Find Your Classes

This is more of an issue for people who are on a large campus, but if your school has more than one building then it would be a good idea to follow this suggestion too.

Basically, today many colleges are enormous, self-sustaining entities. The university I'm attending has its own police department, fire department, convince store, restaurants / bars, and its own zip code. From one side of campus to the other is about 2 miles. Unfortunately, a lot of your transportation is going to be done on foot.

With this in mind, you do not want to spend 15 minutes walking in circles trying to find the building that your class is in. My own first-hand experience would probably offer the best reason why you do not want to do this. I thought I knew where my class was. I had my schedule and the map of my campus. I knew the general area where the building was. I left with what I thought was enough time to get there. Well, I get to the area that I thought the building was out and wouldn't you know it, it wasn't there. So I started walking around looking for one of the larger maps that my campus has placed in various areas. I find one, find again where I think the building is, and go off on my merry way. Another 5 minutes passes and I still haven't found the place. Now I'm starting to worry because my class is supposed to start in a few minutes. To make a longer story short, though, I finally found the building. I was late, so I rushed upstairs only to find that the class had been canceled for that week because it was a lab and labs didn't meet the first week.

So that little story brings up a few points I want to go over. The most important point, though, is basically to take some time before classes start to walk around campus and make sure you know where each of the buildings that you have class in are located. It's much better to spend some time wandering around when you don't have anywhere to be than to be panicking when you can't find your class and it starts in two minutes.

Another point is this - Do Not Trust Maps. The maps that most large colleges provide can be helpful, but they can cause as much harm as they can good. Many times the buildings are represented by a box with an abbreviated name over it. The maps generally do not show the front entrance and are usually not drawn to scale all that well. The reason I couldn't find my building was because I walked by it several times but the map didn't show where the door was and the building didn't have its name on it.

This brings me to my second point - sometimes it's hard to spot the right building. Many times buildings are placed side by side by side. If they aren't well marked it can be very easy to walk into one building, thinking it's the right one, and then find out that it is not the building that you were looking for (this is another thing that I did my first week of classes).

So basically, it is definitely worth the little bit of extra time and effort to go and scout out where your classes will be held before the first day of classes. In the long run it will save a lot of time and frustration.

Buying Textbooks

Buying textbooks is one of the things that all college students would agree upon as being the bane of their existence. Not only do they represent all the work that you will have ahead of you for that semester, but they are also amazingly overpriced. My textbook bill is hovering around $500 for this semester alone - and that's with my saving a lot of money by using the suggestions below. Unfortunately there really is no way to totally get around buying textbooks (well you could take the same classes as a friend of yours and then mooch off of him, but I wouldn't suggest this), but you can lower your expenses.

Always Go Used
My younger brother started college this year. Before going to school he was talking to me about pre-ordering his books, and he said that he was trying to get all new books. I laughed and told him he should be looking to get as many used books as he can. Confused, he asked me why.

Well, the reason is quite simple - a textbook is a textbook is a textbook, whether it is brand new or has been used by a couple people. Yes, there may be some highlighting or some dog-eared pages in a used textbook, but the content that you need is still the same. Therefore, there is no reason to pay 25% more for a new textbook.

This is made even more true by the fact that if you resell the book to the bookstore you get, at the very best (meaning the book is in perfect condition), 50% of what you paid for it. Even if the book was brand new when you bought it and you go to sell it back in brand-new condition, the book store is going to consider it used.

Obviously, though, you want to make sure the book isn't entirely ruined. Check to see if there are ripped up pages or pages missing in general. Also, check the binding to make sure it isn't falling apart. Another good indication of what type of condition a book is in is the cover. If the previous owner threw the book around and mistreated it, the cover would have taken the most hits. If the cover is in good condition then there is a good chance that the rest of the book will be in good condition too.

Order Books Online
One really good way to save on textbooks is to buy them online. The sellers are usually people who have taken the course and are now trying to sell the books. Many times the book is really cheap but the shipping seems somewhat outrageous (i.e. costing as much as the book), but even with this expensive shipping you can usually save 25-50% of what you would be paying in the bookstore.

One site that I have found to be really good for buying books online is CampusBooks.com. This site allows you to search for a textbook and then it shows all the leading sellers of the book. The sites that usually come up from this search are abebooks, ebay, ValoreBooks, Half.com, and eCampus.com. There really is no best site - it all depends on the people trying to sell the book through the site since most of the sites listed are basically just a place for private sellers to list the books.

There are a few things that you should be careful about before buying books online, though. One, make sure that the book is the right version of what you need. Most textbooks have several versions, so check what your course requires and make sure to get that version. Also, make sure the book is in English. Many of the sellers are from other countries (or at least they are listed as so in the directories), so it is important it check to see if the book is in the right language. If the seller is from another country then he/she should say somewhere in the book's description "Exactly like the US version," or something that conveys that general message.

One last note about buying books online - do not wait until the last minute. Even if you buy express shipping many times it will take a week or more for the book to arrive, in part because, as mentioned, these are private sellers. So if you can get a list of your required textbooks before school starts, then order your books as far in advance as you possibly can.

Pre-Ordering Books
This really isn't a money saving thing, but more of a way to save yourself some hassle. Depending on your schools size, the campus bookstore is going to have to be serving several thousand to tens of thousands of students at the beginning of the school year. Because of this, the bookstores do run out of books. Having to wait until one of your books gets restocked can be frustrating and can cause you to fall behind in the course. That is why, if your school has the option, that it is a good idea to pre-order your textbooks. Not all colleges have this service, but you can probably find out if they do or not through the school's website.

All Moved In

Just a quick update. I didn't post yesterday because I was moving in, which meant a long, exhausting day. Everything went well, though, and now I'm all settled in. Class starts tomorrow

Moving to College

Well since I will be moving to school tomorrow morning I figure this would be an appropriate time to talk a little bit about the whole process of moving off to college.

Moving to college can be a very stressful experience for several reasons. For one, simply moving that much "stuff" can be a frustrating process. Then there is of course the issue of leaving behind your friends and family. The first year is the most difficult for this simply because the experience is a foreign one.

Let's get down to the actually process, though.

Packing Up
When you are thinking about packing for college you need to keep the mindset that this will be the place that you will be living for the next 9-10 months. Yes, you will be home at different intervals, meaning that certain seasonal stuff can be picked up and dropped off. However, you don't want to be running home every weekend because you need to get some more clothes or you forgot your favorite CD.

So plan ahead. Think of everything that you might need, even if it is something that you might only use a few times. Many schools will offer a general list of things you might want to have with you while at school. Here is the list my school offers:

• Stationary
• Munchies
• Computer (along w/original software)
• Small stereo
• Only pets allowed are fish
• Trash Can
• Backpack
• Quilt/Comforter
• Flip Flops (for the shower)
• Laundry Detergent
• Stamps
• Stackable Crates
• Plants
• Fans
• Posters or decorations
• Power Strip
• Cleaning Supplies
• Two sets of linen
• Shower/Bathroom Carry All (for shampoo, soap, razors, etc.)
• Bathrobe
• School Supplies
• Sewing Kit
• Storage Containers, which may fit under the bed
• Television, VCR, and/or DVD Player
• Telephone
• Alarm Clock
• Umbrella
• Towels & Washcloths
• Laundry Basket/Bag

You also have to take into consideration the location of your school. For me, my school is in the middle of nowhere. Without a car on campus (normally students cannot bring a car onto campus until junior year - again this varies by school, but this is a general rule) being able to just run out to the store and pick stuff up is less of an option for students at my school. However, if the college you are attending is located in a city, well then maybe there are things you can pick up once you get there.

Another thing to look for is if you school has a list of things you cannot bring to campus. Many times this includes items that would be considered fire hazards. This is the list of non-permitted items that my school offers:

• Ceiling fans
• Toaster ovens
• Water beds
• Hot plates
• No homemade lofts
• Any items with exposed heating elements (i.e. Candles)
• Kerosene heaters
• No cinder blocks
• No previously burnt candles
• No privately owned air conditioners
• Electric grills or skillets
• Electric heaters
• Extension cords
• Halogen lamps (of ANY kind - desk, floor, table, etc.)
• Firearms, ammunition, any weapons, bows, guns, BB guns, slingshots, and launching devices
• Fireworks, powder, and other explosive or potentially dangerous objects
• Drugs, narcotics, harmful materials

While you must think of stuff you will need, also remember that everything that you want to bring with you must be packed up and moved. While this might sound obvious, think about the difficulty of carrying a dozen boxes full of belongings up several flights of stairs to your dorm room. Basically what I’m trying to say is try not to exceed your ability to move everything (you don’t want to have to rent a big-rig shipping truck to get all your stuff to school).

One thing that I have found useful is packing things that need to be set-up and packing things that you will use at a later date separately. For example, I have this small tower of drawers (two large drawers and two small drawers stacked on top of each other). I put everything that I will not need on move-in day – such as school supplies, extra electrical equipment, hygiene supplies, etc – in these drawers and tape them shut. I also put all my notebooks and any books that I have purchased already in my backpack. For stuff that I will need on move-in day – power strips, Ethernet cables, television cables, etc. – into a couple of boxes. This just makes moving everything in easier than if I had everything all jumbled together.

Planning Before Move-In

Now that you have everything put into boxes or bags or whatever, it is time to think about actually getting to school and moving your stuff into your room. The first thing you want to do is find out what time is scheduled for you to move in, and on what day. Many colleges have a day for just freshman move-ins (usually this is the day before the rest of the campus moves in). When you contact your roommate, it would be a good idea to discuss what day and what time each of you is moving in. There are a couple pros and cons to moving in at the same time and different times.

If you both move in at the same time, then you can discuss what you want to do with the room before you set up all your stuff. You may want to move furniture around or place appliances in specific areas to create more floor space. I remember my first year my roommate and I moved in on different days and, because neither of us wanted to undo all of our setting-up, we left the furniture exactly how we found it. Unfortunately, leaving the room set-up the way we found it limited the amount of space we had.

However, if you do move in at the same time then you may find that you and your roommate are in each other’s way of moving stuff in. Generally, dorm rooms don’t have a lot of room. There is enough space for you to live comfortably, but with parents there and with you and your roommate moving in clothes and computer equipment and everything else, you may find that you and your roommate are constantly bumping into each other. So like I said, there are pros and cons to both choices.

Moving In

So now you are at your school, you’ve checked in and gotten your key, and you’re getting ready to unpack the car. You have all of this stuff sitting in front of you and you’re thinking to yourself “What is all this junk.” Well, that’s the thought I always get anyway. So where do you start?

First, I would look at the room and get a general idea of what I want to do with it. The basic question is this: How can I get the most space out of this room? Am I going to leave the desk and dressers where they are? Maybe my roommate and I should bunk our beds? Where should the fridge and the TV go? If I decide to make any changes I do that before I move anything into the room. Also, another thing I do is check to see where the outlets are. Many times the internet and the TV cable connections are behind beds or dressers. It is a good idea to connect these cables before you move anything into the room

Next I move the things that I don’t want to move more than I have to into the room. These items would be the fridge, the TV, the microwave, and anything else that is big and heavy. These take up the most space, and therefore and the most important things to position.

After that you can start moving all the little things in. You can do this in any order. Usually I pile stuff up in the hallway and I move stuff in as I make room. I usually wait to do my desk until last because I use it as a place to stick things on and if I put my computer and wireless router on it before I move the other stuff in that would take up the desk space.

Wow, that turned into a pretty long post. Well, I hope it helps. If you have any questions just leave them down below and I’ll get back to you.

Contact Your Roommate(s)

I'd just like to take a moment to talk about how important it is to contact your future roommate(s) before you go to school.

Unless you somehow manage to get a single room (which is rare for a freshman to get - later on, if your school has them for students, you can try to get a single, but they are in high demand) you will have at least one roommate at college. This is a person that you will be living with for the next 9 months, so it is a good idea to get acquainted with him/her before going to school.

Not only do you want to just say hello so that when you arrive on move-in day you aren't going to be bumping into a complete stranger, but also because you need to talk about what each of you will be bringing. Space is limited in a dorm room, so you don't want two of every appliance in the room. Also, many schools limit the number of each type of appliance you can have (1 fridge, 1 microwave, etc).

This is a mistake I made my first year at college. I waited until the week before it was time to move to school to contact my roommate, and guess what, he was on vacation. We ended up with a couple duplicate appliances, unfortunately, thanks to this mistake.

I've learned from my mistake, though, and now I make sure to get in touch with my roommate(s) long before move-in day. This year, for example, I will be living with 5 of guys in a suite on campus. These are all good friends of mine, but we still had to discuss what we would be bringing to the room. It's been an ongoing discussion for the last month or so.

So, basically, just get in touch with your future roommate as soon as possible. It makes everything easier in the long run.

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Welcome!

Welcome!
I'd just like to take these first few minutes to say hi. However you got to this site - whether by referral from a friend or just surfing through search engine results - my hope is that you can find exactly what you are looking for.

I'm talking from the standpoint of someone who has been through it all ready. Taking the SAT's, choosing the schools to apply to, getting the recommendations, writing the essays, filling out the application, and the ultimate choice of where to go - yes I've done it all.

And it doesn't stop there. No, no. Getting into the school is just there start. How are you going to pay for school? What is being away from home going to be like? How are you going to do in your classes? How active in the school are you going to be?

There is so much today to being a college student that it is almost an endless subject to talk about, so I might as well get started.

So again, welcome. Make yourself comfortable and just start looking around. I hope I can be helpful.