Who would have thought in 2020, that my household would have two family members in college? Well, while it may be hard to believe, it’s true! My husband just started back to college for his Bachelors and I am going for my Masters. In addition, our middle child will be graduating high school soon and off to college. So, we know how important organization and preparation is for a successful new college semester. Here are some tips that we have found to help us prepare for college, no matter what age.
1. Prepare for college now – don’t delay
Traditionally, classes start in August for a new semester, but I start prepping now. I don’t want our house to be full of chaos and disarray when classes start. I decided now was a great time to start putting that home office together. While my husband and I will be mostly using the office space, my girls can start using the space too with their homeschooling.
2. Grab the college books you need early
Something that we are busy doing is buying college books now. It’s amazing how quickly those college books can disappear because everyone else has already bought them. One of my best tips is to start shopping now for those college books you’ll need in the fall. You can also find discounted books on Amazon or eBay.
3. Make sure the financial part of college is taken care of
With college costing a pretty penny these days, it’s worth it to make sure the financial part is taken care of. There is nothing more stressful than getting a “due” bill in the middle of the semester. I always try and make sure this is taken care of before the start of classes. Most importantly, we avoid student loan debt. This is hard to understand for young college students, but when they don’t take out student loans, they’ll have more money in their pockets later down the road.
4. Develop a daily routine
It’s so easy to stay up late whenever it’s the summer months. The kids stay up late, we talk and have a good time. However, one of the key ways to prep for college is to start getting a routine down. Going to bed at a decent hour and getting up at a decent hour are all important parts of a routine. This was especially true for me!
Who knew routines were so important, even as you get older. With routines in place, you can manage your tasks more efficiently. There is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off your to-do list.
Remember, getting ready for college does not have to be stressful and setting up a designated work area is super important. Also, if you don’t have the opportunity to do your homework or write essays by yourself, experts from Pro-Papers.com will be happy to help you with this! Get creative and be inspired. Here is to a successful surviving college school year
5. Design Your Home Office Space
As I mentioned before, something we are doing to get ready for college is designing our home office space. While there are two of us in college, we still have little ones running around who can be distracting. It’s important to have a space to go and study!
Adding just a touch of inspiration to your office space is super important. What I mean by this, is make sure your office space is inviting.
It is also important to have fresh air in your home office. You should consider putting a new tower fan in the room, which will fit into any interior and provide you with fresh airflow on hot days.
To get ready for “back to school,” I love shopping at places like TJ Maxx, Target, or At Homes. I love how these stores have a huge selection of back to school items, especially for college, and not going to break the bank. With the semester quickly approaching, it is important to have an organized desk space where you can study or work.
6. Keep Your Desk Space Organized
Creating and organizing your office space does not have to be difficult. There are so many easy ways to organize the room so that it functions well for your college needs. You cannot have clutter around you when you are trying to type that paper or study for that exam. Clutter can be very distracting when you are trying to stay focused. Keep only the necessary items you need at your desk and store the rest away in storage bins or shelves. At the end of the day, make sure to clean up your workspace and put things away.
7. Make Your College Dorm Room Feel Like Home
For those needing to decorate their dorm rooms, there are tons of big-ticket items like mattresses, furniture, and even small appliances that are needed. What I love most about back to college shopping at some of these stores is that the items are very trendy and fashionable.
Believe it or not, colors alter our moods and you want to choose a color that will help to promote creativity, positive energy & commitment. It’s okay to get creative with your dorm room but don’t go overboard with too many colors! It is important to find just the right amount of balance & inspiration to your dorm room.
Remember, prepping for college does not have to be stressful and setting up a designated work area is super important. Get creative and be inspired. Here is to a successful future as you prepare for college today.
Other related college articles:
Why You Should Convince Your College Student to Ditch Student Loans
Why Your Teen Should Not Get Into Student Loan Debt For College
Jennifer says
Recognizing that you’ll have limited space is very important! It’s not like home where you have a big room all to yourself. You’ll be in a small room, AND you’ll have a room mate.
Allie D. says
We are a long ways off before our kid goes to college, but we have already started a college fund, because it’s getting so expensive. These are great tips too. I definitely need to get that organizer for my office.