14 Things High School Students Need to do Before College Starts

August 16, 2021 Nadya Corscadden

Are you transitioning from high school to college? Congratulations - what an exciting time!

FINALLY you can study something that you at least KIND OF want to study, and you can work towards a specific goal for a while…regardless of whether not that ACTUALLY becomes your future career!

But what do you need to DO in these last few weeks before the crazy whirlwind starts? You’ve hopefully planned out the logistics at this point, and now you just have to….wait for the adventure? (/impending doom?)

Here are some things they might not tell you about, but they will help you feel THAT much more prepared for your first day of class!

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1) Do any pre-reading or prep…but not TOO soon

If pre-reading isn’t something you’re used to - welcome to college life! Very often, when you’re in high school, you can manage with flying under the radar when it comes to learning “extras” in your course.

In college, however, your out-of-class habits and efforts become even more influential.

If you have been given reading or other materials in advance, it is highly recommended that you do review them. Even if you may not be covering those particular materials in class, it IS recommended for a reason.

The other half of this equation, though, is to not cover these materials TOO early. If you read something a few months before, unless you continue to study it, it won’t be fresh in your mind by the time classes start.

So, make sure you do some prep, but make sure it is timed in a way that those materials are still fresh by the time you’re in your first class.

2) Visit with your high school friends before you go

Though it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind excitement of going on a college adventure, don’t get SO excited that you leave your last chapter without even noticing.

High school friendships are important, and more fleeting than they might feel. Why? Because where you live in high school isn’t necessarily going to be where you’ll live and work later. You also won’t necessarily be going into similar industries.

In the real world, it’s much more likely that you’ll continue to run into your college friends than your high school friends.

So, take some time in your last summer to spend as much time together as you can!

3) Join and engage with any social media groups

Social media’s an awesome way to get to know some of your mates before you even get to meet them in person. You won’t necessarily always find everyone, but even having a few friendly names around can be supremely grounding.

4) Get your life admin done before arriving (if possible, obviously)

This includes things like banking, prescriptions, and health appointments.

The more stupid little random appointments and errands you can get out of the way, the better. That way, when you arrive on campus, you can JUST be in school mode.

Be prepared to get so wrapped up in the school world that you lose track of everything else.

That’s ok - that’s totally the POINT!

5) Prepare yourself for your money situation

Budget out the year before you arrive, and figure out if you need to supplement your life with a job.

If you will be getting a job, organize yourself for this before you arrive. If you can apply for anything before arriving, do. If you can’t, then make sure your resume and references are prepared before you arrive. It’s not something you’ll want to be scrambling to put together after you’re wrapped up in orientation and homework.

Before going to off-campus jo jobs, check in with the school itself to see if they have entry-level employment opportunities first. These opportunities are great because they will be the most sensitive to your other academic commitments. After all, they want you to do well at their school.

6) Arrive with time to prepare

If you can help it, arrive on campus (or wherever you’re staying) at LEAST a few days before you start classes. Give yourself plenty of time to go grocery shopping, stock up on toiletries, and of course, set up the space where you’ll be living.

Things that you might as well get on top of while you can are:

Grocery shopping
Toiletries
Cleaning
Laundry
Setting up your space

7) Create an official workspace

No matter what subject you are taking, it’s good to create at least one dedicated space that has as the majority of what you need. There may be certain things you tend to do elsewhere, but having a work “home base” is really useful for productivity.

Have a home for utensils and books/binders, have a home for a beverage, have a home for all of your electronics.

Oh, and for my biggest pet peeve, check out this video:

8) Meet other people

The other thing that’s good about arriving is that you’ll also appreciate having the time to relax and get to know some of the other people around you….such as your roommates and any other people you can meet.

Throughout your course, you will meet other people, but it’s also really nice to have some college friends who are NOT in your course as well.

Before classes start is the absolute best time to get to know other people in the area because it is the only time you will all have time. Once your courses start, you might end up with conflicting schedules and different stressful/exam times….so take advantage of this time where you’re all basically on the same timetable.

9) Adventure around the city

If your college is in a new city, give yourself some time to go on adventure. Though it’s important to get to know where things like the grocery store are, it’s ALSO nice to explore enough to really feel comfortable in the space.

Learn where the cute corner store is. Find the hole-in-the-wall late-night pizza joint. Find the best coffee shop for killing an afternoon typing in the corner.

While you’re exploring, get to know the transit system, even if you won’t need it every day. It’s good to not ALWAYS have to be reliant on taxis when you’re tired and don’t feel like figuring out how to get home from random places.

10) Buy your books (and supplies)

Buy your books in advance of classes.

Other than the fact that you might, you know, NEED these books FOR classes, in advance is also the best time to buy second hand books.

Second hand textbooks can save you lots of money if you can find them, but they will tend to sell out faster than the new ones (for obvious reasons).

You may find deals online before you arrive, too, but sometimes the best prices are the second hand books right on campus.

Make sure you pick up all the other supplies you might need (including things as simple as pens and pencils), keeping in mind that the on-campus bookstore might have more expensive options than something local off-campus. While it’s always have some supplies branded by your school, they are usually more expensive than other options.

11) Don’t go overboard with the school merch

I get it - you’re EXCITED.

While it can be exciting to buy all the school-branded clothing and binders that they have on the first day, unless you have unlimited funds, it’s best to wait and pick only your favourites. Have a look around when you first go in, but don’t purchase a bunch of things right away.

(that being said, if you REALLY love something, keep in mind that sometimes popular items are limited editions that do sell out).

If you want something branded, opt for something that will last beyond your school days as well. Clothing is the most popular choice here. Things like pens and binders might get destroyed while you’re there anyways, and who needs a souvenir empty pen?

12) Go to any and every orientation

Though you often CAN survive without these, you’ll never know how much you’ll miss! You’ll often learn some random tidbit of information that will become randomly useful in November. You’ll learn about services you didn’t know were available at the school (because, let’s face it, who reads those application brochures cover-to-cover), and you may find out about how to get involved in other activities and events.

Orientation’s also another great way of meeting some new people. The more people you meet at the beginning, the better - you want to have lots of smiling faces around campus!

After orientation, go exploring yourself. Wander around to find where things are - even if they aren’t your department.

13) Find any important rooms

Take this time to find the locations of all your classes…and if you have a large campus, also plan your routes if you have classes back to back.

As well as your classes, find food, bathrooms, places to go for questions, and most importantly, hang-out areas and work spaces.

14) Pack your bag the night before

Until you’ve really gotten into the groove, it’s always best to back your bag the night before. Foggy morning brain is the best way to forget the most important things to bring.

If you’ll be bringing a lunch, prepare that the night before as well…but also be prepared to abandon it on account of new friends.

It’s always worthwhile to pack a lunch for the first couple days, but also be prepared to eat out as well. This way, if you find a group of humans you enjoy hanging out with, you can eat together no matter what they choose to do. If you end up not eating your packed lunch, you can always have it for dinner!

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And now….it’s time to go to class!

Hurry up - YOU’RE LATE!!!

Who is Nadya Corscadden?

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Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!

She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!

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