Top Five: Things to do Before O(rientation) Week at College

The transition from high school to college is anything but easy. This being the first time most students are away from their family and home for an extended period, it can be stressful. However, we met with current women in STEM at universities across the US to hear their advice for those entering college in the fall. We rounded up the top five (lesser known) things to do before O(rientation)Week begins.

1. Explore RSOs and classes that interest you

Universities hold a bounty of resources for students passionate about any subject. From clubs for jump-ropers to EMTs, and classes in stellar body formation to racial health disparities, there is something for everyone. This amount of information can be overwhelming. I recommend incoming students search through their school’s RSO database and course catalog to “shop” for potential choices. For freshmen, I would begin with five or six potential clubs, attend a few meetings to see what you enjoy, and pick two or three to put your time into. Figuring out what you like can be a matter of what pertains to your major, or simply what you’d enjoy. Many people choose to leave their coursework in the classroom and participate in “personality” organizations. Brina Zhang, a freshman in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, believes this “helped to familiarize me with the club culture on campus and step my foot into something different. I had some familiarity … rather than coming in cold.” To find some potential classes, look at your prospective major’s class requirements. For example, the University of Chicago’s BS with Honors in Neuroscience mandates general education requirements (gen eds), nine neuroscience-specific courses, and 10+ electives. You would then look into the three categories and select some potential 100-level courses for your first year. This is also a great time to see what AP/IB credit transfers over. Completing these will make your life in and out of the classroom much easier — and, you may find your next passion!

2. Choose what you’re taking to campus

We all love the feeling of a clean room. When you’re first entering college, you can come with the expectation that you’ll buy more clothes and decorations as the year goes by. Bringing an excess of these things can cause more stress than joy. Plus, college dorms are never as large as you think they’ll be (and who knows if you’ll have a minimalist roommate). Felicia Wang, a student in the Math major at Duke University, stated that decluttering was good “both for my mental health — to have less baggage lying around, figuratively and physically — and to redistribute them to people who will use them. … It also feels so much nicer to work in a clean space with less stuff lying around to distract you.” Before freshman year, I suggest making “donate,” “trash,” “here,” and “college” piles of clothing and other belongings to clear out some of the clutter. If you live in Wisconsin but are moving to South Carolina for college, you definitely don’t need that winter coat! You can also do a clothes swap with your friends to get cute outfits for school. High school notebooks, honor roll trophies, and logo shirts from other universities don’t need to be on your packing list! Many donation centers will also pay for your discarded items, especially local thrift stores. Who doesn’t love some extra money for college fun? On this cleaning adventure, or once you get to campus, you can also buy some organizers to create extra space. Wall hangers and under-bed storage do wonders. Take a step of the stress out of your college transition by decluttering.

3. Coordinate financial plans with your family

There’s no doubt college is expensive. With the rising costs of tuition, food, and everyday needs, it’s crucial to coordinate with those funding your education. Will you take on a part-time or weekend job? Are you making a GoFundMe for tuition? Should you apply for scholarships during the summer and when school starts? How much of the cost are you paying for? These conversations can be difficult, but they are important to have. Each college varies with its payment schedules, so checking the frequency and amounts and confirming any financial aid or scholarship payments is key to removing financial stressors. The months before freshman year are also great to scout for on- and off-campus jobs. The earlier you look, the more tailored to your preferences work will be. Museums, cafés, libraries, and residence halls are often hotbeds for student positions. During the summer, I would advise taking some kind of job, whether gig/one-off work, part-time, or full-time. Child and pet sitting, summer camps, and seasonal food service positions are some of the many easy work positions available during the months before university begins. Easing some of the financial burdens of college is as easy as these steps!

4. Set out a management and organization plan

With nobody telling you what to do all day, it’s easy to spend study time watching TikToks or wandering around campus. This summer is prime time to refine your time management and course organization. Whether on Notion, Google Calendar, or paper planner, having a solidly written schedule for deadlines, club meetings, class times, and office hours makes university a hundred times easier. It’s also important to learn your study style: do you like classes in the morning and free time in the afternoon or vice versa? Do you work better with study buddies or alone? Do you thrive best with visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic learning methods? Discovering these things about yourself ensures you set yourself up for academic success. Mathura Balaji, a freshman in the Computer Science and Cognitive Science departments at Rutgers University at New Brunswick, said that “I wasn’t a stranger to managing my time, but it was still really difficult to adjust to the level of independence and time management you need to succeed in college. I found it super helpful once I started to really block out my time.” With the plethora of activities coming at you freshman fall, it’s crucial to organize yourself so you don’t let things slip through the cracks. If you overwhelm yourself in your first months at college, it’s incredibly hard to recover. Balaji added, “Sometimes I would wake up and I wouldn’t even know where to start with everything — I would be paralyzed [with] how much I had to get done. Planning it out … made it so much easier to find somewhere to even start.” So, get ahead of the curve and learn how you flourish — for the benefit of your mental health, academic performance, and college experience.

5. Coordinate your visits home and communication with family members

Your caretakers don’t want you to ghost them the second you enter college. Though it may seem awkward, it makes life much easier to talk about the frequency of communication and flights back home before you head off to your next step. If you want some space during the first month of university, express that in person before it begins. If you’d like your family to check in every night, let them know. Every person is unique in their contact preferences, and your family won’t know unless you tell them such. This ensures satisfaction for students and relatives. Coordinating visits back to the ranch eases packing, gets ahead of the transportation curve, and sets expectations. You can also talk about rules for when you’re back so the adjustment is less stark. Whether it’s establishing ground rules, coordinating family events, or speaking about adjustments around the home, these discussions make everyone’s life happier. A word to the wise: you’ll be more homesick than you expect. Don’t forget your family members while you’re in college, and make sure to intentionally take time for them. Plus, the random advice on how to write a check or replace a lost credit card helps.

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Harmonie Ramsden is a gap year student at the University of Chicago, where they study Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU) and Global Studies. They are an advocate for gender justice and youth power and a prolific marketing and ESG expert. Harmonie is currently working at BUILT BY GIRLS, JUV Consulting, Don't Waste Durham, Generation Ratify, and Civics Unplugged.

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