You’ve graduated high school. You’ve spent the summer hanging with your friends and working a summer job. But summer is almost over. Now you’re busy getting ready for college. Your parents are worried about getting you notebooks, a good backpack, sheets and laundry baskets. These are all good things to have. But as a soon-to-be college student, there are some other things that you’ve got to have for college life. Here’s a list of the eight things you need for a successful and comfortable college life:
1. Caffeine
Coffee. Soda. Red Bull. However you like it, you’ll need plenty of it. Caffeine is the way to make it through college. Whether you’re staying up late to study, using it as a boost in the morning after a late night, or to give you bright eyes for a party, caffeine will serve you well. The sooner you accept this, the sooner caffeine can become your friend.
2. Study Spot
You’ve got your books and your coffee. So where do you go to do some serious studying? A clue: not your dorm room. It’s almost impossible to study in the dorm unless it’s midterm or finals time. So, you need to find a place you can go. A place that’s quiet and secluded. And if it happens to sell coffee or have a pop machine nearby, that’s even better. Some great study spots: library, coffee shop, small café, a corner of the quad, or a park or empty classrooms.
3. Way to get off Campus
Hanging out and studying on campus is great. However, you’ll soon get campus-fever and need to break out into the world around you. And unless your campus is located downtown, you’ll want some way to leave campus and get to where the action is. It could be a car, a bike, a skateboard – even a bus pass. Or it could be a really nice friend with a car.
4. Sense of Adventure
You’re on your own for the first time in your life. Don’t sit around; get out and explore! Try new things. Eat new foods. Go on a nature walk with your science classmates. Or go to a movie house and watch some indie films. Whatever you do, keep an open mind and enjoy the diversity around you.
5. Way to Talk to Friends and Family Back Home
College may be a way to get out of your parents’ house. But don’t completely cut off ties with those back home. Having a strong support network is the key to making it from the first year of college to graduation day. Make sure you have a calling card or cell phone. That will allow you to get in touch with family and friends. Having this connection to what you left behind will help you better enjoy college life.
6. Hang Out Spot
While it’s great to enjoy diversity, it’s also nice to go to a place where people know you. A place where you can hang out, chill with friends, watch the game and relax. This cannot be the same place you go to study. It should be a place you can get to easily. Having a “regular�? spot is a great way to make friends and feel like you’ve got a niche at college.
7. Extra Package of Socks and Underwear
For emergencies. Trust us, you’ll need them.
8. Fast Food Knowledge
When you first get to campus, find the closest fast food joints. Memorize their hours. After studying for four hours, your stomach will thank you when you remember that the Taco Bell down the street is open until 2 a.m. And so will your study partners!
Preparing for college life is as simple as spending the first day or two getting acquainted with your surroundings and exploring. Once you’ve found your spots, checked out the fast food joints, and purchased coffee, you’re ready for the full college life experience. It won’t be long before you’re teaching the freshman what it takes to be an expert in the subject of college life.
