Ten Tips For Making the Transition From Home to Dorm

Making the transition from home to dorm may not be so easy for some students initially. However, overtime you will be able to adjust to your new lifestyle better.  Quite naturally you might become homesick and miss your family and friends during the first few months in school, especially if you’re an incoming freshman.  Not to worry…this is very common for many freshman students. But this will pass once you start to mingle with your peers and make new friends along the way. Here are tips for making your transition from home to dorm a smooth one.

1). Attend your freshmen orientation- once you get enrolled into the college of your choice, it’s imperative that you attend your orientation.  Your school will inform you as to when your school’s orientation will take place…so be sure to keep that date open. During your orientation you will get a chance to meet some future classmates, the school’s faculty and other staff members. You will also get a better feel of the school’s culture. Come prepared to ask questions that you might have about the school’s guidelines or other concerns you might have and take notes for your review later. 

2). Take a tour of the school campus- at some point you should spend a day at your college.  Take time to tour the entire campus. You should familiarize yourself with every aspect of the school until you are comfortable with locating various departments and campus buildings on your first day of school.

3). Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood- while you’re touring your school campus, you should also take the time to learn the area.  Take a drive around town to learn where the nearest grocery stores are, the laundry facilities, hospitals, department stores, eating establishments and more. 

4). Make a list of needed items to bring- you will need to take some of your personal belongings along with other needed items with you to school.  You should make a list of those items so that you will be prepared to have them when the day comes to make your transition from home to dorm.  Some common items are: plastic storage boxes, toiletries, bedding and linens, curtains, small rug, casual clothing, outer wear, sleep wear, foot wear, radio/alarm clock, face and bath towels, lamp, photos, pictures, folding chair, few dressy clothing, non-perishable goods, laptop, cell phone, school supplies, and more.

5). Selecting a roommate(s)- Have you chosen a roommate yet?  If not, then perhaps you may be rooming with someone you don’t know yet. You should find out who your roommate(s) will be beforehand, if possible.  Exchange contact information and hang out before school starts so that you can get to know each other and discuss how to decorate the room, share your interest and dislikes, background, etc.

6). Social networking- modern technology makes it convenient to stay in touch with friends and family by just a click of a mouse.  You can communicate with your family and friends via Facebook, email, texting, and other social networking sites at anytime while away at school. But be sure to take some time to visit you family and friends back home when the time permits.

7). Register for classes and purchase your books- you can register for your classes and purchase your books in advance.  You might want to consider purchasing some used books to help cut down on expenses.  If you want to save time, most schools give you the option of ordering both new and used books on-line.

 8). Budget your money wisely- the cost of education is immeasurably expensive, so be sure to budget your finances sensibly.  You should always put money aside for later (save) and avoid unnecessary spending. You should also avoid applying for credit cards- for these will only drive up your debt and could possibly ruin your credit.  Use debit cards as to avoid spending money you really don’t have to begin with.

9). Deciding whether to join a sorority or a fraternity- once you are situated in school you will discover that there will be various clubs and groups that you will have the option to join or become a part of- one being a sorority or a fraternity (depending upon your gender).  Not all schools permit these types of groups to operate on its campus grounds, but you can still choose to join at another school if your college does not.  Keep in mind that you should take extra precautions about joining any group.  You should do a thorough investigation on the group before your join it.  Bear in mind that hazing is forbidden in all colleges and universities and you should not join any group that promotes such.

10). Stay focused- lastly, keep in mind that the reason for going to college in the first place is to earn your degree in your chosen discipline. Understandably, if this is your first time away from home, you might be tempted to goof off from time to time.  You might also become distracted by the parties, social events, etc. and lose focus of your main purpose for going to school.  Nevertheless, you mustn’t allow these things to prevent you from achieving your goals.

 Happy college life!