I was right there where you are last year. In fact, tomorrow, I'm going back to college too.
Well, I guess all I can do is repeat stuff, but I'll try to add something new.
- "Keep everything official". Oh yes, that's really important. Also, keep bills for important things, like your books, or household stuff. You might be able to take it off your tax. (Or rather, your parents might.)
- In a similar vein, organise your money well. I didn't have a job and got pocket-money from my parents that covered the absolute basic stuff. They usually send a larger amount at once because of the conversion rates. Well, of course, I was completely in awe that I had such large sums of money and bought a lot of stuff, thinking I could compensate by buying the cheapest food, etc. It didn't work that way and I pretty much used up all of my savings. My plan for this year is to get some cash every monday which should last for the rest of the week, so that at the end of the month, I haven't used up everything.
- Go to your classes, or if you don't, at least actually study hard. I did neither, and BARELY passed all my classes. I know I'll skip many classes this year too, but I'll really try not too.
- Write notes.
- Make a cleaning plan with your flatmates, if you have any. I had a really bad experience in this regard. My flatmates were nice enough, but we were a bit messy. But most of all, some of them just didn't clean up the kitchen after cooking. I stopped cooking there entirely, only using the oven occasionally and the microwave because I was so grossed out. Everything was sticky, dirty and just disgusting.
- Talk to people. I've been miserable, because I didn't make a single friend. Really, not a single one. I'll try to change that next year. I think it's best to do it in the beginning, when people haven't already found other people to hang out with. Just remember, most people are probably intimidated, so they'll probably be just as happy about someone talking to them as you would be.
- Take your time. Not too much, obviously, but don't stress yourself out. Take care of yourself. If you're overwhelmed, take a day off and relax.
- Regularly check your college e-mail account.
- I guess you've already left, so telling you what to pack is kind of unnecessary, but well, the important thing is, don't worry too much about having forgotten something.
- Keep a healthy sleep pattern. Not necessarily 9pm - 7 am, but try not to stay up too late. That way, you'll also avoid skipping class because you're too tired to go or hear the alarm.
Re: Leaving for College
Well, I guess all I can do is repeat stuff, but I'll try to add something new.
- "Keep everything official". Oh yes, that's really important. Also, keep bills for important things, like your books, or household stuff. You might be able to take it off your tax. (Or rather, your parents might.)
- In a similar vein, organise your money well. I didn't have a job and got pocket-money from my parents that covered the absolute basic stuff. They usually send a larger amount at once because of the conversion rates. Well, of course, I was completely in awe that I had such large sums of money and bought a lot of stuff, thinking I could compensate by buying the cheapest food, etc. It didn't work that way and I pretty much used up all of my savings. My plan for this year is to get some cash every monday which should last for the rest of the week, so that at the end of the month, I haven't used up everything.
- Go to your classes, or if you don't, at least actually study hard. I did neither, and BARELY passed all my classes. I know I'll skip many classes this year too, but I'll really try not too.
- Write notes.
- Make a cleaning plan with your flatmates, if you have any. I had a really bad experience in this regard. My flatmates were nice enough, but we were a bit messy. But most of all, some of them just didn't clean up the kitchen after cooking. I stopped cooking there entirely, only using the oven occasionally and the microwave because I was so grossed out. Everything was sticky, dirty and just disgusting.
- Talk to people. I've been miserable, because I didn't make a single friend. Really, not a single one. I'll try to change that next year. I think it's best to do it in the beginning, when people haven't already found other people to hang out with. Just remember, most people are probably intimidated, so they'll probably be just as happy about someone talking to them as you would be.
- Take your time. Not too much, obviously, but don't stress yourself out. Take care of yourself. If you're overwhelmed, take a day off and relax.
- Regularly check your college e-mail account.
- I guess you've already left, so telling you what to pack is kind of unnecessary, but well, the important thing is, don't worry too much about having forgotten something.
- Keep a healthy sleep pattern. Not necessarily 9pm - 7 am, but try not to stay up too late. That way, you'll also avoid skipping class because you're too tired to go or hear the alarm.
Good luck!