the last minute. To keep things running smoothly, here is a list of things you should take care of.
First of all, congratulations on the upcoming release! We will assume that by this point you have already taken care of things like attending and applying to colleges, applying for financial aid, and possibly making some decisions about the colleges you were accepted to. You may have even read important books on how to make the most of your college experience. Now is the time to plan for the next few months.
Commitment to your chosen college
Choosing a college is an important decision. Hopefully you have already taken the time to visit the colleges you are interested in, meet some faculty and students, explore the degree program you are interested in, and maybe even attend some of the classes. If you still can’t make a decision, here are a couple of things that might help:
- Check the number of graduates for each college. Most colleges have a graduate rate of 60 to 80 percent. If your college scores are below this, it may indicate a problem worth investigating.
- Check the retention rate. This is the percentage of students who stay at that college to earn their degree. The average for the United States is about 77%. Schools that score 80 or 90 are pretty good bets.
Once you have decided which college to go to, you will need to enroll in that college. You can do this online or you may have to do it in writing. You will usually receive commit instructions in your acceptance letter, and they will likely send you additional notices to remind you. Usually, making a transaction involves sending a deposit, which may or may not include some other fees, such as roommate deposit, parking fees, meal plan, and so on.
Tell other colleges that you are not coming
If you decide to go to the college of your choice, it might be a good idea to let the other colleges you have been accepted to not study. First, it’s just fun. It will also save you from their mailing lists, and sometimes give you the option to refund some of any deposits you may have paid them.
Many colleges allow you to decline an offer online. For others, you will need to send an email or letter to the admissions counselor. Even if you opt out online, still consider sending an email, especially if you’ve had personal contacts with the admissions office. Just let them know that you have chosen a different school and thank them for their time. It never hurts to stay on good terms.
Register and visit orientation
Orientation for incoming students may be required in your college, but even that doesn’t go all out. This is especially important if you have not been able to attend college beforehand. You will have the opportunity to see where things are on campus, check out hostels and canteens, and explore local amenities. There will likely be special classes where you can meet teachers, register for classes, collect your student ID, and buy a parking sticker.
You may get an orientation invitation or your college may leave it up to you, so be sure to check their website for the timetable. And if possible, take your parents with you. The orientation can be a little overwhelming and it’s nice to have support. Your parents can also get answers to some of the questions they have, get a feel for where you will be spending your time, and it might be easier for you to move on when it’s time to let you go.
Send thank you letters to consultants and professors
Some time after your orientation, consider sending thank-you letters to any admissions counselors or professors you have personally interacted with, especially those who have tried their best for you. Take time to write them by hand. Feel free to be brief. A simple “Thank you for taking the time to help me” will go a long way.
Yes, it’s a bit old school, but writing thank you letters is not only a good thing to do, but also an opportunity to firmly cement your name in the minds of people who will matter to you when you get there.
Find (and get to know) your roommate
Since many colleges require incoming freshmen to live in dorms, chances are good that you will have a roommate and, for the first time, you will be sharing your living space with someone outside of your family. Some colleges use an online roommate search to try and match you to someone who shares similar interests, schedules, or study habits. Some colleges have a roommate fair where you can find a roommate on your own.
Take time to figure out what you need to do and do it as early as possible. Generally, you can start your search as soon as you post the bond and post the bond. And if you can know ahead of time who will be your roommate, start getting to know them before you arrive in the fall. Communicate via email or text messages, or befriend them on whatever social networks they use.
Luckily, living in a hostel avoids some of the hassles you might run into when living with a roommate. For example, you don’t have to worry about a roommate who isn’t paying the rent. The school will take care of this. However, living with someone can be tricky, so take the time to learn how to recognize a terrible roommate before moving in, and read up on some other good ways to avoid the stress of your roommate.
Register for fall classes as early as possible
Registration for college lessons can begin even before you graduate from high school. Some colleges offer early online registration sometime in May. For others, you may have to wait for orientation or, depending on your specialty, to meet with a freshman counselor. You will need to check how soon you can register for classes. Visit the college website or call your admissions counselor. That’s what they are for.
Once you know when you can register, do so. Early registration has several benefits:
- The classes are filling up . While you’re pretty sure you’ll make it to the basic required freshman classes, popular electives fill up quickly. Early registration means more chances to participate.
- Summer reading maybe . Some grades have mandatory reading lists for the summer. Why not go ahead and get to work now as the summer gets even busier.
If you have any problems with choosing courses or if you have not chosen a specialty yet, read the descriptions of the courses and contact a consultant who can help you. If possible, talk to a professor or students in your department and find out what they recommend. When choosing activities, try to choose a balanced load whenever possible. Make a weekly schedule that works for you, consider eliminating some of the requirements, and try to find a balance between the types of classes you attend. It’s not fun to get stuck writing half a dozen articles or doing multiple sets of tasks every night.
Buy textbooks
Now that you’ve signed up for classes, you can start looking for the tutorials you need. Perhaps some professors have not yet decided on the book, or that some specialized books may not be available before. But for most classes, especially the core ones, you shouldn’t have a problem.
When it comes to buying textbooks, you have several options: buy new, used, or rent . If there is no other choice, skip buying new books in favor of buying used or renting. Be sure to check out our complete guide to buying cheap textbooks and five of our readers’ favorite sites for cheap textbooks . There are even apps to help you compare costs.
Spend time with family and friends
This summer you may be able to get all your current friends together for the last time, so take the time to create some memories. Throw a party, go on a trip, or if you’re looking for something cheaper, go camping. Just do it early in the summer because some people may go to college or work earlier than others. And be sure to get any new contact information (such as email address and college physical address) so you can keep in touch.
You can’t wait to get out on your own, so it’s easy to forget that while your parents are happy for you too, an important stage in their lives is coming to an end. And believe it or not, you will miss them when you stop seeing them every day. Involve them in your plans. If you have younger siblings, be sure to show them a little love. Their lives are about to change too. And one more person to take care of: yourself. Chances are, you will find yourself almost differently alone than you are used to. Take time to do something on your own, even if it’s just a binge watching your favorite shows.
Learn some life skills
There are a number of good skills that you need to learn before you start working on your own. We’ve covered many of them in the past. The two most important skills you can learn this summer include:
- Finance . Hopefully by this point, you already have your own checking and savings account and have already practiced a little with them. If not, register now and learn how to use them. Look for a bank that is present at your school, or at least has on-net ATMs when you need them. Take time to improve your finances and avoid stupid mistakes .
- Laundry . Many children by the time they leave for college have never really done their laundry or done any other cleaning. If that applies to you, spend some time learning how to do laundry this summer as a boss . Learn how to decode laundry tags and maybe even download an app to help you. It’s not that hard and you can practice while you tidy up the closet and get ready to go.
If you take care of all of this, you are well on your way to a more organized and enjoyable fall semester. Depending on your situation, there may be several other things you want to take care of, such as making an appointment with your doctor, cleaning up your social media sites, and changing your mailing address. But above all, have fun!
And if you see something that we missed, or want to share your advice, write to us in the comments and let us know!
Photos: Iconic Bestiary (Shutterstock), COD Newsroom , Keith Hickok , Ryan Ricks , JD Hancock , GotCredit and wohnal .