The first week of college can be quite a shock to your system — you will finally come head to head with all your expectations and trepidations!

Here’s a list of 8 things you must do during the first week of college that will help keep you afloat and make the transition from high school into college a little smoother:

1. Get to Know Your Neighbors

The first week of college is when you’re likely to make the friends that will stick around for your entire college career (and perhaps long after that!). Take advantage of this opportunity to get friendly with your college roommate, as well as your neighbors. Keep your dorm room door open so that anyone can pop in and say hello, and do some meet & greets yourself!

2. Choose a Study Spot

As you’ll realize even more in college, being comfortable is an important study tip. College campuses have countless places that you can escape to for some uninterrupted study time. Whether that’s a nook in the stacks, a shady patch on the quad, or somewhere else entirely, it’s up to you to find it.

3. Go to Class!

Though this may seem like an obvious one, you’d be surprised how many students choose to skip the first few classes of college, thinking that the real lessons won’t begin until later. They’re wrong! College professors won’t wait for the full class to show up to begin teaching, and if you miss the introductory lessons (as well as all the important notes you should have been taking!), you’ll likely have a hard time keeping up.

4. Pick Up a Syllabus

It’s absolutely crucial to get your hands on your class syllabus during the first week of college — something that you obviously won’t be able to do if you skip tip #3!  The syllabus will have a list of the necessary texts for that class, the schedule of assignments and class requirements. If any component of the class is a deal breaker for you, it’s important to know it as early as possible so you can find something to replace it with.

5. Buy Your Books

As soon as you know what textbooks you need, go out and buy them during your first week of college. Not only is it a good idea because they sell out fast, but you’ll also be able to begin your reading assignments. Falling behind and not knowing what’s going on in class is not a great way to begin college!

6. Locate the Nearest (& Cheapest!) Grocery Store

Now that you’re living on your own (and don’t have a fridge that magically restocks itself every week), you’re going to have to learn some cheap and easy meals to make! In your first week of college, go out and find the nearest grocery store where you can shop inexpensively. Make sure you go on a regular basis — eating out can really rack up your debt!

7. Fill Out Your Calendar

Once you’ve gone to all your classes and learned about the requirements of each, put all the major deadlines on a calendar. Presentations? Term papers? Exams? It’s important to know when all of them are (particularly in relation to each other) so that you can organize your time to complete each of them.

8. Get Lost On Campus

Unless you paid incredibly close attention on your campus tour, chances are you’re still a little unsure where everything is on campus. In your first week of college, spend some time walking around and finding your way back to your dorm room, the buildings your classes are held in, and the library.

The first week of college may seem like it’s in the distant future, but it’s not! The last of the warm summer days will pass by in a flash. Get excited! You’re about to make new friends, learn new things, and explore new terrain. Follow these tips, and the first week of college will be the beginning of a great year!

College can seem like a never-ending stream of new experiences: new room, new friends, new classes. But instead of being overwhelmed, these 6 tips will go a long way toward making sure your first day of college starts off right:

1) Take a tour of your classrooms.

You might know where your class buildings are, but where is Room 216A? Make sure you check it out before your first day of college.

Finding the right room for each of your classes on your first day of college can seem like navigating a maze. Instead, take a quick tour the day before classes start to find out exactly where you need to be. You’ll be stress-free on the first day, and what’s more,  you’ll be sure to arrive to class on time and snag a good seat!

2) Coordinate your schedules.

You want to be prepared for your first day of college – and chances are your roommates will too. But a bunch of students getting ready in the morning makes for a frantic dorm room.

Chat with your college roommates about their morning routines – when they need to wake up, get ready and leave for the day. I lived with 6 other girls in my first year of college, and we all shared 1 shower. If I had to wait my turn, I could be late to class. Luckily, we worked out a schedule before our first day of college so that we could all be ready to go on time.

3) Bring a notebook.

On the first day of college, your professors probably will review the syllabus and talk about the plan for the semester. They’re also likely to list their office hours and contact information. Keep a notebook handy to record this important information. Some professors also start lecturing on the first day, so it’s critical to come prepared.

Sometimes you’ll know the required books for your classes ahead of time – you might get an email after you’ve registered for your classes with assigned reading for the first day of college, or your syllabus might be available online. But it’s also possible that you won’t be sure what books or specific editions your professor requires.

Unless you have reading assigned for the first day of college, wait to make notes in your books or tear off the plastic wrap. If your professor has a specific request, you’ll want to be able to exchange those expensive textbooks!

4) Keep your door open.

One of the best ways to meet people on your first day of college is simple – just prop open your door!

Lots of freshmen mill around the dorms in the first few days of college looking to meet new people and make new friends. But even if you’re ready to mingle, a closed door suggests that you’re busy or don’t want to be disturbed. Bring a doorstop or something heavy to hold the door open, and people will know you’re welcoming visitors.

5) Start work before it’s due.

The homework you’ll get on your first day of college can be a world away from the high school assignments you’re used to. Start some of your assignments right away on the first day of college, so they’ll be sure to be done by the deadline.

College professors tend to assign bigger amounts of work over longer periods of time, so you’ll lack the daily deadlines many high school courses provide. This makes it seem like you have plenty of time, but don’t be fooled!

You’ll probably need a while to get used to the change in workload and discover the best way for you to study for college classes. Consider making a schedule on your first day of college that breaks down the bigger assignments day-by-day. If you’re reading a 350-page novel in a week, break it down into 50-page segments and read one each day. It’s much easier than trying to skim all 350 the night before class!

6) Take a break.

Your first day of college will be packed with exciting classes, meetings and events – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all of the things going on. Make sure you take time in your day to relax and enjoy it!

Meet your roommates for lunch in the dining hall or have a cup of coffee at that cool off-campus cafe. Your college probably will offer a bunch of freshman orientation events and gatherings throughout the first few days of college, so take the opportunity to chill and share stories of your first day with new friends who just went through the very same thing.

International student orientation is an exciting experience that will not only let you meet fellow international students, but also provide you with all of the info you need to survive your first year at school in a foreign country.

As an American, when I went to McGill University in Canada for my undergraduate degree, I didn’t think I needed to attend international student orientation. They speak English in Canada, I had visited the country before, and it’s right next door to the US – how different could it be?

I thought freshman orientation would be all I needed to survive my first year at school, and skipped the international student orientation. Bad idea!

I found out the hard way that if you’re going to school in another country (whether that’s Canada, the US or elsewhere), international student orientation is definitely a must, no matter how familiar you think you are with the country where you will be studying.

Topics Covered at International Student Orientation

Most schools offer an international student orientation that covers all of the little administrative details that international students need to keep track of. Many of these are incredibly important:

• college health insurance for international students,
• tips on choosing international student bank accounts, and
• details about maintaining the status of your student visa are just a few of the topics that are likely to be covered.

These are things you will want to know about in advance. You don’t want to suddenly discover that your international student visa is about to expire and have no idea how to renew it– which is exactly what happened to me!

What You Do at International Student Orientation

Maybe it sounds like international student orientation will be a drag. Who wants to spend their first days at college learning about boring things like health insurance and banking, right? Not to worry – most schools make international student orientation a lot of fun.

Activities might include:

• Informational sessions and Q&A’s with school staff and older international students.
• Fun social and cultural events for international students to participate in during orientation.
• Day trips and activities like white water rafting, bowling, and museum visits might be among the activities offered by your school.

The Extra Perks of International Student Orientation

International student orientation offers students loads of useful info and serves as a great way to introduce foreign students not only to the university, but also to the new country where they will be living while studying abroad.

What’s more, with plenty of social activities included, most international student orientations are a great way to meet a diverse group of people and make new friends, all a new college student needs to thrive in a new social environment. After foolishly skipping international student orientation, I was smart enough to join some international student clubs, which allowed me to meet fellow students from all over the world.

How Do I Sign Up?

If you are an international student, your school will most likely send you an invitation and information packet for international student orientation before you arrive. Double-check to see if you need to RSVP, or if you need to pay for any optional special events, like cultural excursions.

Too excited to wait for the itinerary? You also can check your school’s website to see what services and special events it offers during international student orientation.

But what exactly can you expect from your orientation session? This handy primer to freshman orientation will give you an idea of what you’re in for.

While every school’s freshman orientation is bound to be unique, most schools tend to include these five activities and events:

1. Campus Tours

In-depth campus tours led by older students are an essential part of freshman orientation. You’ll learn where the important buildings are, find out how to best get from one place to the next, and get all the info you need about campus transportation services.

By the time freshman orientation comes around, many students already have their class schedules. This means you can also use a campus tour to help you pinpoint where your classes are located. That will be a huge help on the first day of school!

2. Dorm Events

Part of your freshman orientation may focus specifically on getting to know your way around student housing. Dorm-related informational sessions may cover a range of topics from how the on-campus meal plan works to where to do your laundry – in short, it’s stuff you’ll want to know about!

Dorm events aren’t necessarily all business though. Social events like barbecues and theme parties during freshman orientation allow new students to get to know their fellow dorm-mates. US college dorms can be extremely social places, so this is a great way to get involved in the social scene on campus.

3. Parties, Concerts, and More

Remember that not every freshman orientation is identical. The activities listed above may or may not be part of your orientation. Other possible events include anything from theme parties to scavenger hunts to live concerts. Some schools have even undertaken unique projects, like trying to break a Guinness record by getting the entire freshman class to participate in an activity, like a pillow fight or water fight!

4. Field Trips

Maybe you thought you would never take another class field trip now that high school was finished, but many colleges include field trips as part of their freshman orientation.

If you’re attending a school located near a metropolis or in a college town, chances are that your freshman orientation will include at least one trip “into town” to introduce you to local student hangouts.

Some schools may also include optional field trips during freshman orientation that are just for fun. Amusement parks are a popular choice. Many freshman students find that hitting the roller coaster circuit is a great way to bond with new friends.

5. Question & Answer Sessions

Many US colleges and universities give freshman students the opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions with older students during orientation week. This is the perfect time to get the insider info to all those random questions you might not find answered in the student handbook.

Whether you’re wondering where to find the best on-campus grub or how to beat the lines at the student bookstore, older students can help you out in a freshman orientation Q&A.

Get Involved!

Whatever your school offers during freshman orientation, it’s a great idea to participate.

It can be intimidating being away from home and meeting so many new people at once. Freshman orientation is designed to make you feel comfortable in your new surroundings, so take advantage of every opportunity!

Are you an international student just entering college? Learn more about international student orientation.