The summer before college can be a bittersweet time for students as they prepare for college while closing the chapter on high school.
“There’s so much growth that happens” in the transition from high school to college, says Carrie Showalter, dean of students and associate vice president of student life at . “I think when people get really bogged down in the minutiae of it, sometimes they just miss the actual experience because you don’t get to do it again.”
Finding the balance between having fun and preparing for the next four years can be challenging, but here are seven steps to take before stepping onto campus in the fall.
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Attend Orientation
— which is often several days or a week leading up to the start of classes — provides students an opportunity to explore campus, register for classes, connect with peers and faculty, and experience life for the first time. Many colleges also offer earlier in the summer.
“Go to new student orientation (and) ask questions,” says Veronica Stewart, director of career services at the Amica Center for Career Education at in Rhode Island. “Don’t think you’re the only person who doesn’t understand because most people in the group don’t understand as it’s new material for them too.”
Connect With Classmates and Faculty
Developing relationships early may help ease the transition and be beneficial for planning purposes.
Meeting with faculty and staff in advance “can make a huge difference in a student’s feelings of connectedness when they set foot on campus in late August,” Sean Schofield, assistant vice president for life and career design at in Massachusetts, wrote in an email. “It’s a person that they’ve already had a conversation with, a person who already can begin showing them the ropes and an access point to further connections.”
To connect with peers, students can join their college-affiliated groups on social media or attend local events for admitted students.
Students should also have several conversations with their roommates ahead of time to avoid overlooking simple logistics, such as who will bring the mini refrigerator, says Christopher Gray, associate vice president for strategic enrollment planning at the in Florida.
Stay Academically Sharp
Preparing for the academic rigor of college may look different for each student. Those who took Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or courses for credit, for instance, may already feel prepared for a college setting.
However, students should aim to keep their minds active, whether that’s reading for pleasure or playing logic games, Gray says.
Another way to prepare is by becoming familiar with the technology used by the college, such as Canvas or Blackboard, experts say.
“Even if they’re just watching some YouTube videos about tips and tricks for certain tech tools, they would feel so much more confident when they get to school,” Stewart says.
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Additionally, look for ways to engage with college life before the fall semester begins.
Students should “participate in anything that can help them get a head start on their credits and support their transition to college, which we all know is wildly different from high school,” Schofield says. “Summer seminar courses or first-year experience courses can help students connect and start to build friendships before they even set foot on campus.”
Build Your Network
Use the summer to begin developing your . You may be surprised by the career connections already available through family members, teachers, coaches or other adults in your life, experts say.
Find people in your “career interest area by asking around and then setting up informational interviews to learn more about what that career entails,” Stewart says.
These conversations can help you better understand potential career paths while developing professional communication skills.
Develop Practical Skills
For many students, college is the first time they’re living independently and balancing their own schedule. To ease the transition, the summer can be spent developing practical skills, such as getting into a routine, learning how to do laundry, and understanding and managing finances, experts say.
“Some of the most practical life skills on a college campus are the ability to communicate, network and make friends, take calculated risks, engage in productive conflict through dialogue, manage setbacks and know when to ask for help,” Micki Meyer, assistant vice president of student affairs for engagement at in Florida, wrote in an email.
Time management is the key to success in college, experts say.
“Knowing how to manage your time, your schedule and your preparation is one of the most important things students can do when they get here,” Showalter says.
To help with that, as well as keeping track of assignments, she recommends investing in a planner.
Seek Employment
Earning money over the summer can help students pay for college or other related , such as textbooks, transportation, club fees and dining out.
Beyond the monetary benefits, summer jobs allow students to gain experience in a professional setting, explore different industries or careers, enter college with more financial flexibility and develop transferable skills, experts say.
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Teamwork and communication, for instance, are “skills you can’t always learn in an academic classroom but can in organizations and the field,” Meyer says.
Students don’t have to get a paying job, however, to develop workforce skills and gain insights into fields of interest. Another option is to .
Volunteering “often feels like a good low stakes way to start to engage in professional conversations and build an awareness of career values, and to better understand which career values are especially salient to the students at that time,” Schofield says.
Close the Chapter on High School
For rising college freshmen, summer is the time to reflect on high school experiences and prepare emotionally for the transition to college. It’s also an opportunity to reset and recharge emotionally after years of hard work, experts say.
“Students should worry less about what others are doing, and focus more on their own goals, needs and personal pursuits,” Meyer says. “Closure is also not a one-size-fits-all, but creating intentional space for it to happen is a very powerful part of the transition to college.”
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