Going off to college can be a hard transition especially for those considering moving away from home in hopes of being more independent. Some high schoolers have older siblings who have been through the process of moving into a college so the change is not the difficult.

For some students going to school without much guidance and living in some type of dormitory or living space, find it hard to prepare for what to bring and what to expect while away at college. To help students in high school, freshmen at Carthage College, Mallory Geneisse, Maddy Mittlestadt, and Jessica Soljacich offer tips and advice of what they wish they knew before leaving home.

Maddy found that the hardest change from high school to college was managing time to be sure to finish projects and other assignments on time without getting distracted by the new world around her.

“One of the most helpful ways to stay on top of school work is to create a schedule to ensure that work is not put off until last minute. It sounds so simply but it keeps me organized so I am not missing out on fun things that are happening around school”.

“I was most nervous about attending a school where i didn’t know anyone because I always got the impression that freshmen find it hard to make friends early on”. Maddy was surprised to find how easy it was to make friends in classes, by keeping her dorm room open, and freshman week that most colleges offer to incoming student.

“I meet my closest friends through my sorority but even if Greek life isn’t for you I would highly recommend going to rush [ a time period dedicated to students interested in attending a sorority or fraternity ]  your school offers to even meet people who don’t end up in your sorority”.

Many find it hard to plan and remember exactly what they need to pack for school so Jessica has offered a list of things she never thought to bring to college that you may want to consider.

“Shower shoes, mattress topper, extension cord for electronics, hanging closet shelf, curtain if your closet doesn’t have doors or if your window will let in light early morning, quarters for laundry, reusable water bottles or filter, batteries, band aids, duct tape, desk lamp, plenty of garbage bags, two sets of sheets, command wall strips, business clothes for a presentation, and a suitcase if you ever plan on coming home.”

All three freshman say that they were once stressed out and scared of leaving home but now are glad for all the memories being made while away at college.