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The New Student Guide to Preparing for College

Congratulations. You have finally gone through your rites of passage marking 12 years of primary and secondary education. You have been accepted to State University in the fall and you have absolutely no idea of what to expect, what to do when you get there, or how to do it. You are not even sure what to take with you, besides the stuff on the list from the residence hall. Please allow me to give you the inside scoop on preparing for college.

Step One: Orientation
It is important that you attend an orientation session prior to taking your bags and moving in. If you have already been accepted, you will receive a letter indicating the dates for orientation. Depending on the size of the campus, orientation is held during the months of June and July. Some are not held until you actually show up to campus, with bags in hand. Pay close attention to all the information, especially if you really find it boring. Chances are something important will be said and if you nod, you will be left out in the cold. By the way, be sure to visit the college before you head up to State U. Try to familiarize yourself with the campus and ask students questions about their experiences, perhaps getting a couple of tips and making a few new acquaintances. If you are attending a predominantly white school, be sure to find out if there is a Black Cultural Center or a Multicultural Center. The staff there should be especially
helpful.

Step Two: Class Load
As a new college student, you will be introduced to a couple of new terms. One is GPA or Grade Point Average, and the other is “hours”, meaning the number of hours in each course you enroll in. For example most courses are 3 hours, therefore you will be the course for three hours during the week, usually 3 days in one week, for one hour each day, or for 2 days at one and a half hours for each day of class. In order to ensure that you have enough hours at the end of the academic school year to move up a classification level (for example, freshman to sophomore), I suggest you enroll in no less than 15 credit hours per semester, as classification is determined by the number of hours completed (not attempted, meaning not receiving a failing grade, or to be more precise, an F).
Step Three: Academic Advisement
Eons ago when I was a new college student, all the academic advisement was done by the teaching faculty and the admission recruiters. That may or may not be the case for many new college students. More specifically at major institutions, there are academic advisors who usually do not hold the qualifications to teach on a college level, but they advise new students on what courses to take. By the way, you will be asked often what is your major. If you have not really decided what you want to be when you grow up, don’t feel pressured into picking a major on the spot. During your first two years, the best thing to do is get all of your 60 hours of general education courses out of the way, which are required in order to graduate. I suggest that you obtain the current school catalog for the listing of approved general education courses, and pick out any 4 or 6, to total 15 credit hours. Some the courses listed may include English Composition, U.S. History Sociology, Math, Science, Speech and Orientation. Also keep the catalog for the year you are admitted. In the event there are changes in your declared major, for example more classes added, you will still be bounded by the catalog that was in effect when you first enrolled. Another important aspect of Academic Advisement, and may come under a difference area, is that of free services to help students succeeded. Ask where the Student Support Services office is located, and inquire about services offered and find out if you qualify. Whether you need assistance in writing, math, science or any other subject, tutorial services can be found.
These three little steps are just a small part of a big beginning. There will be many trials and tribulations. Once you declare your major, be sure to get a Degree Plan, which list all the required courses needed to graduate under your major and make sure that YOU keep up with all the courses you take and keep your own record of the courses required for you to graduate. Be sure to keep copies of everything, especially any documents from the college, and never forget your goal of going to college is to graduate in four to five years.

Doc is an Afrocentric educator, writer, lecturer and activist with over a decade of professional experience in higher education.