Eight Things New College Students Should Do After Arriving at College

A new college student's arrival at school can be hectic and tiring. After driving for perhaps hours, a new college student must load all of his or her possessions into a cart, navigate an unfamiliar building, and then unload the items into a barren dorm room. But where does the student go from there? In this article, I intend to describe seven tasks that every new college student should do soon after arriving at school.

College Arrival Task #1 - Introduce Yourself to Your Roommate
It's good to start on the right foot with a college roommate, and a good first impression can help to prevent future roommate problems. Try not to be judgmental, and rather try to show interest in your roommate. If you find a similarity, pursue it. If not, keep an open mind. Don't force conversation if your roommate appears to be introverted or exhausted from his or her college move-in. You'll have time to talk later. You will want to discuss things like sleep schedules and temperature preferences with your roommate sooner rather than later, though.

College Arrival Task #2 - Move Furniture
The time to move a desk is not when it is full of school supplies, and the time to move a dresser is not when it is full of clothing. Consider the layout of your room and move furniture according to your preferences. Make sure that you use your space efficiently and don't end up putting your things in your roommate's area. You should try to move anything you want to move while your family is there so that you can avoid doing heavy lifting alone.

College Arrival Task #3 - Unpack Everything
Once you've moved everything that you want to move, you should unpack your things right away. This will keep you from living out of boxes for the first week of school and will also help to keep your dorm room clean and save space. Nothing really is going on during the first afternoon at school, so unpacking right away won't make you miss anything and will allow you to begin socializing and having guests sooner.

College Arrival Task #4 - Introduce Yourself to Your RA
Resident Assistants or RAs are a great resource for new college students. They know the college and the surrounding area. They have connections and may have taken courses that interest you. They are likely involved in campus life and organizations to some extent and may be able to advise you about things like studying abroad or on-campus work opportunities. Again, it's best to make a good first impression. Your RA, if new, may be nervous and will appreciate your introduction.

College Arrival Task #5 - Learn the Layout of Your Dorm
It's important to learn where things are in your dorm. For example, the bathrooms, the trash room, any study rooms or TV lounges, vending machines, activity rooms, or anything else. The sooner you know your way around the dorm, the more comfortable you will feel.

College Arrival Task #6 - Make Sure Everything Works
No one wants to have electrical outlets that don't work, windows that don't open, or toilets that don't flush. Check to make sure that your electrical outlets and Ethernet ports work, as well as air conditioning and plumbing. If something is wrong, contact maintenance as soon as possible.

College Arrival Task #7 - Start Meeting People
Don't push yourself on people or enter rooms uninvited, but if you see other new college students wandering around in your dorm, introduce yourself. You might make a new friend or you might just kill a few minutes talking. Either way, you have begun the process of meeting new people at college.

College Arrival Task #8 - Learn the Campus
Walk around campus. Learn where your classes are. This can prevent a lot of confusion and embarrassment on the first few days of school. Likewise, learn where the cafeteria is, where different offices are, and where the campus police are located. Being able to navigate your college's campus is important and you should learn how to as quickly as possible.

These tasks do not have to be done in order. For example, you might not be able to introduce yourself to a roommate that hasn't arrived yet. Don't wait until he or she returns to do the rest of these tasks. Likewise, some college students may not have a roommate. I would recommend moving furniture before unpacking, though. I hope this article is helpful and can provide some direction for new college students. Have any further suggestions for things new college students should do upon arrival? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!