What to do One Month Before You go to College • #CollegePrep
I’m pretty sure I spent a solid couple hours per day in July (after making my decision to move back to Texas) researching everything I could when it came to college.
I wanted to know about my new university, the city, what it took to succeed in my classes, and even about greek life and other organizations TSU had to offer.
This is what I would hope you’re doing but, if not, what I recommend you start ASAP!
1. research your school
The one thing I always say about myself is that I can google anything until my eyes burn and call myself an expert after the fact.
It’s always important to know where you’re going but, when talking about your new home away from home, you should know the ins-and-outs of how your new campus functions.
This includes researching their sports teams, on-campus organizations (and off-campus orgs that many people forget about), well-known events like ‘welcome week’ or ‘homecoming,’ and the campus, itself.
I had at least 10 tabs open at all times with a campus map, a ‘things to do in Houston’ article, rate my professor, and TSU’s announcements to name off a few.
why it’s important:
I knew a lot about my school off the bat and was answering questions my other freshmen peers asked upperclassmen without realizing I sounded like an upperclassman myself. This made it easier to get to events I already knew were coming up, and a huge confidence boost when joining organizations I already knew about before "welcome week."
2. become a minimalist
Okay, I don’t mean the type of minimalist that lives out of one suitcase with three shirts and two pairs of socks. I’m talking about the minimalist that doesn’t need to take their life with them to school.
So, basically, the opposite of me in 2014.
When I tell you I’ve moved an entire apartment’s worth of ‘stuff’ each time I switched dorms (which was sadly 5 DIFFERENT TIMES in 4 years), I’m far from exaggerating.
It’s not worth the extra effort and the stress to have everything you own in your dorm room at once, nor is it cute to have a room filled with stuff that you hardly use or care about.
Find decor pieces that you truly love, leave the bulky furniture at home, and organize your clothing into two separate “I’ll probably wear this” and “I say that I’ll wear this but I know I won’t” piles.
why it’s important:
Figuring out what you will and will not take before you leave is not only a time-saver but an impulse packer’s #1 hack. If you’re staring at your room two days before you leave, more often than not you’ll decide to ‘take it all’ to save the extra effort. Find whatever strength you can to leave a few of your favorite things behind to ensure you’re not packing your dorm with valuables (for safety reasons), and not making your space even smaller than it already is.
3. glance at your finances + future expenses
In all honesty, it’s not practical of me to tell you to create this in-depth college budget before you actually get to college. I certainly didn’t pay any mind to my future expenses, but I do think it’s important to at least make an attempt.
This, to make it as simple as possible, means looking at your stash of cash. Did you graduate and receive money from family? Did your family set you up with some type of checking account? Did you work and create a ‘nest egg’ for yourself?
Glance at your current account and get familiar with the notion of a ‘budget.’ Think very quickly about your future situation and if you’re paying for rent or food. If you have a dorm room and a meal plan (which is common for your first year), then you’re good with serious living expenses.
On the other hand, if you have to pay for food, think about how much groceries may be. Think about your fast-food habits and if you need to tone it down once you arrive on campus. What about shopping for last-minute dorm room stuff when you move in? Aside from that, are you driving? Think about gas money and maintenance.
Most importantly, have you looked at your classes and the books they’ll require? Those textbook prices are no joke and the ultimate wallet robber known to man.
Whew child. MY head is hurting and I already graduated.
I’m sure you get it by now…There’s A LOT to consider. This is why I say to ‘glance’ for the time being because, once your responsibilities start glaring at you in the mirror, it'll become both painful and natural to check your account daily.
why it's important:
There’s nothing worse than not being prepared. Plain and simple, unpreparedness will cause you a lot more stress than making a plan before the ‘game’ started. I was curious about my student loans by the end of my first semester because I realized they were real and not some nightmarish monster. This helped me control my spending (for a short period of time because #YOLO) and, at the very least, always be in the “know” so I never had a sudden “broke” moment.
4. find your future classmates
You already know that if I was googling and YouTubing my school relentlessly, I was also looking up hashtags on Instagram and Twitter. Not only did I find my official #TSU18 group on Instagram, but I was able to follow and connect with at least a hundred different people that went from social media likes to in-person hugs.
When I transferred schools (I know, major plot twist), the transfer center sent me a link to an app that my school used to introduce the freshmen and transfer students. I was ecstatic to create a profile and post a couple meme’s to connect with others.
Depending on your school, there may be resources like an ‘app’ to help connect you with your peers, or there will be groups on social media that will be the perfect BFF matchmaker.
why it’s important:
I’m sure I don’t have to explain why meeting people is important. I’ve always said that community is the number one thing we should all have, even if it’s just a few friends you talk to in class every Tuesday.
5. close out your old chapter
This may seem like a cheesy point to make, but it’s necessary. If you’re familiar with my past posts then you know that I’m really big on self-reflection. What can I say, I was a psychology major!
Now, can I be real with you for a moment? Closing out ‘old chapters’ isn’t always as cute as it seems. This could mean:
- breaking up with your high school boyfriend because you’re going to different schools
- convincing yourself that who you were doesn’t have to be set in stone forever (major life-changing revelation by the way).
- confronting your insecurities and changing or accepting them (this could be your outer appearance, weight, habits, etc).
The list could, honestly, go on forever.
There are plenty of things we all don’t want to accept and the main one, for upcoming and current students, is how much we change in 4-6 years. With the many experiences and lessons we learn when at college, there’s no way we can fit it all into an old chapter that's meant to be closed.
Take it from me and start a new page. You’ll realize more and more how much of a wild ride life is when you take each major life-change as a chance to alter your story.
why it’s important:
College can be a fresh start if you want it to be. All it takes is a new page and an updated mindset. Share on X
That’s all for now, my friends. I can’t wait for the back-to-school season to roll around so I can start releasing all of the fresh content, checklists, and posts I have planned.
Remember to check out and bookmark my college page for more posts like this, and share this with others to spread the love! Pin an image on Pinterest or share on Facebook and Twitter, either option is helpful!
I love you all to the moon and back. My inbox is open if you ever need me,
