Congratulations! You’ve been accepted and have enrolled at the college of your choice. Now you have about 3 and a half months to stress about things like “Will I make friends?”, “What if I can’t find my classes”, “Will all of my clothes fit into my dorm closet?”, “Does the dining hall food suck?”.
College admissions counselors understand your worries and fears, and that’s why they have created many different ways for you to get a jump on feeling at ease with your new home for the next four years. Take advantage of these opportunities because they really can make all the difference as you make the transition into college!
Attend On-Campus Events for Future Students
Surely your college has some sort of event called Accepted Student’s Day or the Admitted Student’s Open House. Especially for those who have already visited the campus multiple times, students don’t always understand the point of attending these events. It’s not just about meeting your future professors, listening to student speakers talk about the opportunities for study abroad and picking your classes. Events such as this are prime opportunities for you to get out there and meet your future classmates!
As a Student Ambassador to the Office of Admissions at my school, I see too many future students who keep to themselves on these days, who talk only to their parents or not at all. I truly feel sorry for them because they are missing out on a great opportunity to meet new people, to find their niche! Who knows, the girl sitting next to you during the presentation on how your school’s cafeteria is going green may be looking at the same major as you! The bottom line is, the people you are surrounded by at these events are going to be the people you will be spending the next four years with! Introduce yourself! Start conversations. Who cares if you are actually a shy person? That’s the great thing about college. No one knows you yet, so why not just pretend to be the most confident outgoing person you can be?
Join Future Student Groups on Facebook
Although higher education is an ancient institution, colleges today are getting to be very hip! Search on Facebook for groups like “XYZ University Class of 2015” or “Future (Insert Your School’s Mascot here)”. You will immediately have access to a network of students about to make the scary transition into college just like you. This is a great way to find the people you may have met at On-Campus events and to keep in touch over the summer. Who knows, an acquaintance from Accepted Student’s Day could become your friend on Facebook which could lead to you requesting each other as roommates for the fall! It happened to me and several other people I know so don’t be afraid to get out there! Everyone else is just as anxious as you to start their freshman year, they are probably just waiting for someone to contact them!
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