The few months before you leave for college is a very exciting time. There is a lot of anticipation as you prepare to move to a new place, meet new friends and start a new life. I have put together a list of a few important things to do in your summer before college to help make you feel prepared.

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Spend time with family and friends. This may be the last time you are able to spend an extended amount of time with your home town community. Soak up every last minute and catch up with all of your close friends and family before you set out on a new adventure.

Relax! The college admission and decision process can be stressful and busy. It is important to take some time to rest. Reflect on all of the hard work you did in the past year and feel proud that you finally made your college decision. It is also important to feel refreshed and ready for all of the excitement of the fall.

Organize housing and connect with roommates. You will receive a number of emails that detail how to organize your housing. I suggest getting on top of this early to ensure you get your housing preference. The summer is also a great time to connect with your future roommates. Get to know each other and start organizing your living arrangements.

Organize visas and travel documents. The international office will also send out a list of International student decision details. This will include visas, I-20’s, international student orientation and travel arrangements. Be sure to get on top of this so that you have all of your travel documents organized and ready to go.

Prepare for Bearcat Bound Orientation. Included in your emails from the university will be links to sign up for Bearcat Bound Orientation. It is important to stay up to date with all of this information. You will receive a schedule with times and locations. You will need this in your first week in Cincinnati.

Pack. Now it is finally time to pack your bags. Be sure to read my blog of Essential College Wardrobe Items. This will help you narrow down exactly what clothes to bring as you prepare to fit your clothes into the dorm wardrobes.

I hope this list helped as you prepare to leave for college! Be sure to read some of my other blog posts about preparing for orientation and how to survive your first week of classes.