For many, beginning college is the last great academic transition into the unknown. Like the transition between middle and high school, you will be thrust into an unfamiliar environment and forced to acclimate to a new subculture. However, unlike in the transition to high school, you will also leave behind the trusted support system of your parents, friends and family. This experience can be difficult for some, but the following steps can help make the transition go a little more smoothly.
Research
This step is something most students do with little prodding; a combination of anxiety and excitement compels them to spend hours online reading about their future school. By focusing this compulsion, you can be better prepared for your new life. Make sure to research the rules of your chosen housing, as every campus housing option has different rules, and it's a total bummer to realize that an appliance you'd planned on relying upon is contraband and has to go.
Once you're on campus, take some time to wander around with a map before classes start. This will help you get where you need to go on time, acquaint you with the campus, and allow you to put away the map and more easily navigate the crowded paths when class is in session.
Pack Well
Once you are sure the things you plan on bringing are not contraband, the next step is to figure out how exactly you are going to fit everything in your parents' car. Here's a secret I learned my freshman year: you probably don't need nearly as much stuff as you think. Most dorm rooms are awfully small, and you may get more utility from the space left by an item's absence than you would by bringing the item along. For example, my freshman year, my dad talked me into bringing along a TV because we had some extra room in the car. I only used it rarely—mostly to watch DVD's, which I could have done on my laptop anyway—and it took up about a tenth of the extra floor space in my room.
Research
This step is something most students do with little prodding; a combination of anxiety and excitement compels them to spend hours online reading about their future school. By focusing this compulsion, you can be better prepared for your new life. Make sure to research the rules of your chosen housing, as every campus housing option has different rules, and it's a total bummer to realize that an appliance you'd planned on relying upon is contraband and has to go.
Once you're on campus, take some time to wander around with a map before classes start. This will help you get where you need to go on time, acquaint you with the campus, and allow you to put away the map and more easily navigate the crowded paths when class is in session.
Pack Well
Once you are sure the things you plan on bringing are not contraband, the next step is to figure out how exactly you are going to fit everything in your parents' car. Here's a secret I learned my freshman year: you probably don't need nearly as much stuff as you think. Most dorm rooms are awfully small, and you may get more utility from the space left by an item's absence than you would by bringing the item along. For example, my freshman year, my dad talked me into bringing along a TV because we had some extra room in the car. I only used it rarely—mostly to watch DVD's, which I could have done on my laptop anyway—and it took up about a tenth of the extra floor space in my room.
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