4 Things Every Incoming College Freshmen Should Do Before Their First Fall Semester

College is just a few months away. Pretty soon, you’ll be attending your first class at your new campus!

We know you’re excited and probably have all your new college-worthy school supplies and fits ready before you’ve even graduated high school. Your parents have likely started nagging you to learn basic dorm recipes so you’re not ordering UberEats 24/7.

Before daydreaming about your new life as a college student (trust us, we did, too), you still have one more summer break before becoming a responsible young adult attending university. And those weeks are the perfect time to do these pre-college prep activities!

1. Get a part-time job

College life is expensive, and we don’t just mean tuition. You’re paying for books, that burrito you want from Taco Bell when you’re too lazy to cook after class and tired of the dining hall, and your room and board fees. Plus, if you want to join a sorority or fraternity, you’ll also have to save up for dues.

A part-time job helps you occupy your time during summer break and earn money for your first year in college. While adjusting to college life, at least you’re not stressing out over your bank account. 

You can start looking at part-time jobs offered by retail stores like Target or your favorite apparel stores, or even offer babysitting or dog-walking to your neighbors. You can even do this with your friends as a last bonding activity before y’all head off to your respective universities!

2. Take a college prep course

Many seniors don’t realize how shocking the transition from high school to college can be. The class structure is different and it can get overwhelming if you aren’t prepared.

There are universities, local community colleges, and even online platforms that offer college prep courses. They may call it something different, like “college readiness classes” or “pre-college summer programs”, but they will all say the same thing: they’re for students who want to prepare for this big life change.

Best part of it? You can earn credits before you start college!

3. Tour Your Campus

If you haven’t yet, attend a guided tour of your future university. Getting lost on campus while looking for your first classes and not knowing who to ask can be scary for any freshman. Trust us, we’ve been there. We were late for class. More than once. 

Aside from knowing where you should go for certain classes or which building to head for general admissions stuff, you’ll also learn a piece of history about your university. It might sound a little boring, but you’ll grow to love your university over the four years you’re there, so why not start admiring its past as early as your freshman year?

It might even help if your orientation has icebreaker questions about your school’s history. Just saying!

4. Plan vacations with your friends

One of the sad things about college is that you won’t be as close (literally and figuratively) to your high school friends while you’re on campus. 

So why not plan vacations and trips with your friends over the summer? You guys can pick a few weekends before the Fall semester starts to take a quick trip to the beach, mountains, lake, spa, etc!  By scheduling that way in advance, you can spend as much time as possible with the people that mean the most to you before you're potentially hundreds of miles apart. 

Going to college is a huge step in your life, so preparing for it as best as you can will make your first year less stressful and more enjoyable. And it’s not impossible to enjoy your last summer break before your first Fall semester if you have a game plan even before you graduate high school. Good luck!