Congratulations, Class of 2020! With your deposit check, you’ve just committed the next four years of your life to a place that you will learn to (hopefully) love, and call your second home. Now that you’ve gone through the stress of making your decision, you’ve got a whole new set of problems. How do I find a roommate? What should I do over the summer? How should I live out my last care-free days as a high school senior? Not to worry, as I’ve got your back with my first in a series of 20 tips for the Class of 2020, this one focusing on everything you should be doing either right now or this summer in general, with more coming on how to make the best of your Orientation, what to do during your first month of classes, and how to survive your first finals. Disregard the fact the fact that I have no idea what I’m doing with my life, and let me tell you how to live yours. Here are 20 things every incoming freshman should be doing right now to make your life 1,000 times easier in the coming months:
1. Think long and hard about what you want out of your living space.
There are a lot of Freshmen I see coming into college that either want their room and hall to be party central or as quiet and dead as a 9am lecture. There is however, a happy medium. Before you get your room form that asks you all your preferences, ask yourself a couple of questions. How important is socialization to you? When/where are you going to study? What are your hours actually like? You may think that going crazy every night until 3am is a lot of fun during orientation, but it’s not as fun when you’ve got an early Bio lab recitation and the lounge is wildin’. Also, substance free actually does matter. While there is no guarantee that your hall will be 100% free of all moral corruptors, there is going to be a lot less shenanigans going on, which may be either a good thing or bad thing, depending on who you are. Just keep that in mind before you check that box. Also…
2. Think about requesting a single.
Your classmates right now are probably scrambling for a roommate, writing long and embarrassing bios that will be fun to look back at in 4 years (trust me), but before you write about how much you love Marvel movies and Dogspotting, think about requesting a single. Do you keep irregular hours? Do you not work well with others? Have you ever murdered someone over leaving food in the fridge for way too long? If so, a single may be the way for you. I was lucky enough to get a single my freshmen year, and have done everything in my power to not have a semester roommate for the 3 years I’ve been an undergrad. Whoever gets Gannet 363 this year, live it up, and keep in mind that you can fit 2 halls worth of people in there.
3. Start looking at classes.
Seriously. The Fall 2016 course list is posted wherever you are, here’s the link to U of R’s. Look for the best times for your required classes, and some fun electives way out of your comfort zone. Use ratemyprofessor or ask an upperclassman (we don’t bite) about instructors, and coordinate with friends so your 200-person CHEM 131 lecture is even more fun than it normally is! Remember that you’ll most likely have the chance to register early later in the summer too!
4. Get a summer job.
Retail, fast food, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I don’t care what it is, you will want a job this summer, for a couple of reasons. First, you will want spending money. No matter how many meal swipes or dining dollars you have, stuff like local concert tickets, movies, college swag, restaurants (aka actual food) all cost actual money, which you will need. Second, you need to start building your resume ASAP so you can get a good campus job/internship/position for next summer. Remember kids: Capitalism never sleeps. Plus, undergraduate-oriented jobs like retail, etc. are a great introduction to the real world, and gives you much more respect and a broader perspective towards others who may not have the opportunities you do. Also, you’re gonna need to pass the time, the summer before Freshmen year kinda has the ability to both drag and rush by at the same time.
5. Develop healthy coping mechanisms.
And now for something a little more serious: College is going to be extremely challenging to your mental health. For many people, this is the first time you are completely independent, and to give that much responsibility to an 18-year-old can be more than a little stressful. Couple that with a whole new social environment, a challenging course load, romantic interests, and good old sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and you a recipe for a breakdown, much like what I experienced towards the end of my first semester Freshmen year. So take this time to speak with a doctor, therapist, or someone your trust to come up with a game plan to deal with the changes and difficulties that you will experience. Is working out the perfect stress release for you? Plan out how you can make a daily trip to the gym feasible in your schedule. Reading your thing? Block out a time in your day just for you and a good book. Don’t be afraid to utilize your school’s resources too, we have counselors for a reason.
6. Read over the summer.
The biggest mistake you can make going into college is spending a summer doing nothing academic. It leaves you super unprepared for the increase in coursework and expectations in the classroom that comes with your first semester into college, and is a recipe of disaster. Keep your mind sharp by doing some casual, college-level reading. Check out Goodreads's “100 Books to Read Before You Go to College,” but really read like 15, let’s not go crazy. My personal suggestion would be Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.”
7. Thank your mentors, letter of recommendation writers…
Pretty much everyone that helped you apply and get into college. A little card, a personal thank you, even an email really helps. You wouldn’t be where you are now if weren’t for them, make sure they know you understand that and they’re important to you. Stay in contact with your mentors. Trust me. Thank your parents too, they’re probably about to go into a lot of debt for you.
8. Apply to as many scholarships as possible.
Every town has local scholarships. It doesn’t matter if it’s $200 or $10,000: If you are qualified, apply. It will help a lot in the first year of school, and it’s a nice little resume addition if you get it. Try for the big ones too, you never know!
9. Get a credit card…
And pay it off every month ON TIME. As safe and easy a debit card is, a credit card is essential for establishing your credit history, something you will need as you apply for more loans down the road, apply for a mortgage, or get a car. These may be things you’re going to be doing 10 years from now, but it’s important you start building a good history and score NOW. Want to study abroad? A lot of credit cards that have no international fees require a credit history check first.
10. Reach out to upperclassmen with questions.
We’ve all been in your shoes before. There’s a reason we joined your class page months before you got here. I’m writing this for a reason too. Say hi!
11. Got to your local accepted students meetup.
Your local school-sanctioned meetup may seem a little lame, but it’s actually a ton of fun, and maybe one of the only opportunities to meet fellow classmates in person before you step foot on campus in August. Most of the meetups are at cool houses or event spaces organized by alumni, so you’ve got some good networking right there too! Don’t be afraid to embrace the admissions frenzy! That being said…
12. Organize your own meetups.
There is nothing stopping you from getting together with some local classmates and hanging out away from the grownups. It’s more informal, and probably a little more accurate to what socializing in college will look like. Plus, you’re making friends before you even get to campus!
13. Start looking for personalized dorm projects.
Got a poster you really like? Want to make a collage of photos of your friends? Pinterest and other craft blogs are the perfect sites for you to find the small touches that will make your cubical sized, plain dorm feel a little more personalized. Learn to express yourself to everyone who dares step foot in your domain, be it through a personalized Batman quilt or a Tardis bookstand.
14. Don’t go full senioritis.
You never go full senioritis. Finish strong, get a good AP score, and you may be able to transfer out of a boring 100 level class. Plus you get smacked flat on your ass going from “F**k this s***t” your senior year to “Oh God, f**k MY s**t” your undergrad freshmen.
15. Get Spotify premium with your student email.
Spotify premium is $5.00 a month with an .edu email address. I’ve had premium for over 2 years now, and I haven’t bought music since (side note: Anyone got a Tidal log in?). There are also a ton of other services that are cheaper with an .edu email account, check out this list. Embrace the student discount.
16. Join niche University Fb Groups.
Every school has very niche Facebook groups dedicated to everything under the sun. Going to U of R and like Pokémon? I got you. A quick google or Fb search should yield quick results.
17. Learn to cook and do laundry.
You will get tired of dining hall food. Even if it’s a box of mac n’ cheese, you will want to know how to cook for yourself. Also, do not be that person who waits until every holiday to go home and have your parents do your laundry, that’s a dick move (and really gross). Separate whites from colors. Wash sheets on perm. Press. Don’t reuse towels. It’s very simple, and essential to adulting.
18. Get acquainted with your student loans.
Talk to your bank or a family friend who knows what they’re talking about. Figure out with your parents or guardians about what plans work best for you, make sure you keep a list of documents you need for each, and learn to take care of your loans so that when you graduate, you have a plan to pay them off that isn’t “Please let this Congress pass that debt forgiveness bill.” Yes, college is the most financially impactful decision you will probably ever make, but it can be a lot less daunting if you know what you’re doing. Get to know your financial aid officer too, it helps you be a better advocate for your own education.
19. Make summer plans with your friends.
Take a weekend vacation, go to a theme park, have bonfires while listening to The Hotelier. Basically do every trope from a John Green novel that you can. Make the summer last, and make some memories that you’ll always remember. You are going to grow apart from people, distance does that. I don’t keep up with the same people I was friends with in high school anymore, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Do not expect things and people to stay the same when you come back for Thanksgiving, because people reinvent themselves and dramatically change at college. They are your formative years for a reason. So do as much as you can over the summer, and enjoy your last salad days.
20. Celebrate!
You did it! You made it through the SATs, GREs, and every other application that made you say WTF. You are moving on to the next step of your life, meet brand new people, and get that much closer to becoming an adult (I guess that’s a good thing?). Take your time, don’t freak out and have fun! Welcome to college Class of 2020, prepare for the meliora-est days of your life!
