Whether you are a returning student, a new student, or a continuing student, the end of summer means the beginning of a new school semester and with that new school semester come the requisite school preparations. While some of you are already fully prepared and ready for school, others of you might be feeling a little less sure about your preparations. To help those of you who fall into the latter group, I’ve compiled a list of seven important things to do before school starts. Feel free to use the list as a guideline for your school preparations and then, of course, to personalize the list by adding your own thoughts about what you need to do.
- Purchase all your text books ahead of time so you don’t become one of those students whose name is on the waiting list for a particular book or books that are backordered.
- If you have never been to your school campus, try to familiarize yourself with where your classes are located before your first day of school so you don’t arrive late to your first class because you couldn’t find where it was being held.
- Make sure you have all required school permits and identification. For example, if you plan on commuting, make sure you have the required parking permit for on campus parking lots.
- Purchase all school supplies ahead of time so that you are not stuck borrowing items from classmates on the first day of school.
- Brush up on your essay writing skills by reading examples of quality academic papers. Writing is a big part of student life and definitely a skill that you will need to develop if you want to do well in school.
- Locate useful Internet sites that can help you with your coursework and homework assignments. You might even ask other students for some suggestions about sites that they found useful.
- Familiarize yourself with the location of the campus library, student union, and your professors' offices as well as the hours that they can be frequented. This is especially important on large campuses since knowing where important offices and buildings are early on will make it easier for you later.
