It’s an exciting time. You’ve received your acceptance letter from a college or university and are briming with excitement. But the start date is in September, which is months away. Still, there is a lot you as a new student can be doing to prepare for your arrival on campus.
“It can be overwhelming and there can be that lull between getting that letter and the start of school,” said Lindsay Sullivan, interim assistant vice-president of students at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ont.
“Everyone’s first year is going to look different based on your own lived experiences, and there is a lot to consider,” she said. “It might be your first year of post-secondary or you might be transferring from somewhere else. You might be an international student or a mature student. There are a lot of different folks we see on campus experiencing their first year.”
She said one of the first things you can do is follow your school on social media. At Nipissing, for example, the school has several different accounts, including those for specific programs, the student union, its Office of Indigenous Initiatives, international support services and student learning and transitions services.
Following your school’s social media accounts is a great way to stay informed and really get a sense for what is taking place before you arrive, she said. It might help you to decide what you would be interested in connecting with once you are on campus, and what kind of supports — from studying to mental health — are available should you need them.
“For example, the student union: what kind of services and supports do they offer? There are events, there is advocacy, there is clubs. There is lots of stuff you might want to learn,” she said.
“There will also be contact information, so you can reach out to someone with questions, and this is true for the university as a whole.”
She said open houses and campus tours are another way to get ready. Nipissing, for example, holds a new student orientation in July when students can get familiar with the campus, learn more about supports and even register for courses. Personal tours can also be arranged.
Sullivan recommends that you also learn about the city or town where your school is located — especially if you are living off campus. What is available in the community, where the grocery store is located, and what is transit like are things you will want to know.
“Bring on the questions,” Sullivan said.
Pam Charbonneau is the director of the student success office at the University of Waterloo. Each September, the school welcomes about 7,000 new students to campus, with others starting courses in January or May. She said in the months before students arrive on campus, they should start to practice independence — like learning to ask questions on their own.
“Any opportunity they have to speak up for themselves and take initiative and onus, they should,” she said. “This is good advice for the students and the parent.
“Some students may already be doing these things, but if you aren’t, learn to do your own laundry, learn to make a few meals where you actually do the planning, do the grocery shopping and make the meal. Make some of your own appointments for haircuts, dentists, doctors, things like that,” Charbonneau said.
“Many of these are seemingly small steps to independence, but often our students struggle with them when they get here in September because they have never done those things before. It’s also a good exercise for parents to step back and start to move into that role of more of a coach than doer.”
She said the school has Waterloo Ready and Welcome Warriors sections on its website — Warriors is the name of the school’s sports teams — with advice on how parents and families can navigate their changing role as a supporter of an incoming undergrad.
Paula Jean Broderick is the director of student success at Lakehead University, which has main campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia. She encourages students and their parents or supporters to discuss expectations and boundaries.
“Talk about how your relationship might change when you go to university. What should you share with them? Figure out the balance that now I am kind of an adult, or I am an adult, and how does that parent role, and our relationships, change going from Grade 12 into university or college,” said Broderick.
“The education experience is also completely different. The professors aren’t teachers, they’re researchers. No one is going to be chasing you for homework, it’s up to you,” she said. And, if you are having problem with your teacher or dispute a grade you received, you can’t expect your parents to deal with it on your behalf.
“For that matter, we can’t even share that information. It’s a really big change for parents, but also a really big change for students.”
Lakehead has a section on its website that advises first-year and new students what they should be doing in the period before the start of September. For example, eight to 12 weeks before classes start it suggests you complete your online orientation, choose your courses and plan your finances, among other suggestions. While four to six weeks ahead is time to ease your transition by arranging travel to campus, connecting with student services and learn about the school’s Academic Support Zone.
Reflecting on what might make you nervous about going to post-secondary school for the first time is something that Allysa Martinez, associate director of student success at pc28Metropolitan University, said incoming students should do.
“The time between when a student accepts and when they start class is a lot of time to build up anxiety about what is to come,” she said. “Maybe they are nervous about academics or maybe about making friends, or finances. It’s a lot of time to sit in those feelings.”
She said students should check-in with their institution about what they might be nervous about and see what resources are available that they can access them before they start and also while they are on campus.
Martinez said usually it is academics, finances and social concerns that they encounter among first year TMU students. She said with academics, for example, several schools have pre-orientation workshops and sessions to help a student improve in a specific subject before they start their actual course in September.
Martinez also recommends you check to see if there are jobs on campus available — some universities call it Work Study jobs, while at TMU it is referred to as Career Boost. Because they are on-campus jobs, they are more catered to a student schedule and they usually hire during the summer.
Waterloo’s Charbonneau also said students should, if they haven’t already, get a job or some kind of volunteer opportunity for the summer. It helps them to build their resume, but also to build their bank accounts a little bit.
“Have some of those conversations as a family, if you haven’t already, about finances and what the plan is for paying for education, and expectations for the student if they are contributing,” she said. “And teach them how to create a budget for themselves if they haven’t done that before. Start practicing so they feel comfortable with that.”
She also agrees that new students should visit the campus at some point after receiving their letter. Especially, she said, if they will be living in off-campus housing as they will need to find accommodations.
But remember, Charbonneau said, when you do get that acceptance letter, take time to celebrate.
“Enjoy the moment. You worked so hard, you got the offer, so feel good about what you accomplished. And enjoy the rest of high school, too. The next few months will go really quickly.”
