5 Things to do One Week Before Classes Start • #CollegePrep
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably imagined how your first day on campus would play out. Maybe you’ll meet people on the same dorm floor and find your new movie night partners, spend a quiet day exploring and mapping out your schedule or develop an unhealthy crush on one of the bookstore workers.
Just me? Okay, moving on…
Although I believe most of our experiences are unique, considering there are hundreds of things one could do within a weeks time, I do think there are plenty of similarities that everyone can admit are shared once we finally taste the sweetness of freedom.
1. meet people to find your "people"
Let me just say, first, that "community is everything."
Most universities place a significant amount of attention on incoming freshmen in the hopes that they can "teach them to walk," per say. Most days it’s helpful, especially during any kind of special “welcome to college” week, but it’s not always necessary.
Of course, you should participate in activities that have you sharing random facts with people in your assigned group, but that’s not the only way you can find your “people.” (By the way, when I say "people" I mean others who share the same interests, humor, and desires as you).
To find your very own community, I always recommend talking to people in your same major, future organization, or dorm hall. Here's how easy it is to meet someone incredible:
- Chat it up with someone who looks interested in the booth of an organization you plan on joining.
- Sit in the common area of your dorm hall and wait for others to naturally join you.
- Attend your major's events and informational to meet people in your future classes (you'll end up seeing them a lot).
- Ask your roommate(s) if they have any friends and invite them over to join forces and become the new campus mafia. (It's worth a shot).
2. map out your schedule, route and all
Can I be snobby for a second and share one of my biggest pet peeves that happens every single year on the first day of class?
I can still hear the rushed and hushed voices of students asking everyone they walk past where the “science” building is.
“Hey, where’s the gateway building?”
“Yo man what’s up? You know where the journalism studio is?”
“Hey, I’m sorry…What side of campus is the language building on?”
Now, don’t get me wrong. There is NOTHING wrong with asking questions and not having a clue where some place is BUT…
At least TRY to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings.
I remember moving into my temporary dorm when I transferred schools and then, soon after, traveling back-and-forth from Houston to DFW because of a loss in the family. I arrived back on campus exactly one day before classes started and asked one of my best friends (I was lucky to have known from high school) to walk me through my class schedule.
Believe it or not, I had JUST walked the campus with my friend and was already giving directions to my "lost" peers the very next day.
Just don’t be that person, okay?
3. run random errands to get used to the feeling of "being busy"
Errands. Your new favorite word in college.
Everything becomes an 'errand.' There's running to the financial aid office, grocery shopping, picking up a book from a friend, getting extra scantrons at the bookstore, and so much more...
You will, inevitably, have to become your best and most responsible self once you settle into your new life on campus.
Those chores that you used to put off for as long as possible at home? Say bye-bye to that fun game of procrastination.
Now that you’re on your own (even if you’re staying at home), you need to look out for yourself in a way that might be a bit foreign. To keep the "parental advice" to a minimum, your new 'errands' could involve your health, money, or grades and they shouldn't, under any circumstances, be avoided.
So, do as I did my freshmen year and create a random list of things to do. This way, you'll feel busy before classes are introduced into the picture—making it easier to juggle everything later down the line.
4. find your (temporary) secret spot
5. get your financial, academic, and personal affairs in order
This should’ve been much higher on the list, but ended up towards the end because I’m assuming you’ve handled this automatically before anything else.
Yes, there are the usual errands like getting your ID card and searching the bookstore for your books, but plenty of other responsibilities should require your attention.
I always recommend double-checking to be ‘safe than sorry,’ and going to your financial aid office to ask questions or talking to your academic advisor one more time to make sure your schedule is setting you on the right path.
On the flip side, have you ever seen those commercials where parents are dropping off their daughter or son at college and the kid’s room is beautifully decorated?
Yeah, I can’t relate.
Moving into my dorm room my first year was a week-long process due to my professional procrastination skills. Not only were my toiletries still in boxes on day five, but my desk was unrecognizable and my closet was a disaster.
Don’t be like me, my friends, and finish organizing your room.
Your first day of class will feel like an actual dream if you can wake up and carry your perfectly packed toiletry bag to the bathroom, return to an organized closet, and have some open floor space to walk at least three steps.
Don’t subject yourself to a chaotic first week of classes if you don't have to. Get 'er done. (Yeehaw? Eww. Nevermind).
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Whether it's pinning on Pinterest, tweeting, or sending to a soon-to-be college student in the family—I would hope that this month-long series can help anyone and everyone!
Live Intentionally, my friends,
