Learn everything you need to know to be prepared for your first day of college! You are going to be so much less stressed if you know all of this going into your freshman year.
Starting college is scary. There are so many new things happening and so much to learn in a pretty short time.
I am here to help you with all of that and more! This article goes over everything you need to know to have a good understanding of what’s going to happen on your first day of college.
This is everything I experienced, plus all the tips and tricks to help you manage your first few days and weeks. Trust me, you will be so prepared after learning all of this.
This post is all about the first day of college!
You don’t have just one first day of college like you do in high school! Instead, you’ve got a couple of “first days” to prepare yourself for…
Also, keep in mind that every college is different! I am going to give you all my best tips and advice based on what I experienced, but some things will be different depending on where you are going to school.
Move-in day
Move-in day is your first “first day.” This is going to be a crazy and hectic day, but it is also so much fun!!
Before you move in, you’ll have to stop by your student center (or designated location) to pick up a room key and some other information.
I got my student ID, room key, and a folder with some pamphlets/flyers about different move-in and orientation information.
Once you have your key, it’s time to head to your room!
This is such an exciting part of move-in. It is definitely crazy with everyone trying to carry all their items up to their room from the car, but remember to take it all in. You are seeing your new home for the next year for the first time! Take a moment to relax and enjoy it.
I’d say the worst part of move-in is getting everything to your room. It’s definitely going to be crazy with other people and everyone’s stuff and family. However, stay calm and make as many trips as necessary to get everything to your room.
Once it’s all there, just start somewhere and keep going! It feels extremely overwhelming when you first start because there are so many boxes and bags and crap everywhere.
If you need a starting place, I’d say start with the bed because that is the biggest stuff usually. Then, just go from there. Keep on unpacking and organizing and rearranging until every box is empty.
Also, remember that things don’t have to be perfect when you first move in. As long as everything has a relative home, things can (and will) be a little messy. That is perfectly ok!
You are going to have so much time later on to organize and arrange things exactly how you want it. It’ll also take some living in your dorm room to realize how you actually want to organize everything.
Other move-in day tips:
- Remember to take breaks! Go get some food, drink water, and rest once in a while. It’s a long day and you want to make sure you are taking care of yourself.
- Stay calm! As crazy as the day seems, try not to let it make you crazy. Stay as calm as possible and remember that everything will work out.
- Have fun! This is such an exciting day, so make sure to take advantage of it. Stop down the hall and say hi to people, explore your campus, and enjoy the day!
For even more detailed move-in day tips, definitely check out this article: 20 College Move In Day Tips That Will Save Your Life!
Orientation day/week
Depending on how your school plans orientation, you’ll either have an orientation over the summer or one right when you start.
For me, I didn’t have anything over the summer and had a week-long orientation right after I moved in.
During orientation, you will probably have your days filled with a lot of programming. Some of it is fun and exciting, and some of it is just plain boring.
Again, depending on the school, the amount of programming you’ll have will vary. However, try to go to as much of the school-sponsored stuff as possible. Some of it might not seem fun, but it’s a great way to meet people and get involved.
This is also a really great time to start making friends. I know how overwhelming it feels, especially if you went into college not knowing anyone, but just remember that everyone is in the same boat. While some people may know a couple of others, for the most part, everyone is new and everyone wants to make friends!
Start with your roommate(s) and suitemates! These people are right there and make it so easy to build friendships. From there, you can try making friends with other people in your hall, floor, or building. Some of my closest friends in college came from my building!
Another thing to keep in mind during your orientation week or weekend is that you don’t need to be making friends every single minute. You are allowed to sit alone in your room for an afternoon if that is what you need. You can’t expect yourself to be “on” at all times during this first week or you are going to burn yourself out quickly.
Be as social as possible, but this is going to be different for every person. If you need a minute alone, it is not going to hurt your chances of making friends.
First day of classes
Your last “first day” of college will be your first day of classes.
This is such an exciting day because you will get to go to your first college class!
One important thing to keep in mind with this is that you are definitely going to want to try to make friends in your classes. It is so nice having people in your classes that you know to do homework and study with later on. Especially with college classes, you will definitely need to work together with others for some assignments.
Also, keep in mind that it is okay if you aren’t 100% organized by your first day of classes. You will have time to figure out how you are organizing/keeping track of all your assignments, so don’t stress if you are still figuring things out.
This post was all about the first day of college!
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