Securing Housing

Moving out of the house and into your own place is exciting and a little nerve-wracking. The new freedom is exciting but living on your own can also be intimidating. There’s a lot of things to consider when looking into where to live: location, price, private or shared room, amenities, and even the social atmosphere. 

As a freshman, it’s a good idea to consider student housing. There’s always the option of just renting a traditional apartment, but student housing is convenient and sensible while in college. When renting an apartment, the lease won’t necessarily begin at the beginning of the school year. Student housing is more likely to become available at the right time. If you want a more social college experience, student housing will be full of students your age. Apartments could be filled with people that are a range of different ages.

Choosing Roommates

College is the perfect time to break out and form new relationships, but that doesn’t mean you have to drop all of your old childhood friends. It can be nice to room with old friends – just be careful to establish some expectations on how you live. Try to find roommates who have similar lifestyles as you. Do you both want to throw parties all the time? Are you both morning people? How clean do you like to keep your apartment? These are important conversations to have with your friends before deciding if you can room together.

Picking Classes

Choosing College Classes: Important Tips For Incoming Freshmen

Freshman year most of your classes will be generals. Use your university catalog to find what classes you need to take. Unlike in high school, there will be hundreds of classes to choose from. Choose a class load that will be challenging and fun. You are going to college to learn, so don’t just take all the fun recreational classes. But also remember that college is about experiencing new things so if you want to go ahead and try out that scuba diving class.

Selecting Professors

Choosing Your Professors and Keeping Those Ties

Professors can make or break your class experience. Talk with people who have taken your classes and ask which professors they had. Use websites like ratemyprofessors.com to see what people have to say about your professors. You won’t find the perfect professor for every class, but you probably can find a professor that is a fair grader and engaging to listen to.

Buying Textbooks

Textbooks are expensive. Probably more expensive than you expect. Honestly, there’s no need to go and buy a brand new textbook for each of your classes – especially while you are taking generals. Look for used and less expensive textbooks at your university’s bookstore. Compare your university bookstore’s prices with prices on Amazon or other websites that sell textbooks. Many universities even have Facebook pages dedicated to buying and selling textbooks. Look around before you buy that brand new textbook you only need for one semester.

Freshman year is an exciting time and you’re bound to make a lot of fun memories. Just remember to sort out some of the logistics, like housing and professors, before you get to campus this fall.

The post Preparing for Your Freshman Year appeared first on InstantELLA.

Starting college is like starting a new adventure, one that will only change your life for the better.

Now it might seem intimidating to have to start at the bottom of the totem pole again, but college is a totally different story, and being a freshman comes with its own perks.

Going to College? No?

Freshman year of college is full of amazing opportunities to figure out your passions, make new friends, and have so much fun.

Here are seven other awesome things about being a college freshman that will have you packing your bags and ready to leave tomorrow.

Great social opportunities

4 Reasons Why College Is Going to Be the Best Time of Your Life

From clubs to sports to just your normal classes, college is full of a ton of opportunities to meet new people and make lifelong friends.

Even your college freshman housing can be a way to make a new connection because most of the time you will be set up with a roommate that’s most likely someone you’ve never met before.

A chance to try new things

7 Tips To Help You Succeed In College

Being on your own means that you have to make your own decisions, which also means an opportunity to try things you have never tried before.

There will likely be so many different people from so many different places all with different upbringings and lives different from your own. Not to mention the fact that you will probably be living in a new city, perhaps even in a different state, which can also expose you to new things to try.

The place to find your passion

The Best College for the Best You

High school was about doing the things you need to do to get to college, whereas college is where you learn to find your passion.

You can take all kinds of different classes to find out what really moves you and what you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

Time to learn life skills

4 Things You Can Do to Feel More like an Actual Adult

Laundry? Clean room? Prepare dinner? Those are all things that you are in charge of doing for yourself now, which can be overwhelming sometimes, but it’s just a few of the life skills you learn going to college.

But it can also be fun, and even in your college freshman housing you can band together with all the other freshman and make doing all your adulting into a fun game or a time to spend together bonding over this new experience.

To learn to live on your own

5 Qualities of Great Student Apartments

Along with life skills, college is the place to learn to live on your own without relying on your parents or even people you grew up with.

Self-reliance is so important, especially in the years after college and on into adulthood.

How to be disciplined

How to Combine Working and Studying While You Are in College?

Between class, work, social life and everything else going on, learning to juggle it all might be difficult at first. But over time you will find out that one of the awesome things about college is that you learn to be more disciplined and make it all work in your favor.

It may not be easy, but it will be worth it and something you will be always grateful for.

Finally, to have some fun

And last but certainly not least, one of the most awesome and greatest parts about college is all the fun you will have at college!

Although there are a lot of serious, adult-type benefits, one of the best is that you are free to have so much fun in your new experiences in this new place and while learning so many new things about yourself.

The post 7 Awesome Things about Being a College Freshman appeared first on InstantELLA.