The Summer Before You Go to College

In your summer before college most of your thoughts are centered on moving in, having fun, and (maybe) getting ready for class. These months, however, are a great opportunity to prepare yourself not only for your arrival at college but also for your exit from your home community.

Before you pack your bags at the end of the summer, consider these three things you should do before freshman year.

1. Make a Facebook Group with Your Best Friends from High School

Staying connected with high school friends when you head off to college can be more challenging than you expect. Once you arrive on campus there is a nearly unending stream of distractions to make you forget to text and call your friends from home. You will meet so many new people over your first year that old friends may begin to fall into the background.

One of the best ways to keep high school friends top-of-mind is to create a Facebook group that will send you notifications every time a friend posts a message. Everyone in the group was a good friend in high school, so the conversation will flow similarly to when you were all together. Without gathering your friends in a group like this it can be all too easy to missing each other’s calls and lose touch.

2. Research Activities around Your College

The best person to know freshman year is the guy who knows all the cool places on and around campus. If you want to lead the pack on Friday nights, doing a little research before your arrival can help you be the guy to break the silence when the question “What do you guys want to do tonight?” pops up in conversation.

3. Get to Know Your Class before You Arrive on Campus

Most people come to college and don’t know anyone. This is alright if you don’t mind making quick introductions for the first few days, but wouldn’t it be better to already have one or two people you are looking forward to seeing?

Most colleges create Facebook groups for their incoming class. The guy who posts a lot to this page becomes instantly well known and will more likely than not already have some friends before he arrives. Even if you don’t post to the main page, reaching out to people in this group will help you make friends before you even set foot on campus.