Back to School Checklist for First-Year College Students
You made it through applications, interviews, and admission results season. You made it through summer packing and planning and finally moving in to your new home for the next academic year. You registered for classes and met your roommate. Maybe you even bought your textbooks and chose your "first day of school" outfit.
What's next? As a first-year college student, you'll find that there's a lot to get used to. You have 12+ years of school under your belt already, but college is different from high school. College courses are more rigorous and specialized than high school classes. Professors have different expectations for students than your high school teachers had. Living at school is different from living at home.
Don't stress! Plan ahead for success. Use this back to school checklist for first-year students for a successful, low-stress transition from high school to college life.
Before the first day: Read the syllabus.
A course syllabus is a document that outlines the policies, schedules, and goals for a specific class. If your high school teachers used syllabi, then you're already familiar with the concept, but if not -- your course syllabus is your road map for the semester. In most cases, it contains all of the topics, readings, and assessments for the entire course, along with a schedule of when all of these things are due or scheduled to happen. The syllabus also contains professor contact information, student expectations, policies about attendance and grading, and any required texts or materials (which you should go out and buy or rent, if you haven't done this already!).
How the syllabus is distributed varies from class to class and from professor to professor. Some professors distribute syllabi on the first day and explain policies and expectations in detail during class. Others post their syllabi on the Learning Management System (LMS) ahead of time and dive directly into course content on the first day.
Reading the syllabus for each class before your first day (if you can) will familiarize you with content and policies so you can hit the ground running, impressing your professor with your preparedness and getting your questions answered sooner rather than later.
First day: Ditch your phone and say hi.
For at least one full day, keep your phone in your pocket and your earbuds or headphones in their case while you move around campus. Put them away in class, in the dining hall, in the library, and in public spaces in your residence hall. Use this time to listen, observe, and connect with new people and surroundings.
In each of your classes, say "hi" to (or nod or smile at) at least one new person. Bonus points if you introduce yourself and ask them a question!
Even if you're not interested in making friends, remember that you may want to form a study group or compare notes or just commiserate with an understanding peer later on in the semester. This will be so much easier if you break the ice now rather than ignore each other for two months and then try to connect. Saying "hi" may be easier if you've ditched your phone and ear buds!
First week: Go to a club fair and/or join a club.
Most colleges schedule a "club fair" or "spirit day" or similarly named event early in the fall to showcase the variety of student activities on campus. Check your email or texts for club fair announcements and be sure to attend.
While you're there, make a point to speak with at least one representative of a club or activity that you're interested in joining. Ask what they do, when and how often they meet, and how you can get involved. Then, attend a meeting or club-sponsored event to see if you like it. If you do, keep going!
If you can't find a club fair (or if you miss it), that's ok! Check your college's website for a list of student organizations, go to the Student Activities Office, or ask the Resident Advisor (RA) in your dorm about what kind of clubs might exist in your interest areas. When you find an activity that interests you, find out when it meets or email a club officer to ask about joining.
First weekend: Go out and have fun!
Go with a group, or go with your roommate. Go to a party, or go get ice cream. Stay out late, or be back in your room by 9pm. It doesn't really matter. However you define "fun," go out and get it!
Even if you don't have a blast on your first adventure, know that there is something for everyone on your college campus. You'll find your fun, and you'll find your people -- but only if you're out and about. There is a time and place for solitary downtime, but don't spend all of your time holed up in your room.
First month: Attend office hours.
Office hours are regularly scheduled times each week that your professor is available to meet with students. Some professors have an open-door, first-come-first-served policy when it comes to office hours, while others ask you to schedule your visit. Whichever your professors prefer, attend office hours for each of your classes during the first month of school.
Office hours are generally informal, but it helps to have something specific to talk about. To prepare for your visit, review your notes from class, find a topic or concept of interest to you, formulate a question about it, and go ask your professor. This could be as simple as "I'm really interested in [insert course topic here], but I'm not sure I fully understand [or, I'd really like to learn more]. Do you have any suggestions for additional resources I could look into?"
Generally speaking, professors love engaging with students, so don't stress about finding the "perfect" topic of conversation. Your main goal is actually just to introduce yourself, get to know your professor, get used to talking to professors, and get into the habit of going to office hours, whether you need help or not.
First quarter: Ask for help.
No matter how resourceful you are, chances are you'll need help at some point. The good news is that your college has resources and support for every problem or issue you might encounter! When you encounter a problem, or when you have a question, get used to asking for what you need if you can't find a solution on your own.
Trouble in class? If office hours aren't helping, visit the Academic Resource Center (or similarly named entity on your campus), where you'll likely find peer tutoring, academic skills development, support services for disabilities, and other academic services.
Problem with your roommate? After you've tried a clear and direct conversation about the issue, talk to your RA or visit the Office of Residential Life.
Not feeling well? Depending on your ailment, visit Student Health Services or make an appointment at the Wellness Center. (Obviously, if it's an emergency, you should dial 911 or 988 for the crisis hotline!)
Confused about financial aid, scholarships, or billing? Contact the Bursar or Business Office, or go to the Financial Aid Office.
Need guidance or direction? Go to Career Services or the Life Design Center if your college has one. Which brings us to...
First semester: Visit Career Services
It's not too early to connect the classroom to the "real world"! In fact, the earlier you learn about the career planning resources that are available to you in college, the more you can take advantage of opportunities you might never know about otherwise. In most cases, your classes and major will not fully prepare you for a career -- and you may not be aware yet of all of the career options that suit your interests and strengths.
During your first semester, find your college's career services website. Browse the site to learn more about your college's specific resources. Decide whether you need to make an appointment to visit in person or whether you can just walk in and speak with a staff member.
During your visit, share your interests and goals for your future. Ask for advice on how to acquire helpful or necessary skills and experience in college.
First year: Plan ahead for summer break.
Definitely plan to relax and take a break! But also plan a summer experience that enables you to continue exploring interests and building skills. A job scooping ice cream back home can earn you money and teach you important life lessons, and that's certainly one possibility. Also consider a job or internship related to your intended major or future career -- or just doing something you love.
If want to be a teacher, look for jobs at private school summer sessions. If you love being outdoors, consider an internship or research experience in conservation. If medical school is your goal, apply for volunteer or paid positions at a hospital or community clinic. Your summer experience can be paid or unpaid, if your budget allows. It can be competitive, prestigious, or entirely self-directed. But, ideally, it will be fulfilling for you and help you grow, even while you take a break from the classroom.
Where can you find these summer experiences? Start with campus resources, such as Career Services (see above) and job fairs. If your college partners with the job search platform Handshake, you'll have access through career services. If it doesn't, you can join Handshake through the open network. Also try employment platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn. And, if you have an ideal summer experience in mind, consider reaching out directly to potential employers. Best case scenario: you land your "dream" summer job. Worst case scenario: they say "no, thanks," and you move on to Plan B.
Most importantly, give yourself time to brainstorm ideas, write and send out applications, and work through the interview process. Fulfilling and productive summer plans can take time to put in place.
Your first year in college won't be easy, but by taking small steps out of your comfort zone and toward your goals, you can keep it fun and productive. Having made it this far, you know that you can do hard things.
If you need or want extra help, feel free to reach out to me directly. Or, get in touch with a college success coach, such as Laura Amigone at Rudder Coaching, or look for additional college success resources, such as Harlan Cohen's Best First Year Program or his book The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College.
Congratulations, and good luck!
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