Five Must Do's Before College

By Jenna Castaldo

The thought of going 100 miles away from where you grow up is scary for most people. You will be in a different environment with different people. Whether you are going across the country or across town for college, change is occurring. There are plenty of things you can do before this big change occurs. Here are 5 things to do before you leave for college.

1. Take a trip. Make time to travel. College is going to take up a lot of your time and money. Some colleges offer studying abroad, but the dates and times aren’t always going to fit into your schedule. There are plenty of inexpensive places you can travel to. Another perk is that all your friends won’t be in school yet either, so you can go somewhere together before you all leave.

2. Spend time with family and friends. Soon you will be in a whole new environment with different people. You will become home sick and wish you could hang out with your hometown friends and family. So hang out with them now. Have a movie night or go out to dinner. You only have a few months left until you are only seeing them through a screen.

3. Clean out your closet. Cleaning out your closet and putting it in storage or selling it is going to help you tremendously. Figure out what clothes you want to bring. You won’t need your whole wardrobe for college because people mainly wear leggings or sweatpants to class. Maybe take a few pairs of jeans in case you go out, but you will not need 20 nice outfits.

4. Connect with your roommate(s). Your roommate(s) will be one of your first friends or first enemies at college. Before you leave, make sure you get to know who you will be living with. Your roommate(s) may know of others who are attending your college and can lead you to a whole new friend group. You can automatically have friendships before you even step foot on campus.

5. Say goodbye. Make sure you don’t forget to say goodbye to your friends and family. It’s not forever. It’s simply a see you later.

When completing these tasks, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Try a local restaurant before you leave. Cook a meal for your family. Go see that movie you want to see with your friends. You don’t want to go away to college regretting anything. Do you?