Twenty Things To Do The Summer Before College (If You Want To Succeed)

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You've walked across the stage. Your diploma is framed and on your wall. You've graduated, and now you're ready for your first year of college.

How are you feeling? Anxious? Confused? Disoriented? Not ready at all?

Do you feel downright sick when you look at your phone's calendar and see that the days until your first year of college are rapidly disappearing, melting away as quickly as a popsicle on hot concrete?

If so, this list is for you.

1. Research the classes you want to take. 

If you already know your major, great! Most colleges provide some sort of degree sheet or scheduling plan on their website to guide you in selecting your classes. Planning ahead will make you look confident and assured- and you'll feel more confident too.

Ask yourself: what are you wanting to get out of your first year? While it's always good to know what you want, don't overload yourself either. If you've got an 8 pm lab class, that 8 am government class the next morning may not be the best idea.

Every college differs slightly in this area, but if you're wanting college success, you need to know your roadmap.

2. Check on your college paperwork status. 

This (unfortunately) includes items such as making sure all your medical records have transferred. You don't want something like a missing vaccination record to keep you from starting your classes on time, and it'll cut down on overall hassle in the long run.

3. Clean out your closet. 

You're moving from high school to college. Your wardrobe will change along with you. If you don't wear something, let it go.

4. Make sure all your friends and family are saved in your phone's contact list.

You don't want to get to college, feel that first burst of homesickness, and have no one to talk to. Sure, you'll make new friends at college, but to ease the transition (both for yourself and for your parents) make sure you can stay in contact.

5. On that note, work out how often you'll talk to your parents. 

Let them know you're still alive.

6. Research last-minute scholarships. 

Some scholarships don't close until the first week of the semester. Don't wait until the final minute to apply for them. Come on, it's free money.

7. Read ahead. 

Some classes may require you to read ahead, especially English classes. If you're taking any remedial classes, now is the time to start studying so you can catch up quickly.

8. Learn a language.

Sure, you might have taken Spanish in high school, and now you're going to take it in college. But if you've taken some time off from learning a language, your brain can quickly forget nouns, verbs, and everything in between. Download Duolingo or any other free learning app, and brush up after you go to the pool.

9. Combat car troubles now, not later.

You don't want to be away at college without a car.

10. Get to know your new town (or get reacquainted with your own). 

If you're moving away from home to attend college, you may not know the lay of the land. Look up where to get groceries, where to see a movie, where the hospital is- just in case.

11. Campus jobs and internships will work around your schedule.

If you start looking for a job on campus, they're most likely to give you time off to attend class.
Your employers can be some of the most motivational people you will meet during your time on campus, and you'll learn important skills outside the classroom.

Some campus jobs even offer scholarships and other incentives.

 I spent time as a tutor in the English department, as a lab aide in the Botany department, and in in the archival department of the campus library. Campus jobs can help you "test-drive" whether or not your major is really for you, especially if they're in your department.

12. Connect with your roommate. 

If you've been matched with a roommate, get to know them. If you're not rooming with a stranger, trying to get along when you're in the middle of finals week will be much easier.

13. If you need to update your phone, now is the time. 

Don't start classes with a phone that won't accept calls or drops them without warning. Learn from my mistakes.

14. Get a medical check-up, even if your school doesn't require it.

Make sure you're at your best, and literally put your best foot forward.

15. Get moving.

If you set up an exercise plan now, it'll be all the easier to maintain your health during your first semester.

16. Spend some time relaxing. 

You worked hard to graduate from high school, and now you're going to work hard to graduate from college. Spend time relaxing with your friends and your family, and make some great memories before you leave.

17. Send thank-you notes to professors (and teachers from high school). 

If you had the chance to talk with any professors during your college application process, send them a thank-you note! You can go old-school with a letter, or send them an email.

Something as simple as "Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to see me" can go a long way.

You can also send thank-you notes to your favorite teachers from high school, especially if they helped you along the way as you chose your college. Don't know what to say? Think specifics. What did they do, exactly? Did they teach a specific lesson that helped you to learn a difficult subject? Were they there for you when you needed advice? Specifics are always appreciated and make a thank you note meaningful.

18. Learn some useful life skills. 

• If you don't already have a checking and savings account, now is the time to learn how to use them. Make sure you know whether there will be ATMs or bank locations near your college. 
• If you're not sure how to do your own laundry, this is the time to learn, not three weeks into your first semester at midnight. 

19. Actually attend orientation. 

Every school is different, which is exactly why you need to figure out where the library is, where you can print your papers, where you'll eat, and where you'll sleep before classes start.

Some colleges also let you sign up for your classes at orientation, which is another reason to attend. If you can't get the exact classes you wanted initially, make sure that the classes will fulfill your degree plan.

20. Buy a planner, or begin one on your phone.

That way, you can write down your to-do list.