Today we are sharing 5 things to prepare for before you head off to university. Preparing for university can be stressful, time-consuming and confusing. This is because there are many things you have to prepare for such as your accommodation, school fees, your general finances and even your mental health among other things. However, there is no need to be alarmed. There are ways to make the process easier and less daunting so that you can focus on what’s really important – your studies and future career.
Below are some tips to help you prepare appropriately for university.
Organize and Prepare Your Finances
Tertiary education can be very expensive. That is why your finances have to be in order before you head to university. You must have figured out how you are going to pay for university. Trying to figure this out when you are already in the university would be reckless.
Your source of financing may come from your parents or folks. However, if that is not the case, you might have to consider a student loan. The student loan option may not sound appealing. Sadly, sometimes it is the only option.
It is vital that before you take a student loan, you fully understand the weight of the responsibility you are about to undertake. Also, you have to be sure you do not overborrow- remember you pay interest on these loans.
To be safe, you could use a student loan calculator to estimate how much the interest you will pay on the student loan and a student loan payment calculator to know how long it will take to pay back the loan.
In addition, to prevent overborrowing, you should make use of any form of student discount available and get a job or side-hustle.
Courses You are Going to Take
This is one of the most important parts of preparing for your university education. The first thing is to pick the compulsory courses, meaning the requirements students need to satisfy before they can graduate.
This process doesn’t have to be boring, you can make it very interesting. For example, if there is a history requirement, you could look for a history class that interests you to satisfy the requirement. You could also do the same for a language requirement.
Furthermore, it is very crucial that you are very meticulous at this stage. Ensure you choose courses that help you achieve your long term goals.
Prepare For Roommates
Contrary to what you see on television, you might not like your first roommates. This is because you meet new people from very different backgrounds- you can liken it to culture shock.
It might even be worse if you have never had to share a space with anyone other than your family. For this reason, you have to prepare your mind for this situation. You have to be ready to be more tolerant. Basically, you have to try to find common ground with your roommates for a more enjoyable experience.
Photo by Bradley Lembach on Unsplash
Make a plan for your dorm room
Another exciting part of starting college is decorating your dorm room. You can begin planning your setup, including what you’ll place on the walls and how you would advise decorating the communal area.
However, it’s a good idea to run these through your roommates before you do anything. You should also make a packing list so that you don’t forget any important things.
In addition, you should read the rules and regulations of your dorm beforehand so that you do not bring anything contraband. Sometimes, dorms ban bringing certain things like camp gas or any other kind of gas cooker.
Mental Preparation
Mental preparation is very key in university. You are no longer in high school where you do not need much studying. In university, you have to be ready to study hard because your grades matter, and good grades will help you get closer to your long-term goals.
Read more education articles at ClichéMag.com
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