Well, hopefully you had a relaxing holiday break, and a happy new year, because tomorrow, a new semester begins. Are you ready to hit the ground running and tackle your college classes? Maybe this isn’t your first semester, and you know what you’re in for. Or maybe this is a winter start for you, and you’re diving into college for the first time. Either way, here’s a last-minute checklist so you can make sure you’ve got what you need.
1. Where and when are each of your classes?
Let’s get an obvious one out of the way: Know where you have to be, and when. As for the where, make sure you have a basic idea of where your class is, so you’re not totally lost. Need some help? Here’s a handy little video our social team put together on how to figure out where your classroom is at Centennial College.
2. Do you have all the supplies you need?
You can’t just make do with a laptop! My own experience says that you should always go to school with a pen and notebook, for when you need to jot things down and all of your devices are dead, which WILL happen, even if you remember to bring chargers (another important thing to remember.) Also, invest in a nice, durable bag to carry your things, and look into renting a locker if you’re expecting a lot of textbooks.
3. How are you getting to school?
If you’re living in residence, this is much less of an issue, but if you’re commuting to school, how you’re getting here is going to get very important very fast. If you’re driving, you need to have a car, and be able to afford gas, insurance and maintenance. Additionally, you'll need to pay for parking. On the other hand, taking the bus is cheaper than vehicle ownership, but it can also eat hours out of your day. But you can always use that time to read or study. Planning is really the only way around this, and you’ll need to figure out the way to school that works best for you, and is most cost-effective. Speaking of cost-effective…
4. What’s your meal plan?
And by that, I mean your actual plan for meals. Where are you going to be getting your lunch from? Or dinner, if you’re there later. If you have time, you can put something together at home and take it with you. You can also buy food on campus, which is more costly, but convenient. This all ties into another, broader thing to think about…
5. How will you keep healthy?
A healthy body means a healthy mind and therefore a better chance you’ll do well in school, so take care of yourself. You'll need to stop assuming you'll always be healthy, and start eating right and staying active, even if you just run on the treadmills at our Athletics and Wellness Centre a few times a week. Another thing to pay attention to is your sleep schedule. Between oddly-scheduled classes, homework, and more responsibilities, you can burn yourself out if you're not careful, and coffee isn't always the solution. Like it or not, you'll need sleep, and the idea of a student that pulls all-nighters is an unhealthy one. Finally, you need to make sure, even as you’re working hard, that you take time for yourself, to ensure your mental health. Speaking of that…
6. What activities will you do outside of class?
Don't just go to class and then head straight home. Participating in school life is important for personal growth, career development, communication skills and confidence. Maybe you can volunteer to help at orientation or graduation, or join a student club, or simply participate in the activities the CCSAI holds on-campus. There's a lot to do, and it's worth looking into and finding something you like. And what about when you’re not at school?
7. What’ll you do in your time off?
As the semester goes on, you’ll become busy, and, like it or not, you’re not going to have as much free time as you do now. Binge-watching TV shows, seeing a new movie every week, playing a bunch of video games, tearing through a book a month are all things you’re going to have to ration carefully, or even cut out entirely. So, pick the ones you enjoy the most, whatever media that is, and put the others on hold. Exercise, sports, going out, and anything else that takes up your time all needs the same treatment: You can still do some of it, you just have to figure out what's most important. Speaking of important things…
8. What’s your money situation like?
If you haven’t already been budgeting your weekly expenses, now is a perfect time to start. If you’re working, figure out how much you make in a week, and calculate what your expenses will be. See if you can walk away in the green. At the same time, let’s say you’re getting OSAP to pay for school. Are you sure about how much you're getting, and when you'll be receiving it? If you're misinformed about either, it can leave you high and dry when you may need money the most. The best way to avoid this? Do your research on what you'll be getting, and plan a budget. Centennial College's Financial Aid department can help set you straight when it comes to this information and budgeting.
By: Anthony Geremia