How to Prepare Yourself for the Next College Year

By David Gutierrez

With the summer break in full swing, the question of how to best prepare for the next college year is getting more and more urgent with every passing day. If you want to be ahead of the game come September, you’d better start using your time more responsibly right now. Here are five tips on how to be in top shape when college starts.

1.    Start Browsing Your Textbooks

Try to get the necessary textbooks as early as possible. Thus you won’t have to scurry around looking for a crucial textbook when the next term starts and, what’s more important, will be able to start reading up for at least some of your subjects. Reading textbooks in summer may sound hardcore, but it will give you a head start on your studies – you will be better prepared and have less to read during the college year.

2.    Have a Proper Vacation

A lot can be said about the benefits of learning in your spare time, but too much of a good thing can sometimes be, well, too much. You may cram all summer and even learn something, but if you suffer from burnout the first week of September, it will hardly do your studies much good. Therefore, having a good rest is as important for your long-term success as reading up. If possible, make sure it is a proper vacation – go somewhere for a change of place, book vacation rentals on the Outer Banks with your friends, for example, and spend some time actively enjoying yourself.

3.    Learn Touch-Typing

If you cannot touch-type yet, set aside some time to learn it. You are going to do a lot of typing in college and, most likely, later in life, and knowing how to type without looking at your hands can seriously improve your productivity. Summer is the best time to do it – the first weeks after transitioning to touch-typing you are going to type excruciatingly slow, so it is better done when you don’t have any urgent work.

4.    Get a Job

College costs a lot of money, and every little bit helps. Nobody expects you to sweat blood, but a reasonable amount of paid work done in summer and fall will go a long way in paying your college debt and, in addition to that, teaching you some important lessons about discipline.

5.    Do a Financial Check

Do you have a financial plan for the year ahead? Do you have sources of income? How much debt do you have? How much are you going to spend and on what? Are you going to rely on credit cards? Decide all these matters in advance so that you don’t suddenly find yourself completely broke.

Preparing to the next academic year is much more complicated than simply cramming and reading the assigned materials. You should create a proper mindset, put your finances in order, restore your physical and mental well-being. The next year isn’t going to be easier than the previous one – prepare for it well.

David Gutierrez has worked in the field of web design since 2005. Right now he started learning Java in order to get second occupation. His professional interests defined major topics of his articles. David writes about new web design software, recently discovered professional tricks and also monitors the latest updates of the web development.