Exams are finished, lockers are cleaned out, and graduating seniors across the country are celebrating. Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Although it’s the second day of June, we can’t help but think ahead to the fall semester. After all, we’re firm believers that success starts EARLY. That’s why we’re sharing practical tips today to help our high school graduates set themselves up for a smooth, low-stress transition into college.

Connect and Communicate

By now, you’ve probably realized that you are going to be receiving a LOT of college communications. These emails and portal announcements provide essential information about housing, roommate selections, course registration, and more. Although you’ve already completed plenty of paperwork in the spring, we guarantee there are more important forms and tasks coming your way. Make sure you have access to your college email address and continue to check it regularly throughout the summer. An easy way to do that is by adding your new school account to your smartphone. Not sure how to do this? Here are quick tutorials for iPhone and Android users. 

Now is a great time to connect with your new college and classmates if you haven’t done so already. Consider attending a summer orientation event if your school offers one. And even if you can’t connect in person, there’s always your laptop. Most schools have social media groups for the Class of 2026, as well as a variety of other interest groups that you may be able to join now. PS: Tell your parents there are social media groups for them, too. They just need to search for the school name + parent/family page on Facebook.  

One caution, though. Don’t be that person who randomly friends or follows hundreds of strangers just because you have a college in common. This approach doesn’t necessarily make for strong connections or new friendships. In fact, it can come across as ‘creepy’ if you don’t actually try to communicate with the person you’ve suddenly added. A better strategy is to focus on getting engaged in the social media group discussions and actually starting conversations with other students. 

Evaluate your social media presence

You’re graduating and becoming an adult, and that means your social media accounts need to grow up too. For years, your Instagram may have just been a place to share funny photos and updates with friends, but in college, your social media accounts become a powerful networking tool. Therefore, it’s crucial to create a strong first impression with your profiles. (Pro Tip: If you haven’t read it yet, don’t miss last year’s guest blog post with the inside scoop about the social media from a professional in the recruiting industry).

Before you start following fellow undergrads or hashtagging your college, take a detailed look at your accounts. Ensure that your personal accounts are private and delete any inappropriate content, photos, and or/negative comments that appear on your page. Even if you didn’t write the post or take the picture, you’re still associated with it through your profile. A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t want it projected on a big screen for the world to see, get rid of it.

We also encourage graduating seniors to embrace a fresh start on social media. Think about creating new, professional social media accounts (especially on Instagram) that track your college journey. That way you can safely engage with your college online, share campus highlights, and maybe even attract new opportunities.

Finally, if you have some free time this summer, set up a LinkedIn profile. You can use this website to connect with people in your field of study, find jobs and internships, and build a professional portfolio. (If you need help developing your LinkedIn content, book a session with us. We’ll work with you to build your profile and teach you how to use the LinkedIn features to your advantage). 

Coordinate with your roommate

Stuff. It’s one of the most important conversations you can have with your new roommate before moving into your dorm. Beyond your personal items, there are things you’ll need for your room that might be more practical to share, like a mini-refrigerator, vacuum, or bluetooth speaker. Decide on what you’re willing to make communal and then determine who’s bringing what.

Strategically shop for dorm essentials

We’ve got a secret to share. You know those ‘dorm essentials’ on display at Target and advertised all over Amazon? Well, most of those items aren’t actually essential at all. The reality is that you’ll be moving into a small room that you’ll have to share with another person and all of their belongings. Don’t waste money or space on things that you don’t actually need.

Be realistic when it comes time to shop for your dorm room. If you’ve never ironed before, chances are you won’t start in college. Instead of investing in a space-consuming ironing board and iron, consider a travel steamer or a wrinkle-release spray. And as nice as the eight decorative bed pillows might look in the Pinterest picture, are you really going to arrange them every morning before your 8am class?  Probably not! 

It’s also a good idea to hold off on buying gadgets like coffee makers or printers. After a few weeks on campus, you’ll probably find that you can live comfortably without them. Remember, if you forget something or find yourself desperate for a particular item, you can always order it later.

And when it comes to the items you do know you need right off the bat? Don’t make the rookie move of hitting up Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond in your college town during orientation weekend (that shopping trip will make Costco on a Saturday look like a relaxing spa day). Either go to a local store to browse and place an order for pickup at the store near school, or order all of your items online.

Hit the books

No we’re not telling you to start studying for fall semester. We just want you to start finding your textbooks. Rather than waiting until late August to buy everything from the campus store or search for a deal online after everyone’s bought up the most popular titles, start pricing and purchasing earlier in the summer after you know your course schedule. Websites like Chegg, Campus Books, and ECampus offer used books, electronic texts, and semester-long rentals, and Abebooks is the place to go if you need a more obscure title. 

Before you order anything, though, check on the return policy. There might be scheduling changes that happen at the last minute, and you don’t want to be stuck with a book you don’t need. Also, confirm that you are ordering the correct edition. Otherwise, you could end up with an old, outdated copy.

Clean your room

Okay, we don’t want to sound like parental nags, but the college packing process can be a nightmare if you wait until the last minute. That’s why we suggest cleaning out a drawer or two every week throughout the summer. You can also start boxing up things you aren’t using right now, like your winter clothes, and throwing away all of those things you’ve been storing in your closet since middle school. This may not be the most exciting summer activity, but trust us. You’ll feel much better come August, and your parents will thank you.

Schedule appointments ASAP

Before you head off to college, make sure you take care of all of your essential appointments: a doctor’s visit, dental check up, and a fresh haircut. It’s especially important to book any doctors’ appointments early. Depending upon the school, you may be required to get certain vaccines, and some of them could take several weeks and multiple doses to complete.

Get legal paperwork in order

Most parents are shocked to realize that they do not automatically have the ability to make decisions or learn important information about their students when they are away at college. Yes, even if you’re paying the bill!

Because of this, parents should go ahead and work with their student for authorization to intervene in issues as major as medical emergencies or as minor as financial aid questions. We are not attorneys, and this is not legal advice, but here is a non-comprehensive list of documents we recommend having signed and notarized before your student leaves home:

• FERPA Authorization to be able to see your student’s grades

• HIPAA Authorization to be able to find out basic medical information about your student or speak to their doctors

• Medical Power of Attorney to be able to make medical decisions for your student if needed

• Durable Power of Attorney to be able to make financial decisions on your student’s behalf

There are free templates for all of these documents readily available online, and those are probably better than nothing - but don’t forget that laws are different from state to state. It’s probably worth working with an attorney or at least doing your own extensive research to make sure that you’re all set!