The summer before college is such an exciting time. And it should be! College is such a fun experience. You will meet so many great people, explore some fantastic opportunities, and learn SO. MUCH. But, how should you prepare? What exactly should be on your to do list before you begin your next big chapter? Well, don’t worry. I have got you covered. Today, we are going to discuss the 20 essential things you should do the summer before college. Let’s get into it!
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20 Essential Things You Must Do the Summer Before College
The majority of you reading this are probably about to, or just recently have, graduated high school and are excited to start your new journey into college. The other group of you are perhaps returning to college or transferring into a new school. Whichever boat you’re in, you will absolutely want to get these tasks done the summer before college to ensure you’re ready for whatever comes!
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Get your Finances in Check
The first major thing you need to really do the summer before college is to get your finances in check. College is expensive! It’s no secret. So it is time to hunker down and really figure out how you are going to pay for the next few years of your life. That may involve accepting financial aid from your university, paying for it out of pocket, accepting scholarships, or a combination. Here are all of the tasks that will help you in this process.
- Start a Blog: There are countless reasons to start a college lifestyle blog while attending college, and helping your finances is among the top. Blogging can be an incredible source of income if you do it correctly! It can also help you expand your network, beef up your resume, and give you some life-changing travel experiences. The summer before college is the perfect time to start a lifestyle blog. Check out this blog post to help you get started and this blog post about what class you absolutely need to take in order to become successful. PS: HERE is a free five-day blogging crash course offered by my favorite bloggers over at It’s A Lovely Life. Check it out!
- Create a Budget: The next major thing you can do to truly get your finances in check is to create a realistic and useful budget. Check out my step-by-step guide to college budgeting for more information. Also check out my ultimate guide to saving money in college!
- Apply for Scholarships: Scholarships are arguably the best way to pay for college. They are free money! As an added bonus, when you apply for scholarships, you will be getting paid more money per hour than you will at any other job in your life. Think about it, if it takes you two hours to win a $1,000 scholarship, you just got paid $500 an hour. Not bad! If you’re looking for more guidance, check out this post on my 12 winning pieces of scholarship advice, and this post for my ultimate, #1 tip.
- Create a Scholarship Application Plan for the Upcoming Year: It is not only important to begin applying for scholarships, but to also create a serious plan to continue to do so while you’re in college. Think of scholarship applications as a part time job! PS: I have some great scholarship worksheets included in my Student Printable Planner!
- Save up some Money: My last piece of financial advice is to save up as much money as you can the summer before college. This might mean working a part time job, creating a blog, or asking your family for help. Get creative!
Sign up for the FREE 5-Day Start A Money Making Blog Crash Course
Research and Prepare for your College Career
Next up on our summer before college task list? Research and general preparations for college success. These tasks span from simply getting comfortable with your new college website to packing up and moving! Let’s dive in.
- Research What to Expect: The first thing I highly recommend is to research what to expect while in college. My Freshman Survival Guide is the perfect place to start! Other great resources include your acceptance letter,new school website, and any alumni you may know. This book is also a great resource!
- Complete the Successful Semester Checklist: Next, take some time to complete the pre-semester checklist (scroll down to get yours for free!). More details can be found in this post about each task. Check it out!
- Research some College Majors and your Career Field: The reason we all go to college is to land an awesome career… right? Well, now is the perfect time to start researching future career paths and college majors. Check out this post on how to choose the perfect career for you!
- Attend Orientation: Of course, you will want to attend your college orientation over the summer. This is where you will sign up for classes, meet new students, snag free swag, and learn about your new campus. You will have so much fun!
- Fill out all Paperwork from Orientation: After orientation is over, be sure to complete all of the paperwork and tasks they have assigned for you. This usually includes medical forms, emergency contact lists, vaccine records, etc.
Related: The Ultimate Moving Out Checklist
- Setup All of your College Online Portals: If you haven’t already, you need to set up all of your online accounts. This usually includes a college email account, main campus online portal account, and perhaps a separate online learning account. Check out the materials you were given while at orientation for more information. PS: If you’re taking online classes this summer or upcoming semester, check out my ultimate guide to online classes!
- Reach out to your new Roommate: Now is the perfect time to reach out or even meet up with your new roommate! Perhaps go grab a coffee together and discuss how you want your dorm to be decorated?
- Shop for all of your Dorm Room Supplies: Dorm room shopping can be SO MUCH FUN! Plus, you can always find some awesome summer deals right before classes start. Check out this post for everything dorm related!
- Pack for College: After you get all of your shopping out the way, time to pack! Be sure to put your name and dorm room number on all of your belongings/boxes to make sure they don’t get lost in the process. My favorite tip for packing is to, instead of using cardboard boxes, actually using large, plastic storage boxes. Then you can use them in your dorm room too!
- Get Organized: This is also the perfect time to get organized and to setup your college binder, college backpack, and student planner.
- Clean Out your Bedroom: Right before you leave, you should probably go through your bedroom at home and start cleaning up. Reorganize everything so that if you need your parents to send something to you, they can easily find it. This will also make things easier on you when you come back home to visit.
Related: Organize Your Life with the Only Student Printable Planner You’ll Ever Need in School
Relax and Enjoy Your Break
Finally, you should take some time for yourself the summer before college begins. Things are about to get hectic! (But so much fun…) Be sure to take some time for yourself and really relax and enjoy your last few months off.
- Meet up with your friends and family one more time: You might not have a lot of time after you begin college to spend a lot of time with your family and friends from home. Be sure to spend as much time with them as you can now!
- Read some great pre-college books: Reading is both a great way to distress, but also a fabulous way to learn some new, essential life tips to get you started on your way at college. Check out my two favorite book lists: books to read in your 20’s, and 52 books to add to your reading list today.
- Practice stress management: Getting in a habit of practicing good stress management techniques is incredibly important to maintain your sanity in college. Now is the perfect time to pick up that habit!
- Relax and have fun before you hit the books! Finally, take some time to have fun! Go to the beach, go on a date, go on a road trip or hike your favorite trail one last time.
Related: The Ultimate Summer Bucket List (50 Insanely Fun Activities to Try!)
There you have it! Twenty tasks to complete the summer before college. I hope you have found this useful and perhaps have started to make a to do list for your summer. Remember, get your finances in check, research and prepare, and have fun! Pretty easy, right? Have a great summer!
Looking for more advice for freshman year? Check out my ultimate freshman year survival guide, packed with everything you will need to know to be successful your first year of college!
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