What Do You Need In College

Make Sure You Have The Essentials

While you might want to bring everything in your possession with you to your new dorm or housing, try to limit the number of objects you want and focus more on what you actually need. Items such as bedding and toiletries are far more necessary than any luxury items that might just take up space. Before packing bedding, you should also consider how large your new living space will be, as you may need to buy new bedsheets and covers.

Its always a good idea to create a checklist of everything you need, which well get to below.

Pro Tip:

If you forget anything or suddenly realize that you want something from back home that you miss, dont worry. You can request your parents to mail it to you, or you can pick it up on your next visit. Also, include it in your college packing list for next year.

The University Of Iowa Residence Requirement

Credit hours earned in all courses offered by The University of Iowa are considered UI residence hours, regardless of whether the courses are offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, by another college within the University of Iowa, or through Distance and Online Education.

Credit hours earned from colleges and universities outside of the University of Iowa are considered non-residence credit.

To earn a bachelors degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you must complete one of the following UI residence options:

• Earn your final 30 s.h. in residence credit, or
• Earn 45 of your final 60 s.h. in residence credit, or
• Earn an overall total of 90 s.h. in residence credit

College Sticker Shock When You First See The Bill For Tuition Room And Board Is Bad Enough

When it came time for her first child to go off to college, New Jersey mom Jill Tang went a little overboard with dorm shopping. I was excited and overspent, she concedes. I would say that my daughter used about 70% of what we actually bought. The rest of the 30% we donated or tried to salvage in our own home.

Its easy for anxious families to let their guard down and fall victim to the back-to-college marketing ploys, especially after the disruption that COVID-19 had on learning. Deloitte estimates that in 2021, $26.7 billion will be spent this year on back-to-college purchases, with an average of $1,459 spent per child. But every dorm essential checklist has items that will still be unused or unopened at the end of the year. Heres a college un-checklist: everything students do not need.

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What If All Your Schools Are Reaches 7 Possible Options

Say you get your ACT scores but realize that your score is at or below the 25th percentile for all the schools in your chart.

If your score is low enough that you are concerned about being accepted at any college youre interested in, there are several strategies you might consider using to address the issue.

Is An Online Bachelor Degree Worth It

The concept of a bachelor degree, where a student gains not only knowledge of a particular career subject but also gets a more general education, has been debated in recent years. Some students have preferred to go to pure training programs like coding academies that teach pure work skills or other types of hybrid academic/job training programs. Its worth keeping in mind that many careers require, over the long term, lots of soft skills like communication and general knowledge, which bachelors degree tend to provide.

From a pure earnings perspective, there are so many studies that point to bachelor degree holders making more money that we cant name them all. One widely quoted study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimated the medial lifetime earnings of an American bachelor degree holder at $2,268,000. compared with just $1,547,000. lifetime for someone with no college degree. The Social Security Administration estimates that men who earn a bachelors degree make about $900,000. more in their lifetimes than high school grads, while women holding BA degrees earn about $630,000. more.

Its worth keeping in mind that there are some careers where having a particular degree virtually dictates exactly what salary you will earn. Teaching in a public school system is one. Other careers in healthcare or science also tie salaries directly to the degree an employee holds.

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At Least One Big Microwaveable Bowl

What youve heard is truecollege kids eat a lot of Ramen and soup. I even had nights where there would be 5 of us hanging out in one dorm, each with our own large bowl of noodles. Thus, another college must have is at least one large microwaveable bowl.

Fun fact: You can also make macaroni and cheese in the microwave, but make sure you sneak some milk from the cafeteria if thats the plan.

• Unbreakable Cereal Bowls Set of 4

College Packing List Things To Take To College Freshman Year

Heading off to college for the first time can be overwhelming. What do you bring with you? What cant you bring with you? How are you going to get all of your stuff there? If you live close to your school, youll more than likely need a car or two to help you move. If you live out of state, it can get a bit tricky. No worries, we got your College Packing List below! These are the things to take to college freshman year!

Most schools provide a list of approved and prohibited dorm items on their websites in the housing section. Youll want to print that list while youre packing to make sure youre in line with the given restrictions before you get to campus. If you show up with restricted items you may be asked to take them back home. Because weve been there, we can give you some tips on exactly what to pack for college.

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A Sweater Or Sweatshirt

You would be amazed at how cold a lecture hall can be, even in the middle of summer. The last thing you want is to be so cold that you have a hard time focusing because you want to leave and warm up. Make sure you have something with you in your backpack that you can throw on if the classroom gets unbearably chilly. And what better of an excuse to rep some school pride!

How Do You Get A Minor

Like majors, students declare minors. Also like majors, minors have special requirementslike mandatory classes or a certain number of credit hours in the subjectin order to complete the program, though usually, the requirements are much less than that of the major.

Students interested in minoring should speak with their college academic advisor to ensure they can fit it in their schedules without interfering with their major requirements, and so that everything is completed on time. Students should talk to someone in their intended minor department for additional information.

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What You Need To Know About Financial Need

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Your “financial need” is not how much money you think you need for college. It is an official calculation that affects the size of your aid package.

In financial aid lingo, your “financial need” is the difference between the amount a college expects you and your family to pay and the cost to attend that college. Colleges take your financial need into account when they calculate how much aid to award you.

Why Are Pre Reqs Important

For incoming college freshmen, pre reqs might seem like nothing more than annoying hoops to jump through to earn a degree. But in reality, they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent undergraduates from enrolling in courses that theyre not prepared to take.

You may be wondering: Whats the harm in taking pre reqs that you may not be ready for? For one thing, you could get poor grades that end up tanking your GPA . Its also unfair to upper level college students who want their professor to skip the basics that they learned a long time ago.

If you truly feel that youre ready for an upper level course and have the ability to prove it, meet with your advisor. You may be able to take a CLEP exam to earn college credit for the things you already know and effectively waive some pre req requirements in the process.

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Find Out What Your School Allows And Prohibits

Your school might provide a lot of the supplies that you need, even if the dorms arent fully move-in ready. You can call or check the schools website to find out what you should bring along with what the school doesnt allow. For example, if youre considering bringing a microwave or mini-fridge, the dorm might include a full-sized refrigerator and microwave.

While the school obviously wont permit any alcohol, drugs, or weapons, other items that some schools prohibit include space heaters and extension cords, which could present a fire hazard. Also, there are some other items that colleges frequently ban, which you should try to leave off your college packing list. If youre thinking of bringing any furry friends along, you should also find out if your college allows pets.

Standard Requirements For College

You’ll want to check the specific requirements of the colleges to which you are applying, but schools will typically want to see you have completed the following:

Keep in mind that the required courses for admission differ from the recommended courses. At selective colleges and universities, additional years of math, science, and language will be necessary for you to be a competitive applicant.

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How To Apply For College

As you approach the end of your junior year of high school, you should finalize a list of schools you want to apply to. How many schools you’ll want to apply to depends on your circumstances.

It’s always good to have a backup school, but if you’re confident that you have the right grades and test scores for your preferred choice, you may only need to apply to one college. Conversely, if you’re only applying to very academically competitive schools, you may want to submit 8-10 applications. For most students, four or five schools is about the right number. Your list will grow and change over time, but it’s good to have a strong starter list by February of your junior year.

When preparing to apply to these colleges in the fall of your senior year, make sure you have all of the necessary application materials. Every school requires a copy of your high school transcripts, which you can request through your high school records office. Below are a few other items to take care of as you apply.

Many colleges require a college entrance examination, although some schools have recently dropped this requirement. The two most common college tests are the ACT and the SAT, which seek to measure what you’ve learned in high school. While similar, they do have some important distinctions. Nearly every college that wants test scores will let you submit results from the ACT or the SAT, so it’s up to you to decide â you may also take both.

Lower Your College Stress

Applications are stressful. 7 out of 10 respondents on our 2017 College Hopes & Worries survey gauged their stress levels as high or very high. Knowing that there are college experts in your corner can make all the difference. At The Princeton Review, our college counselors are available face-to-face whenever you have a question .

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Counting Credits When Transferring Universities

Where counting credit hours really becomes important is when you transfer credits. Its always a good idea to spend the extra time to get as many of your previous college credits transferred as possible . And the more you transfer, the less you have to complete to finish your degree. Once youve completed the transfer process, you can then figure out how many credits you have left to earn, as well as what core classes and electives you still have to take .

What Is Common App

Each year, more than 1 million students apply to more than 900 Common App member colleges worldwide through our online college application platform. Learn more about applying through our first-year application by following our step-by-step guide below.

The information youâll need to complete your applications

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Filling Out Your Application Takes Time

And if you have to keep interrupting your progress to find information, like a certificate for a continuing education course or the address of your last internship, it can take even longer. Get a head start by collecting this information before you begin.

In the Education section you will enter your high school grades and current courses. Some colleges also need you to self report your high school transcript. You can check out your Courses & Grades section to learn more.

You can share your interests and who you are outside of the classroom in the activities section. You can share information about things like work, hobbies, clubs, and community engagement. And don’t forget, family responsibilities can be important to share as well. This is the place to show colleges what makes you unique!

You may self-report scores for any standardized tests in the Testing section. Every college has different testing requirements. Some colleges will always need your test scores. Other colleges may be flexible or have a test optional policy. Be sure to check the Testing policy of the colleges on your list.

Many colleges collect this information in the Family section for demographic purposes. We will ask for your parents occupation, employment status, and education level. If applicable, we will also ask which college they attended and how many degrees they have earned.

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Apprenticing For Mentors Gives You Experience That College Can’t

When I was 19, I was one decision away from going to college, but I decided not to. I had already started my own business selling rare shirts and was working at an investment sales company. That’s how I learned what it takes to run a business: practical experience, marketing skills, the right mindset, a network, and a mentor. I couldn’t get most of those things in school so I decided to study business in real life and work for free for mentors who could teach me.

Matt Schuldt, cofounder of personal branding agency TPA Media Group owner of five multimillion-dollar companies connect with Matt on and

Want to share your insights in a future article? Join The Oracles, a mastermind group of the world’s leading entrepreneurs who share their success strategies to help others grow their businesses and build better lives. Apply here.

For more free business insider advice, follow The Oracles on , , and .

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From Credit Transfer To Graduation

Overall, understanding exactly what college credits are and how they work will help you go through the planning process for your degree much more smoothly. Once you understand what your graduation requirements are, you can map out a timeline to help you earn your credits in a balanced way, at your own pace. Also, understanding college credits will help you better negotiate credit transfers by making you more knowledgeable about how the credit system works. Then, you can earn your degree with confidence, knowing youre taking every step you need to get to graduation.

You Can Achieve Success Before Your Friends Even Graduate

Back when I was considering whether to go to college, I asked myself where I wanted to be one day and how I could get there the quickest. If I’d wanted a leadership position in a large company, I would have made a different decision. But my goal was to be my own boss and work hard on my own projects, not someone else’s. I don’t disagree with studying in principle, but if you know in your heart that you don’t want to work for any company but your own, you can make better use of your time. While others spent years studying and commuting back and forth between exams and parties, I built a seven-figure company in the same amount of time. I’m not saying it was easy, but it was the only path I could see for myself and I would choose it again today.

, founder and CEO of NYBA Media GmbH, a fast-growing digital marketing agency in Germany that generates nine-digit revenues for their customers connect with Markus on , , and

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Attend A New Student Orientation

As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to attend a campus tour and an information session before you apply to learn more about your prospective school. Many community colleges also hold orientations for new students. These usually span a day or two and give you information about financial aid, placement testing, student and campus resources and policies, and academic guidance.

They may also have you set up a school account and email address. If your school offers its own online portal, then you’ll probably do your class registration and other communication through that.