Back to school can have a lot of connotations to the phrase. There's a lot of prep work to it, a lot to do, a lot to get. Some companies are starting to keep a list of items that elementary students need for the various schools and years. As a college student, you have to kind of play it by ear. Sure, the prof will provide a list of books that you'll need for the upcoming semester. Let's be honest though, that's not all you could possibly need. Here's a list that every college student follows when preparing for the new school year.
1. Books.
Everyone needs them. For the more expensive books, you might be able to get away with sharing the book with a close friend who just so happens to be in the class. Regardless, you have to be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars to get the textbooks you need for the new semester. If you're lucky, your profs will assign pretty cheap books.
2. Office supplies.
As previously stated, books are not the only thing a person could need for a new semester of classes. There are also notebooks, pens, loose-leaf paper, folders, binders, you name it. There's a reason why stores tend to have a pretty good deal on these items right before school starts. Time to visit you favorite aisle, the once-organized claustrophobic war-zone.
3. Dorm room additions.
This could be anything from a plant to a rug or even a lamp. Maybe last year you had to choose between getting a lamp and a rug, so this year you get the other item. You just have to go back for it next year.
4. Social life.
You always spend more time with your friends back home right before you go back for a new semester. You know that your time to spend with them is running out, so you want to see them as much as you can. You might even spend more time with your friends than you do with your family.
5. Pets.
You know that while your friends and family are just a phone call away when you're at school, your pets are not. You probably miss your pets more than anyone when you're away. You go into the school year knowing this, so you torture your anti-social cat by holding him or petting him whenever you can. He's going to miss you too, so why not?
6. Packing.
This is the fun part. Packing is much more of a delicate process than one would think. You're putting your entire life into boxes to bring with you to campus, so you have to figure out what exactly you could need or want while you're there. It's easy to pack too much or too little. Maybe there was one thing you didn't think you could possibly need, like a winter coat, but turns out you need it after all. (You're probably not going to need a winter coat until October at the earliest, so you probably don't need that right away.) If you pack too much, you won't be able to fit it all into your car. You might have to make a second trip or recruit someone for help. You could also get creative. I've seen U-Hauls parked outside of dorms on move-in/move-out day.
7. Gas.
This seems like it's no big deal. Sure, you'll have gas money. Don't forget, while you're going through and buying all the things you could possibly need for a new semester, you will need gas money. If you live in the city where you go to school, that makes things easier. However, from my experience, for most people that's not the case. For example, I don't have a licence and I chose a school that's and hour and a half drive from my house. Two of my best friends there are from Georgia and Illinois. My school is in Indiana. Problem is, gas costs money....
8. Starting the semester.
You may think you're ready for the semester to begin. You get to see all your friends that live out of state and move on with your life. Let's face reality. College is hard. No matter how much prep work you think you've accomplished, you don't know what to expect for the new semester. There's no way that you know exactly what new trials will be coming at you. Not only is there the stress of the new semester, but there's also the fact that life happens. Life happens and you have to keep going to all your classes and such. It's not easy.
Prepping for college is hard, we know that, but it can be a little easier with the help of lists, previous experiences and family. So jump into next semester like you actually know what you are doing!