College Preparedness: After the Acceptance Letter

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After the Acceptance Letter

Dorm Life

Choosing a Meal Plan

Registering for Classes

Getting Textbooks

Miscellaneous Costs

• Research 
  • Go to your college's housing page and find out everything you can about where you will be living 
    • Figure out things like what amenities will be available to you, what style the bathrooms are (i.e. communal or private), and how laundry is handled (do you need quarters to pay for using the laundry machines)
  • Some dorms will have restrictions on what appliances you can bring (i.e. toasters or flat irons)
  • If you have the time and the means to get to the campus, contact the housing department to see about scheduling a tour of your potential living quarters  
• Communicate 
  • Once you decide on a dorm, you will likely get a roommate(s) and you should get in contact with them!
  • You can coordinate on bringing larger items that everyone sharing the space can use (i.e. microwave or large television), discuss preferred division of responsibilities (i.e. taking out the trash, supplying paper towels, cleaning the bathroom), and other important items (i.e. preferred room temperature or guest rules)
  • Most universities will have roommates fill out a roommate agreement upon moving in with each other, but most issues can usually be taken care of by early communication
• Prepare 
  • There are a few items are that essential for almost all college dorms
  • You can click here to see an extended checklist of what items you should bring, but among the top items are twin extra-long bed sheets, a surge protected power strip, and a cheap pair of flip flops for shower shoes 

• First year college students will often be required to purchase a meal plan
  • This is often some combination of a set number of "meals" and flexible spending money that students have on a card that they can use to get food on campus 

• Most often, first year students will have an orientation where the institution will help you choose your first classes

• Textbook List 
  • As part of the orientation process, universities usually have you sign up for an online account for managing all of your personal dealings with the university
  • You will be able to find your textbook list on this website
• Pre-Order Your Textbooks 
  • Don't wait until the last minute to buy your textbooks. The textbook store on campus will likely run out of stock
  • Also, the week classes start, the bookstore lines will be backed-up out the door. Pre-ordering them will save you time and hassle
• Shop Around 
  • Some textbooks will need to be purchased from the campus bookstore because they have registration codes necessary for accessing online resources for a class
  • Others can be found cheaper online, and there are even services that will compare book prices for you!
  • Some college campuses will have independent used-textbook stores nearby that compete with the on-campus book store for lower prices
• Renting 
  • If you don't plan on keeping your textbooks after finishing the classes, consider renting instead of buying
  • Some places will rent out textbooks for a semester and it is often much cheaper than buying
  • If you do rent, take care of the book. Damaged returns may incur extra fees

Be prepared for other miscellaneous costs that may be added on to your student account like the ones below. Some fees for services like printing are essential, but others can be safely opted out of, so it pays to look into what you are paying for.

• Campus Parking fees
• Recreational Facility fees
• Student Life Programming fees
• Technology Services fees