Transition from High School to College

As you transition from high school to college, it can be an exciting time. Here are some ways to help prepare for college that students and parents can do together.

• Check your college email. Colleges and universities will begin to communicate with you ONLY through your school email. It is important that you check this new email often as it will have information about payments, housing, registration, and more. They may also send out information about college placement exams that you need to take prior to registering for classes.
• Send in scores. You may need to send in final ACT/SAT scores to your school. *CDS will take care of sending in your official transcripts once your grades are released. You will also want to make sure that you update the Bright Futures website with the school name that you are attending.
• Start a packing list & shop online. If you visit your school’s residence hall website, they should list what is acceptable to bring, what isn’t acceptable to bring, and what is in your room and the dimensions. Also, some retail vendors such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond have an option to order all of the items you need for college in the store that you need them in. You pick out the items and they will have them prepared for pick up when you are ready. Also, if you know your roommate(s), start to plan out who will bring what items.
• Learn about medical resources. Many students are not prepared to handle a medical situation until they are in the middle of it. Learn about your medical insurance (what is covered, what is not) and what to do/who to call in case of an emergency. Also, begin to have a plan for transferring over prescriptions to your new school. Some campuses have a pharmacy, while others will require you to have them shipped or visit the one closest to the school. 
• Create picture collages. One of the frequently recommended items from college students to bring is pictures from home. They help with homesickness and are great to share with new friends in college. 
• Discuss finances. Have a discussion about expenses in college. Will you need to open up an account with your school’s credit union or will you keep your local bank? Find out which branch is closest to your school. Also, talk about your financial aid or scholarship package if you have one (many require a GPA requirement that you will need to maintain). 
• Learn how to do the laundry. You may have been doing this for years, while others of you have never done it. Most colleges do not have machines anymore that take quarters. You will be able to put money on a card (like a school id) that you insert into the laundry machines. There are also apps you can download that tell you when your laundry is done.