Starting college is a big milestone in anyone’s life. In some
families, starting college is almost like getting married – it’s
a big step, a giant move towards independence. Everything that
happens during college counts towards the future – that’s why
it’s so important for students to start college on the right
footing.
First of all, see if you have everything all pinned down before
you start college. If your college is going to be quite a
distance away from home, you’ll need to find a place to stay.
And if you’ve already found a place to stay, you’ll need to find
roommates who can share the rent with you. You’re only starting
college and finances are going to be tight – with someone
sharing the place with you, you can bring the expenses down.
The next thing that you have to decide on before starting
college is the mode of transportation. Your options are…college
car, a motorcycle or a bicycle. The mode of transportation
depends on how far you are going to be housed from the college.
If you’re within college campus, you can probably start with a
bicycle. If you’re located outside the college campus, you might
need a car to get you around.
Next, go shopping for college clothes. A whole new wardrobe is
necessary only if you are moving to a place where the weather is
very different from where you live, for example, your home is in
Maine and your college California. Otherwise, you can probably
live with what you already have in your wardrobe. If you don’t
know the kind of clothes you will need for college, why not
factor the cost of a new wardrobe into your starting college
funds. You can go do some shopping when you’ve started college.
Living on your own and starting college also means that you’ll
have to do some calculations on the use of kitchen utensils
(getting some of your own is a good idea), and also some
entertainment. Yes, you’re starting college but you still need
to have some fun once in a while.
Starting college means that you’re probably going to need your
own computer, printer and scanner too. Most colleges have these
facilities in their college campus. The options are:- buy new
ones if you can afford it before you start college, buy
second-hand ones, loan one from your relatives or parents, use
the ones available in college or pay for the services in
Internet cafes where these facilities are widely available.
Research the area near the college and see if there’s a need to
get your own electronics. If you can save the money for
something else, you can start college without it and use the
ones in the college first.
If you have reasons to want to move tables, beds, furniture and
shelves from home, this could save your parents some money.
Starting college is already ripping the bank accounts apart, so,
if you can save on furniture, why not? If you’re bringing the
furniture from home, find a relocating service contractor to
help you move the furniture to your new place.
Most importantly, before starting college, you’ll need to get a
list from your college so that you can purchase the books before
college starts. It is best that you start college on the right
footing, so, don’t wait until all the books are gone.
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla
lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of
http://www.your-college-life.com on which you will find a
longer, more detailed version of this article.
