THINGS TO DO BEFORE You Go to College B Y
E S S A Y S L A B . C O M
COLLEGE PREPARATIONS ARE ALL CONSUMING Once you graduate from high school, your mind will be invaded by serious thoughts about the year to come. Whether you are frantic with worry or just itching to pack your suitcases and leave the parents’ house, there is one more thing you should not miss – summer. Remember how you used to wait for it back in February? Unlike all previous summers you had before, this one should be not only fun but also productive. Of course, summer romance and lazy days on the beach are still an appealing option, but when it’s all over, you’ll be heading for college. You are lucky because the following to-do list will help you strike a perfect balance between college preparations and having the summer of your life. Ready, set, go!
WARDROBE
CLEAN UP YOUR
There probably won’t be a better time to do it than this last summer before college. To make it fun, grab a few of your best friends and pretend you are living one of the Sex and the City episodes. Together, it will be easier to decide which T-shirts, dresses, sweaters, and jeans you should keep and which should no longer be in your wardrobe.
RIGHT
GET THE THINGS
Do you know what psychologists recommend their patients to do when they feel depressed? Clean their house. Unbelievable as it may sound, a tidy space can do wonders to your health and well-being. The earlier you start the better. If you start keeping your computer, wardrobe, and your room in order early in summer, by the time you leave for college you’ll be a whole new person. In addition, a clean room is aesthetically pleasing (and it’ll be easier to find stuff). You can do little things first, like labelling folders or organizing jewelry.
WRITE A CV
It’s a popular misconception among students that creating a resume at this point is too early. You might think that there is no need in it if the Common Application didn’t ask to include it. Nevertheless, now it might be the best time to at least lay the foundation of your resume. A resume is a must have at the early stages of studying and by no means, you will need it later. Another benefit of creating a resume this early is that you will start thinking about what to put in it. At least now you realize the importance of internships, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities.
SCHOOL CRUSH
WITH YOUR SECRET HIGH
TRY YOUR CHANCES
Do you remember that guy you were secretly crazy about but you did not dare to talk to him because you were too shy? Flirting with him is one of the most important things to do before you go to college. If you cannot make eyes at the guy you will never see again, how will you start dating people in college? You can get the things rolling with liking his topless photos on Facebook and move to talking in person as soon as your confidentiality level rises. Think of it as of a rehearsal of a college dating scene. Just remember that you’ll regret it if you don’t pluck up the courage and try your luck.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
START BEING ACTIVE
If social media is not your cup of tea, you should start trying to get used to it now. Being a social media butterfly is absolutely necessary in college. At least create a few accounts in the most popular social networking sites. You might be thinking it’s a waste of time but most probably, you will also need it for educational purposes. The professors nowadays are fond of various online tools, so you will need a Facebook account to connect with your college friends and professors.
RESTAURANT
GO TO YOUR FAVORITE
Before you say ‘hello’ to tasteless canteen food, head for your favorite local restaurants and get yourself a good portion of your preferred dish. Well, you can do it more than once, of course, you’ve got three months of summer ahead. Don’t forget to invite your friends since it won’t be that often that you’ll be seeing each other the following year. Bonding over a delicious meal is always a wonderful idea, isn’t it?
CULTIVATE A HABIT OF READING NEWS REGULARLY
As a college student, you have to be more conscientious. College teachers will regularly bring up such topics in class and keeping silent all the time will make you feel less confident. Infusing news reading into your morning routine shouldn’t be that complicated. Subscription to a reliable newspaper (The New York Times, The Guardian, etc.) will make your mornings more fruitful. Alternatively, you can read one or two articles on your way to the gym or library.
SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR MOM AND DAD
Spending time with parents becomes cool again once you start getting older. You never know how much you miss your parents until you stop seeing them every day. Try spending more time with your parents while you still can do it. Arrange a movie night or go to a local restaurant together.
COOK FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE
Now that you are thinking about the ways of giving your mom and dad the attention they deserve, why not cook them a breakfast? This will be a perfect opportunity to show how much you appreciate their efforts.
READ CLASSICS
We all read Catcher in the Rye in high school but can you write an essay about the author’s main argument? This means that when you do receive a task to write such an essay, you’ll bury your nose into SparkNotes. But so will other students. Since you are not overloaded with assignments now, reading a few classic books won’t be much of a challenge. It would also be wise of you to not only reread the school material, but also pursue the novels and stories you’ve never read before. Once you’re familiar with the plot of Great Gatsby, it’ll be much easier to participate in the literature class discussion or flirt with that handsome teacher of English!
WATCH CLASSICS
This one is less time consuming and can be combined with advice #8. Creating a watch list of iconic movies might be challenging a little since there are so many of them. Back in my days, I just watched almost everything I found on IMDb list of classics. Even if you don’t have to write an essay on those movies for an English class, you’ll protect yourself from “How could you not watch it?” comments.
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ROOMIE
Don’t postpone it till the time you move in, instead connect with your future roommate this summer. Getting a conversation rolling means making the first few days together less awkward
SEE YOUR DOCTOR
Apart from getting the necessary vaccines, make an appointment with your doctor. This is exactly the time you want to make sure you’re in the best shape. Finding out the answers to the following question might also be useful: What’s his/her phone number? Where will you get your prescription refilled when at school? When will you schedule the next appointment?Should you need a doctor at school, whom will you contact?
LEARN ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE TOWN
Obviously, the four glorious years ahead of you will be enough to visit all beautiful places in your college town … but it doesn’t mean that you will do it. Very often, students spend years in college only to realize they are not familiar with the town. As a college student, you’ll have an extremely busy schedule, so your route around the town will be pretty typical. Your chances of going off the beaten track and discovering some great places grow significantly if you do some research now and draw up a list of places to visit.
CLEAN UP YOUR PAGE ON FACEBOOK
You are probably already familiar with the procedure after application process preparations. Now it’s necessary to edit the timeline once again. It’s no longer a secret that a Facebook page is the first thing to check if you want to know more about a person. You don’t want your page to embarrass you. Untag all unflattering photos and unfollow the shows you stopped watching three years ago.