Make the most of your college journey – Part 1

If you are reading this…congratulations! Now that high school has ended, what do you do with your summer before college? It can be stressful to balance some summer fun with preparing for the beginning of college. Now that you are committed to your college and ready to start your journey, we want to share some things we have learned to help make your summer preparation easier.

We asked the students of the Common App Student Advisory Committee to share their advice for incoming college students on making the most of their experience. Here are their tips.

1. Take a deep breath—you got this!
   For many, the transition to college is transformative on many levels. Waving goodbye to friends and relatives, embracing new environments, exploring novel subjects - they can seem daunting. But rest assured: if it’s your first time, you’re probably not alone. Before you tackle the challenges to come, remember how far you’ve come and how much further you will go. You got this. Really, you can do it.
2. Watch out for pre-matriculation to-do items.
   Colleges often require you to complete tasks between the time you commit to the school and when you actually move in. They may ask you to supply additional financial aid materials and a final transcript, attend orientations, or invite you to visitation events or placement tests. Monitor your email regularly - you need not live in the inbox, but be sure to check daily, and don’t miss the spam inbox either. And make sure the school has your correct email on file! With the pre-matriculation tasks completed, you will be much better prepared for a smooth transition to college.
3. Start building communities of peers.
   You can start building a new social circle before ever setting foot in your home for the next several years. Online communities are often available for you to connect with your peers, and they can be a great source of roommates, classmates, or general friends. You can also do some research online - fun classes, impactful student organizations, cool opportunities, and so much more often start from a Google search. Once you set foot on campus, join groups and organizations that interest you. Don’t be scared of meeting new people - everyone is in the same boat as you.
4. Get a sense of your academic path ahead.
   Before or during your orientation, you will likely speak to an advisor. They will identify requirements you must fulfill, classes that you should take, and register them for you. Try not to make that meeting your first exposure to your degree plan. While it’s perfectly fine to remain uncommitted to a particular pathway or outcome, start getting a general sense of how the curriculum is structured, how many classes you need to take, and what classes are required. This will make your meeting much more effective and help the advisor understand your needs and wants much better.
5. Connect with current students at your college and ask for their advice.
   Don’t know anybody? Try emailing your department or program to see if they can connect you with a student. There will also be current students who are ready to help you make new friends. Connect with your peer advisor and resident assistant. They are there to help!
6. Figure out a time management plan that works for you.
   College can be hectic, and you’ll want to have a good system in place to organize everything on your schedule before you are in the middle of everything. Having your classes, meetings, and anything else that you need to attend to for the day easily accessible will help you navigate them with a state of calm and ease. Some may use calendar apps like Google Calendar, while others may opt for more sophisticated productivity apps like Notion; still, others can find reassurance and comfort in a physical calendar. Experiment with them, and find your jam!
7. If you haven’t already, try to visit your college campus.
8. Build a packing list.
   Unless you plan to commute, you will be moving into a residence area on campus. Your college may have a recommended packing list on its website. If not, start building a packing list: identify essential items for a college dorm or apartment. Discuss with your peers to get a feel of what’s needed, and feel free to check with your college as well. Once you commit to bringing something, set it aside in advance: frantically scrambling for a missing item 2 hours before departure rarely ends well. Try not to overpack - move-in days are hectic, and carrying too much freight will add to the trouble.
9. Toward the end of the summer, look at the syllabuses for your upcoming classes.
   With a course schedule in hand, be on the lookout for syllabuses. They are documents describing the class protocols and grading structures for each class. Reading over them and understanding what each class asks for and what you’ll take away from them is important. If they expect prerequisites that you aren’t solid on - catch up on the work! It’s better to find a problem before the semester starts and solve it than to discover it well into the semester.
10. Learn to budget and prepare for the upcoming year financially!
    While summer is a time for fun and relaxation before you start your college journey, do not forget to prepare financially for the upcoming school year. If you need to ask a question, make sure you know who to contact in the financial aid office at your college. If you are on a semesterly payment plan, familiarize yourself with it and make sure your parents/guardians are also aware. If you work a summer job, start saving up extra money for your extracurricular activities while at college. It never hurts to review your financial aid documents and award letters again.
11. Last but not least - enjoy the summer!
    Some students might feel they must be in gainful employment, participating in enrichment opportunities, or this, or that, for the summer before college. But none of them are required! If you have found an opportunity that you believe will serve your needs or interests, by all means, take advantage, but don’t feel you are somehow behind if that isn’t the case. Try to enjoy your friends and family’s company or the surroundings that have shaped your life for several years.

Thank you to our Student Advisory Committee members

Esther Aduamah, Student at Olin College of Engineering
Esther is a first-year student at Olin College of Engineering studying biomedical engineering. As someone who was a first-gen student for the longest time (congrats to Esther’s Dad, who just graduated!). Esther uses the opportunity of being on Common App’s Student Advisory Committee to show how to properly utilize the resources given to her.

Marissa Carper, Student at the University of Maryland
Marissa is a freshman at the University of Maryland studying computer science and cybersecurity. Coming from a rural area, she has a unique perspective on how students find and access resources like Common App. In her free time, you can find Marissa lifting weights at the gym, eating Chipotle, or hanging out with her friends.

Zhuoli Xie, Student at The University of Texas at Austin
Zhuoli is a second-year student at The University of Texas at Austin, studying computer science and mathematics. As a first-generation college student from an immigrant and low-income background, Zhuoli appreciates the opportunity to serve on the Common App Student Advisory Committee to help people like him find their way toward a fruitful and rewarding college career. During his free time, he enjoys exploring the city, playing badminton, or experimenting with various tech stacks and gimmicks.