How to Prepare for Your First Day of College Classes

Going to a new school is already scary enough. But the transition from your high school building, where all the classes are near one another compared to a much bigger campus, can be quite daunting. However, there are some ways you can prepare to make your first day much smoother. 

Explore the Campus Early

Finding your way around campus can be a major challenge when you are starting college. Before your first day of college classes, take some time to familiarize yourself with some important locations, including:

Find and Walk Your Class Route

At some point in the summer, you will get your classes. Figuring out each class’s building before going on campus is a great start. Especially if you are living on campus, looking at where the buildings of your classes are on a map Is a great visualizer to see where and how close your classes are.

Once you are on campus and before your classes start walking your schedule and going to the actual classroom door will set you up for great success on your first day. You can see how long it takes you to walk to a building, so you are not stressing out if you’re going to be late and when to leave your dorm when the day comes.

Visit the Library

When exploring the campus before classes begin, the library is necessary. This is a place many students go throughout the year and use all the great benefits their school library has to offer. Furthermore, learning where everything is in the library, from the help desk to where the computers and all the different sections, will make your visits in the year less like you are in a jungle of books and much simpler and easier.

Scope Out Lunch Spots

Fueling yourself is important, whether it is a heavy load class or a day out with friends. Scoping out lunch spots on your campus is necessary to know your options when you’re ready to grab some food.

First, finding out where the main dining halls are, which provide many options if you are not sure what to eat, is a great idea, especially if you are with a group of friends and everyone wants different things. However, scoping out the restaurants and fast-food places is important as well. If you love a specific fast-food place, learning where it is beforehand will save you time so you can move on to other activities in your day quicker. Lastly, “I don’t know how to figure out what food places there are.” A simple fix to this is downloading an app like Yelp and seeing all the different food options nearby and their proximity to where you are.

Check Out On-Campus Amenities

When you’re done with classes and homework, you may want to go out and do a fun activity. Checking out your campus amenities and seeing what it offers will let you know your options ahead of time.

Read the Syllabus

There are many reasons to read the class syllabus before class starts. This includes:

• You do not email the professor questions that are answered in the syllabus
• What is the objective of the course?
• What are the assignments, and are there any pre-course assignments?
• When is the test?
• What book will you need?
• What is the class grading policy?

Pack the Essentials

Packing all the essentials for your first day will help you avoid any bumps or struggles you could encounter. Here is a list of extremely helpful first-day of classes essentials.

• Computer case
• Writing utensils
• Water bottle
• Backpack
• Planner
• Snack
• Class textbooks
• Confidence!

Comfortable Walking Shoes

On campus, you will do a lot of walking, so prepare ahead for your classes, and what you need will greatly benefit you. Getting comfortable shoes for all that walking and a water bottle to keep you hydrated on sunny days is a must!

Weather-Appropriate Clothes

For when it rains, get an umbrella or raincoat and a backpack cover to prevent you from being drenched. Finding a good warm jacket and a nice pair of gloves in the cold months will make those freezing days much more bearable.

School Supplies

Here is a helpful list of some back-to-school supplies.

• Pack of pens
• Pack of pencils
• Erasers
• Highlighters
• Pencil case
• Notebook
• Folder
• Binders
• Notebook paper
• Planner
• Sticky notes
• Calculator
• Stapler
• Scissors
• Tape
• Paperclips
• Notecards
• Three-hole punch
• Water bottle
• Backpack
• Laptop
• Flash drive
• Earbuds

Find Clubs or Activities to Join

Want to join a club? Reading up on your college clubs is an easy way to see which ones you might be interested in be for hand. It is a wonderful way to make friends with many memories. At the beginning of the school year, all the clubs will have meetings for potential new members so you can get to know more about the club and determine if it is a club you want to join!

Once you do all the things to prepare, you will have a clear path to success for your first day of college classes and the rest of the semester!