Back to College Guide

Summer is coming to an end and college is fastly approaching. Whether you are going to be a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, fifth-year, or grad student, this article will help guide you through the back-to-college frenzy. 

Scholarships, Financial Aid, and College Tuition 

The first and most important thing to take care of is applying for financial aid and scholarships. In Georgia, if you have a GPA of 3.00 or higher, then you qualify for the HOPE Scholarship. If you have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher, then you are eligible to receive the Zell Miller Scholarship. To receive these scholarships, you must fill out either a FAFSA form or a GSFAPPS application. If you fill out a GSFAPPS form, you will only need to do it once. However, if you choose to fill out a FAFSA form, you will have to do it each year. Be sure to remember which one you pick so that you can receive the scholarship each year. If you are applying for financial aid, it is recommended to use FAFSA. 

Once you have received all of your financial awards, be sure to pay your tuition on time. The deadline for tuition at most colleges is the first day of school. If you cannot pay on time, be sure to reach out to someone in the university’s financial department so you can make payment arrangements. 

Class Schedule 

Usually, students sign up for their classes a semester before taking them. This means that you most likely already know your classes, but you may not know where they are located. Before the first day of class, it is recommended that you find the location of each of your classrooms. That way, you won’t have to worry about getting lost on the first day or rushing to class. 

Remembering your schedule comes with time. In the first week or two of the college semester, you will probably still get confused about the time or place of some of your classes. To help clear your confusion, keep your schedule written down either on a planner or on your phone. That way, if you happen to forget your schedule, you can check your phone or planner quickly to find it. 

Parking 

There is nothing harder to find in a college town than parking. Before the school year begins, the university will normally send out a lottery to apply. In this lottery, your chance of receiving a parking spot is determined by your priority. Normally, the priority is staff, faculty, and administration. This is followed by residents of on-campus housing. Then, graduate students. Lastly, undergraduate commuters. They are normally your sophomores, juniors, and seniors. 

If you apply for a parking spot and you do not receive one, don’t worry. Thankfully, most universities understand the parking issue and provide buses for college students to use. These buses will take you all over campus and are free to use with a college ID. If you are unfamiliar with the bus system but would like to use the bus, ask your college if they have an app that can track the buses and help you understand how they operate.  

Dorm/ House/ Apartment Move In 

If you are living in the dorms, you have probably been assigned a dorm room and a move-in time. Be sure to remember your scheduled move-in time because they are normally separated so that all the residents don’t move all their stuff in at the same time and slow the process down. 

If you are moving into a house or apartment, communicate with your landlord or apartment complex so they know when you are moving in. It is also important to talk to any roommates you might have so you are not in each other’s way when carrying in all of your items. 

Grocery Shopping 

Once you have moved into your new place, it is time to fill the refrigerator and snack drawers. Depending on where you are living will affect what you will need at the grocery store. If you are on a meal plan and don’t have a kitchen, then you will only need snacks and easily prepared meals in your shopping cart. If you don’t have a meal plan but you do have a kitchen, then you will need to buy groceries to live off of. 

Some items you should consider purchasing depending on your living arrangements are: 

Does not have a meal plan but has a kitchen: 

• Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.) 
• Cereal 
• Peanut butter 
• Pasta 
• Coffee beans  
• Milk 
• Bread 
• Fruits 
• Vegetables 
• Yogurt 
• Frozen dinners 
• Sandwich meat 

Has a meal plan and does not have a kitchen: 

• Easy mac 
• Granola bars 
• Chips 
• Bananas 
• Apples 
• Peanut butter 
• Popcorn
• Oatmeal packets 
• Dried fruit packets
• Cereal 
• Crackers 

School Supplies 

While you need fewer school supplies in college than in high school, a few items are essential to your education. You must have a computer or access to a computer. Most of the work done in class requires a computer to complete. Most if not all assignments are completed via the internet. You should also have a backpack so you can carry all of your items to and from class. 

For your benefit, here are some items you should keep in your backpack: 

• Computer 
• Chargers (for phone and computer) 
• Notebook 
• Pens, pencils, and a dry erase marker 

If you follow this college guide, your first days back to class should be a breeze. Study hard and enjoy your college experience. They are some of the best days of your life.