If you are about to head off to college, there is a good chance that you are in the thick of preparing and don’t want to forget anything. What you have to realize is that you will forget a few things (it’s inevitable) – but you can always have them sent to you by mail. However, there are a few things you definitely don’t want to forget. If you want to make sure that your transition from high school life to college life is smooth and complete, you’ll want to tie up a bunch of loose ends. Here are five things you should do before heading off to college.
- Make Sure that You areConnected
Being connected means making sure your phone is set up and working. You’ll want to double check that your answering machine is on – even though no one leaves messages anymore, you may get an important phone call. Moreover, you want to make sure that you have an Ethernet cable that you can connect to the Internet with.
- Make Sure that Your Living Situation is Confirmed
On top of making sure you are connected, you also want to check in with your dorm RA or your landlord to confirm a move in date. This is especially important with a landlord, because there may be a specific move in date. The last thing you want is to show up with all your belongings and not have a place to stay or put your stuff.
- Make Sure that Your Financial Aide is Set Up
Ideally, you want to get your financial aide set up at least a year in advance if you want to avoid any stress. There are a number of agencies that you can go to set up this aide, but there is a process. If you need to cover tuition, living expenses and all the other miscellaneous costs involved in going to college, you’ll want to have the financial aide secured and in your bank. If it hasn’t arrived yet, you’ll want to make a few phone call.
- Make Sure that You have the Dorm Room Essentials
Your dorm will be relatively bare when you move in. In some cases, you may not even have sheets. You will need to purchase a mattress, a basic sheet set and a comforter. If you are going to Maryville University, or another college in a region that gets cold in the winter, you’ll want to pick up a heavy comforter to keep you warm at night.
- Make Sure that You have a Proper Send Off
On top of everything, you may want to think of having a big party before you head off to college. It can be very difficult to say good-bye to all your friends on an individual basis. Throwing a party will let you say goodbye to everyone – all at once. In the end, leaving for college can be bittersweet, but it will feel good to have a proper send off.
