Before you get to college, there are some things you should look at, learn, download, and try.
- Laundry -- Not just how to open the laundry machines and turn them on, but learn what should wash with hot water vs cold water. Learn what kind of detergent, fabric softener, etc that you use and like.
- Download school's apps -- Most schools have an app, some even have more than one. While it might not be school-specific, there will also be apps like public transportation trackers or localized platforms worth looking into. At Brown, there was an app we used just to check food credits that would've been good to have.
- Move all of your documents out of your high school email -- Of course, this is only if you had an email in high school, but after graduation, you will usually use access.
- Set up your school email -- Along similar lines to the above note, you will have a brand new email to set up. Put your signature on it, make folders in your Google drive, etc.
- Look at dorm floor plans -- This was extremely helpful to me to get an idea of what the space in my room would look like and what furniture I could plan on having.
- Sign up for student discounts -- StudentBeans and UniDays are great places to start now that you qualify for college rewards!
- Make an account on Uber or Lyft -- If you don't already have one, make sure to have a rideshare app in case you ever need a ride. Whether it be because it's not safe to drive, you don't have a car, the weather is bad, you don't feel safe-- you might be surprised how frequently you have to order a ride.
- Get all the passwords from your family that you might need -- Netflix, Hulu, HBO (or Max, I guess) are just examples, but make sure to get any passwords to shared accounts before leaving to avoid a likely-frustrating text exchange.
- Make sure you are registered for absentee voting if you're going out of state -- You will likely have to vote by mail! Do this in advance to avoid stress!
- Think of a few fun facts about yourself -- Inevitably, you will end up doing an icebreaker that requires a fun fact. Mine is that I have seen every single season of Survivor in full. A fun fact for this type of thing shouldn't be braggy but shouldn't be boring. It should be something that might lead to a conversation later on!
