The summer is winding down, and that means it’s almost time to go back to school. I know, I know—even I’m dreading it, and I’m not even attending college! However, you can still enjoy what’s left of summer and still get in a little bit of prep for your future if you follow a few simple tips.
- Throw a “Back to School” Bash
Ok, maybe you shouldn’t actually call it that because you’re not 14 or living in the 1990s anymore, but you definitely want to round up all your other friends who are back in town for one last hurrah before you all part ways again. Make it a night to remember: maybe that means a night at the theater or a comedy club, or a weekend road trip, or a night in with pizza and Netflix. Whatever it is, go all out and do it big.
- Find out where you’ll be staying
If you plan on living on campus this year, it might be helpful to find out the general location and sizes of the dormitories available. You can usually find info on this in the school’s documentation or online. Knowing what to expect beforehand can help you decide how much stuff you’ll need to bring, or whether you might need to consider renting a storage space as an alternative to leaving stuff with Mom and Dad.
If you plan to live off-campus, getting those arrangements settled as soon as possible would be even more beneficial because you’ll certainly want to shop around and ensure that you’re finding the right balance between convenience and closeness to the campus versus price and quality.
- Save money on textbooks
If you’re suffering from “Broke College Kid Syndrome,” this is an enormous priority for you as you prepare to go back to school. Textbooks can easily cost up to $1,000 or more per year! There are tons of services, like Chegg and even Amazon, that will rent textbooks for vastly less money than it would cost to purchase them. This can be even more crucial if you are in your first year; if you aren’t certain about a class or two, you should definitely not buy an exorbitantly-priced textbook until at least the end of Drop/Add Week.
Going back to school can be stressful! Take time to plan out the important steps and your best options and you can alleviate most of the headache.
