pinning down your priorities on your path to college
Imagine you’re planning a backpacking trip or your dream vacation. What are some of the things you will want to have pinned down before you leave?
What and where will you eat? How will you spend your day, including when you want to get up and what you will do in the morning, afternoon, and evening? What is the weather like, and does it require warmer clothes or a fan to stay cool? Nailing down similar details is essential for getting ready to be a college student and creating an environment conducive to studying and successfully mastering your classes.
Try imagining how you might spend your days in college. These questions will help you get started:
o Are you an early riser or a night owl? What time will you roll out of bed?
o Can you get up with or without an alarm?
o How many roommates sound optimal to you?
o Do you need absolute quiet and a dark room, or can you sleep through anything?
o How might you handle a roommate with similar or dissimilar habits?
Food and exercise fuel your brain, so consider where and when you will eat and what recreation options are nearby.
o Will you shuffle off to the cafeteria, find a nearby coffee shop, or brew something in your dorm room?
o Do you need a pizza, salad, or frozen yogurt to quell your appetite?
o Does the campus have a kitchen where you can whip up a favorite meal?
o Does the food service take homemade recipe requests like Flavors from Home at UC Davis?
o Maybe you like to work out before you eat. In that case, will you go for a run, go to the rec center to lift weights, or use an elliptical, treadmill, or rowing machine?
As a first-year student, you might have several early classes, which means you have no time for last-minute studying.
o Where will you hit the books (laptop) in the evenings and afternoons when classes are over? The library, a coffee shop, or a communal space in the dorm?
o The library might be the optimal place for quiet focus, so finding out the hours and whether it’s walking or biking distance from your dorm is essential. If the library is open 24/7, what does that tell you about the academic environment for students?
o Is flexibility for when to study the underlying goal, or do students need to study 24/7 to be successful?
o Does the campus have free Uber/Lyft rides to shuttle students late at night?
While the main focus for attending college is to learn, complete a major, and graduate, how you spend your time when you’re not in class may be as crucial as determining which major and classes to take.
If you live near a metropolitan city and visit it regularly, you may want to participate in some of the activities that come with that environment.
o Do you need a city or robust activities on campus to fill that need?
o If you’re a foodie, do you want to try lots of restaurants?
o It’s easy enough to stream a movie, but do you prefer the big screen and the smell of popcorn?
o Do you love music and concerts? Are there venues that bring in big-name bands, or does the campus host musical performers each semester?
o Are there clubs that sponsor weekend events to explore nearby destinations or try new sports?
Another key aspect you will want to consider is what kind of classroom environment you thrive in. You may have only experienced your high school before attending college, so that is your baseline for figuring out what you want to be the same or different.
o Do you want to have deep discussions with your professors or blend into a sea of many students?
o Do you want to leverage research opportunities? If so, how will you make that happen at a school with a large or small student-to-faculty ratio?
o Will you attend weekly office hours, visit the academic support center, or rely on email if you need help understanding a concept?
Ensure that schools you are exploring have academic majors or areas you’re interested in. Focusing on current academic interests will help anchor your college search, even if you are undecided about what truly drives your interests or if you change your mind once on campus.
o Identify four to five majors you might study.
o What required or general education courses will you need to take, and when?
o Are there prerequisite courses to take before you can do higher-level electives?
o What electives beyond your field of interest appeal to you as part of how you spend your time?
These are just a few of the priorities to consider when exploring colleges, and you will most likely have a few more specific to you. Heading off to college does involve more than planning shorter trips to a dream destination or trekking through the wilderness, but with upfront planning and mapping out the details for what you need, you can create the positive experience you want.
Looking for more tips and inspiration to help you start your college journey? dream.search.apply.A Field Guide for an Inspired College Journey packed with insights and resources to help you navigate your college path, is now available to order online.
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Have more questions or looking for more support? Email me at dane@collegeu.solutions
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