CONGRATULATIONS!
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Admit it.
You did it.
You anxiously started checking the mailbox back in March, unfailingly every day, looking for that hulking package of a University or College acceptance. But no. Day after day, it was nothing but taxes and ads.
But one day, your heart stopped upon seeing an enormous envelope stuffed awkwardly into the cramped mail compartment. You tugged the envelope out and moonwalked all the way home (or some other variation of a victory dance.) Congratulations! All that hard work has finally paid off.
Last month, you decided where your life will be spent in the next four years. Whether it’s University of Ottawa, Carleton, Queen’s, McGill, Algonquin, or the University of Timbuktu, your future looks bright.
Now you ask yourself, “What now?”
One thing to do is watch out for that new circulating virus. Forget the Swine Flu. There’s a serious case of Senioritis going around, which may prove to be fatal to your acceptance. Symptoms include a certain je-ne-sais-quoi attitude, a steadily declining average, and general laziness. The prognosis is grim unless immediate action is taken.
Have you read the fine print on your acceptance letter? Here’s one reason why you should: conditional acceptance. Your university of choice will have imposed a minimum average for keeping your acceptance, and an even higher minimum for keeping your entrance scholarship.
Whether that minimum average is 64%, 75%, or 80%, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re scrambling to make up for that fraction of a percent that’s keeping you from that program you worked so hard to get into last semester. Keep at it! This is the time to hone your work habits for university. Plus, the victorious feeling at graduation will be so much sweeter.
You’re off to a whole new world in September, weaning yourself off the familiar high school atmosphere you’ve gotten to know so well. It’s time to make new friends. The friends you make in university will change your life and, believe it or not, you’ll have a role in changing the lives of others. A healthy social life on campus is as essential to college survival as healthy study habits. Get involved with athletics and clubs.
If you end up in a single room, just remember that that doesn’t make you a hermit. An easy way to socialize with a single room is to simply leave your door open when you’re in. If you end up in a double room, stay on good terms with your roommate, and scout for alternative study spots for times when you don’t want to be around a drunk and/or rowdy dorm-mate.
The price tag for University is nothing to sniff at, and depending on your program, that price will jacked up by the piles of textbooks you’ll have to buy. The first thing to remember is to never buy a new textbook if you can help it. You won’t be reading the textbook cover to cover, and depending on your prof, you might not even be using it much. Although campus bookstores might buy your textbook back at the end of the year, you won’t be getting back the original value. Buying a glossy, brand-spanking new textbook might not be the wisest decision for the almost-broke-to-desperately-broke university student (which I’m sure we all will be at some point.) Best case scenario, you buy a used textbook at the
campus bookstore or online, and then sell it back online when you’re done. Budget an allowance for yourself each month and stick to it. It is a good idea to have a credit card for emergencies, but never for entertainment purposes – do you want a looming credit card debt on top of the loans you have to pay back?
Every university tour guide will tell you: all your first year classes will be obscenely large. If you thought your math class of 30 students was big, you’ll be shocked to be sitting in a lecture hall of 300 in a first year chemistry class. To avoid becoming a faceless freshman to your first year professors, make an effort to…well…make an effort - ask questions, visit during their office hours, and talk to them. By getting to know your profs, you give yourself the advantage of gaining potential references for later.
So it’s your first year, and everything’s scary and new and confusing. But there are ways to plan ahead and make things easier and more exciting for yourself in the future. Consider studying abroad. Applications for international study usually begin in the winter term of your second year. Every student who studied abroad loved it; every student who didn’t, regretted it. The great thing is, you’ll be paying regular tuition to live, eat, feel, breathe an entirely different culture. Imagine studying in Japan! South Africa! Australia!
Take on an internship before you graduate and plan ahead for internship opportunities, because future employers love students who graduate with practical experience. Interning at a company or organization relating to your field of study may earn you a job offer even before you graduate, which eliminates the job-search panic that really puts a damper on life after that jubilant graduation day. Anything you can do to take a step outside the classroom will serve as preparation for life in a much wider context.
It’s time. Here comes the inevitable topic: “The Freshman 15.” You’ve all heard of it and you’ve all sworn that it’ll never happen to you. But let’s face it. With less opportunities for exercise, all-you-can-eat meal plans and no parents to regulate your daily meals (and don’t forget the plentiful supply of certain other substances, which are chock full of carbs), you’ll be packing on the pounds faster than you can say “milkshakes and lasagna.” As if balancing your social life and academics wasn’t enough, right?
Think of it this way. If you start watching your waistline now, you’ll be saving a ton of money you’d otherwise be spending on new jeans. Plus your brain, body, and marks will thank you in the end.
Avoid overeating and staying up until 2 am even if it means forsaking your daily afternoon nap. Drink lots of water and eat lots of fruit. Ask your parents to include multivitamins in care packages. Get exercise by joining intramural sports if you’re not already in University athletics, or take advantage of the campus’ fitness facility which is usually included in tuition, or jog before you go to class. Dorm parties, in excess, will be the bane of your existence.
So there you go. Now you’re a little more informed and a little more prepared for post-secondary life. Though you’re moving onto bigger things, never forget the bonds you’ve made in high school, the fond memories, and invaluable lessons. University, college, apprenticeship, or workplace, wherever you’re going, be happy, stay true to yourself, work hard, and keep your mind open. This is the first step into the rest of our lives - make it a good one.
If you want to fill yourself in on all the insider info, read the articles at www.collegeview.com.
Tips!
If you’re like me and struggle to fit your stuff into a suitcase for a weekend vacation, packing in August will be a daunting task. Apart from clothes, bed sheets, and school supplies, there are a few unexpected things you should add to your packing list:
Towels: Pack two. You won’t be doing your laundry as often as you think you will.
Stash of loonies and quarters: For the washers and dryers.
Big laundry basket: Key word “big”.
Shower shoes: The bathroom floor wasn’t yellow a year ago…
Bathrobe: Essential for travel between the shower and your room. Also great for flashing people on your dorm floor.
Full-length mirror: Your room doesn’t come with one.
Storage containers: Ones that fit under your bed are extra useful.
Febreeze: Like I said, you won’t be doing laundry as often as you’d like. And that goes for the rest of the dorm too.
Electrical power bar: Surge protector strongly recommended.
Formal Clothes: Never be caught without a swanky suit or dress when the opportunity to wear one comes around
Laptop: A given nowadays, a laptop will be your staple research and note-taking tool.
Decorations: Universities won’t let you drill into or paint the dorm room wall, but will allow wall tacks and masking tape. Bring your favourite posters and photos and inspirational quotes. Go crazy, especially if you’re lucky enough to end up in a single room.
And there are things to strike off of the packing list:
Phone: A cell phone might be convenient, but a phone is already provided in your dorm room.
Lamp: Your room will already have one.
Hamsters and pet tarantulas: Not allowed. And your roommate probably won’t appreciate the latter.
Garbage can: Again, already provided.