You Probably Shouldnt Take Your Whole Closet
Dorm storage space is one thing that many incoming freshmen overestimate. Depending on the size of your wardrobe, it might be a good idea to consider leaving everything but the necessities at home. Besides, you might find you don’t need as many clothes as you thinkmost college laundry facilities are easy, inexpensive, and located right in the residence hall. You may even find that your college offers free use of washers and dryers. It’s a good idea to do some research before you start school to see whether or not you need to stock up on quarters. Some colleges even have high-tech laundry services that will text you once your clothes are ready. Be sure to do a little research into your college’s laundry facilities before you pack for college.
Write A Letter To Your Future Self To Open On Graduation
Writing this letter is one way to shake off any stress about college, career, and the future. Your dreams, expectations, goals record them all for posterity and use this letter as a motivation to achieve what you set out to do.
Anyway you would have filled numerous pages metaphorically or otherwise by the time you read the letter your former self wrote to your future self.
Why Start In Elementary School
Teachers, administrators and principals interested in computer science and coding can look to open-source curriculum to help bring volunteer-based programs into their schools. CodeEd, a non-profit volunteer program that teaches principles of computer science and programming to girls in New York, Boston and San Francisco, starts as early as grade six. Its founders understand that an interest in computer science and an I-can-do-this attitude should be nurtured early.
Weve seen that children clearly have the capacity to learn complex computer science concepts from an early age, Angie Schiavoni of CodeEd says.
Computer science can be introduced to students at a young age, but the concepts must be simple to understand, reports the Computer Science Teachers Association. Charlie King of CLEARLINK suggests that kids should start coding and delving into computer science as soon as they show an interest. Specific age may not be as important.
Fourth or fifth grade is a fun place, he says. They have wild imaginations and dont believe in limitations. My son is in fifth grade and he is loving it.
Here are a few reasons to add computer science and coding to education at the elementary-education level.
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Make Friends With People From All Over The World
An essential college experience is making new friends on-campus, in-person, abroad, or online.
Classes bring locals, exchange students, and foreigners studying in your university together. Internships abroad also give you time to establish friendships with the people there. The same goes for a remote internship: youll still interact with professionals based in the area.
Having international friends of diverse nationalities and languages not only enhances your tolerance, your experiences interacting with them help you deal with new people in a new environment.
Dont Forget To Do Your Own Laundry
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College is all about developing responsible, healthy habits, including doing laundry! If you plan to go home on weekends or during holiday breaks, the last thing your parents will want is you lugging a ton of laundry with you. Do yourself a favor by learning how to do your own laundry! Most university dorms will have washers and dryers available for resident use. This service is usually included as a part of your tuition, but some colleges may require you to pay for usage. In this case, it can be helpful to have quarters or a credit card on hand.
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What Classes You Will Take
Maybe you have already chosen your Major, maybe you havent.
Either way:
If you look around the room on the first day of college, statistically up too half of them havent chosen their major either.
Even then
Two-thirds of all college students who have picked their major, change it at least once before graduation.
Having said that:
You should look into which classes you will be attending in your first semester. Because you will need to prepare beforehand.
You will need to buy books for example. However, dont order them just yet, well give you a few tips about saving money on books later.
More importantly
Did you know that you forget almost 82% of what you learn in class within 28 days?
And
After graduating from high school, students often have three or four months before starting class again.
This is a great way for students to relax after the stress of their final year of high school.
But:
The problem is that because of a natural memory drain, getting back into the flow of studying again can be stressful and overwhelming.
Thats why we suggest to:
Take a few pre-college tutoring classes based on classes you will have during the first and second semester. That way you can hit the ground running with one less thing to worry about when starting college.
Talking about memory
Watch Some Dorm Haul And Dorm Room Tour Youtube Videos
My daughter and I spent the summer before she left for college binging on YouTube dorm haul videos where girls spend 10-15 minutes pulling stuff out of a Target bag and talking at length about each item. We were enthralled. We took notes. We also ended up buying maybe one tenth of the items our YouTube favorites showed but it was still useful to get an idea of the stuff people found useful and to see what products showed up repeatedly.
Besides the dorm haul videos, we also watched the schools official video of her dorm over and over to remind us of the layout and potential ways we could take advantage of the space. That was really helpful but the dorm room tours students posted on YouTube were even more useful because they showed a furnished dorm room in action. Search dorm tour plus your students college name to find some tours to watch. Pro tip: add guy to the end of your search if your freshman is a boy and not really all that interested in the many uses of fairy lights.
Dont forget to make a list of what items are allowed in the dorm room and other pertinent information. Youll need to know that before you go dorm shopping.
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How To Improve Your Memorization
College can be challenging.
There is so much to learn and topics you have never studied before.
And
Like I said in the last section:
The average person loses 82% of what they learn within 3-4 weeks, while a typical college semester is fifteen weeks long.
This means that by the end of the semester:
When its time for exams, you will only remember 18% of what you learned in the first two-thirds of the semester!
Frustrating, right?
So, Im going to share three memory tips that will help you retain much more of your course content and while having fun doing it:
Get Your College Applications Ready To Send Off
Your senior fall will be extremely busy since this is when many college application deadlines are, including most early action and early decision deadlines. So youll need to start putting together your applications by writing your essays and gathering all necessary materials, such as your high school transcripts and recommendation letters.
Heres a brief checklist of what to do for your college applications at this time:
- Write your college essays: Youll likely have to write more than one, so get a head start on these. Give yourself at least a month or two to write, edit, and proofread before you submit.
- Ask for letters of recommendation from teachers: If you didnt already do so your junior year, ask your teachers for rec letters ASAP. Try to get letters from teachers who teach core classes and/or classes in a field you want to major in.
- Take the SAT/ACT one last time, if needed: By this point, you shouldve taken the SAT/ACT twice. If you still want to take it one last time to try to raise your score, though, nows the time to do it. Don’t forget to check your colleges’ websites to see what the last possible SAT/ACT test dates theyll accept scores from are.
- Visit campuses if possible: Actually seeing college campuses in person should help you get a better sense for the overall atmospheres of the schools youre applying to, and might even give you ideas for what you can write about in your college essay.
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Going To College: 7 Big Talks To Have Before They Leave
When we send our kids off to college it is all too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of graduation, dorm shopping, packing and moving. They try to squeeze in every last second with their friends and we try to squeeze in every last second with them.
But so much of parenthood is about looking forward and preparing our teens for whats to come, not for doing their own laundry and signing up for classes, but for the real challenges ahead. The summer before going to college is a time to talk, really truly talk, about some of the most important things in life.
Complete All College Admin
The last thing you want is to show up on the first day of the semester and realize you didnt do something important! It may be boring, but one of the most important things to do before college is to take care of the little details.
Once youve decided on where youre going to college and have confirmed your place, make sure you take care of all the admin. Your university will send you some sort of guide outlining what you need to do before your first day, but there are some basics youll likely have to complete regardless of where youre studying. These include:
- Set up your student ID and student email.
- Pay all necessary fees. Whether your parents are paying for college, you received scholarship money, or you’re using loans, ensure you have all the financials taken care of by any necessary due dates.
- Enrolling in modules. As a first-year student, its likely you will have some required modules. However, if you need help determining what exact modules to take, a member of your academic department or your local school counselor can advise you.
These little details can be a lot to take care of, and writing down a college preparation checklist can help you keep track of everything.
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Look Into Taking Honors And Ap Courses
At this time, you should also start to look into what honors and/or AP classes you might be eligible to take as a 9th grader . Meet with your counselor and discuss whether there are any upper-level classes or more challenging versions of the core courses above that you can sign up for.
Your counselor should also map out possible class plans for each year you’re in high school so that youll be on track to complete all the courses you need for college. Having a four-year plan can really help you visualize the different steps you’ll need to take every year.
College Life Action Items
This bucket addresses the foundation of your college life. Where will you live? Who will you live with? What sort of meal plan will fuel you? This is another time-driven section. Whether you live on campus or not, you will likely encounter competition for the most desirable living situations. In other words, youll need to act quickly!
- Secure a parking permit: If you plan on taking your car to school, your university will likely require that it be properly permitted and registered with the schools transportation office. Check your schools website.
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Stick With Your Extracurriculars
Youll be extremely busy your senior year, yes, but you should still try your best to keep up your extracurricular activities and hobbiesat the very least, the ones that you are most invested in and that pertain to your major or professional endeavors.
Its OK if you have to drop some activities or dont do them as often during the fall just make sure to keep them up in the spring when youre free from the demands of college application season!
Enroll In A Random Class
The path to academic excellence is arduous, and taking a class that is off the beaten track can be that respite.
Theres a long list of weird, strange, or oddly fascinating classes, including but not limited to:
- Pop culture: Beyonce, Taylor Swift, KPop, Game of Thrones, Mean Girls
- Science fiction: surviving zombie apocalypse, Star Trek philosophy
- Hobbies: beekeeping, tree climbing, anime/manga, circus arts
- Food: pizza, ice cream, pasta
Wasting time on the internet, walking, watching TV, making people laugh, taking selfies theres probably a random course in your university that you want to check out.
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College Prep First Steps
Perhaps the best way to prep for an undergraduate degree in computer science is to cultivate knowledge and skills in mathematics and laboratory science.
Having a firm grasp of mathematics and science will help if the student wants to pursue a degree even if they never end up using it in the real world,’ says Chris Martino of SimpiVity Corporation. Most CS programs are heavy in these areas with requirements in calculus, statistics, physics, etc.
In addition to math and other lab sciences, high school students interested in computer science should explore as many specialties as possible. Not only to better understand the landscape, but to plan out college-level coursework. In addition to general computer science and programming, for example, some high schools have started to offer classes in database management, information assurance and security and fundamentals of information technology . While still rare, they are on the rise.
My high school offered three software development classes, and I took all three, said Bradley Stewart of Shareable Ink. There was a web design course, visual basic course and a C++ course. I would most definitely recommend them where offered, and would openly encourage all high schools to provide them. A focus on math is highly recommended throughout ones high school education if planning to pursue software engineering.
Put Together A Shower Kit
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Master your resident hall shower routine by keeping all of your toiletries and shower necessities together in a portable caddy! Also, keep in mind residence hall showers are used by many people, and even though theyre cleaned regularly, they can still be host to germs and bacteria. Wearing a pair of shower shoes or flip-flops every time you shower can help keep your feet protected! Its also a good idea to switch out your towel for a fresh one at least once a week and wash them regularly to avoid bacteria build-up.
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Learn How To Pay For College
As a 10th grader, you probably dont know much about paying for college or even what the FAFSA is. So take this time to start familiarizing yourself with key financial terms and what paying for college actually entails in terms of tuition, housing, meal plans, etc.
We recommend checking out our helpful guides on the different types of financial aid and how to save money for college. If your parents are worried about upcoming college expenses, read these articles with them and explain to them how you plan to apply for college scholarships and do well in school to increase your chances of securing a merit scholarship.
If youll be paying for college entirely on your own, get started early by reading our guide.
College Bucket List 20 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Time
Going to college is a rite of passage to adulthood for most people. Its fun, difficult, challenging, rewarding and full of twists including spontaneous road trips. Time also flies so fast when you are in college that its over before you know it. Before the time comes that youll be too busy applying for work or postgraduate studies, take time to list the things you want to do as a college student. Theres still time to catch up and get the most of the collegiate experience with the help of this ultimate college bucket list.
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Spend Time With Family And Friends
Spend quality time with your loved ones in the summer before university. Depending on how far away you’re moving to study, you may not be able to see them for a few months. While you’ll be doing lots of exciting things and meeting new people in your first term, homesickness is normal and might kick in once you’ve settled.
Recent memories of good times, and photos or mementos to keep in your bedroom, are a good way to combat these feelings. For more help on getting out of a slump, consider what to do when you feel homesick. You can also read about the importance of looking after your mental health at university.