As the school year winds down, a large number of seniors are preparing for college, the next big step in our journey towards adulthood, towards the real world. There are a few steps we can take to ensure we are ready when August rolls around and we move into our home for (fingers crossed) the next four years:

1.)    Have final transcripts sent to the college of your choice. Many colleges require a final transcript to allow a student to enroll in classes, especially if school-based scholarships are involved. Make sure you request them through Naviance and pay the fees to the front office as soon as possible to ensure everything goes according to plan when schedule-making time is here.

2.)    Research any summer assignments and requirements for your planned classes. Once you have your schedule made—usually sometime in late May or early June—it is time to get started on those summer reading books, projects and assignments. Be sure to check all of your classes, not just English, and email the professors if necessary to ensure you will start the class on a high note, not a failing grade on an assignment you had months to complete.

3.)    Contact and coordinate with your roommate(s). Random roommates can be one of the most exciting aspects of going to college, but they also require careful planning to make sure everyone has everything they need. Get in contact with your future room or suite mates and figure out who is bringing what; it would be a shame to show up on the first day and have four microwaves but no television.

4.)    Know when you are expected to move into your dorm. Many colleges have strict deadlines, giving your room away to someone else if you do not show up exactly when you were supposed to be there. Make sure you know when this is so that you will have a place to sleep at college. If you are going to be out of town on your assigned move in date, contact your school’s housing department as soon as possible and arrange an alternate date.

5.)    Gather everything you need for your dorm/apartment. Do not wait until stores start advertising “back to college” sales and everyone is running around the kitchen department, frantically grabbing whatever ladles or spatulas they think they might need for their Ramen Noodles and microwavable mac-and-cheese. Plan ahead, and hopefully you will have everything you need and avoid the stress that is sure to come if you procrastinate.

Following these steps can help to insure your transition to college is as smooth as possible.