What should I know how to do before starting college?

As a high school junior, I'm curious about skills or cool things I should learn before beginning college. What are some useful or fun things to prepare for college life?

It's fantastic you're thinking about how to best prepare for college! Here are some skills and suggestions that can help smooth your transition:

1. Time management: With the freedom of college, comes the responsibility of managing your own time effectively. Learn how to create a schedule, prioritize tasks, and accommodate time for work as well as relaxation.

2. Budgeting: Maneuvering finances is essential in college. It's important to understand how to manage a budget, track spending, and potentially deal with banking.

3. Cooking basics: Even if you plan on having a meal plan, knowing how to cook a few basic meals can be very helpful (and budget-friendly).

4. Laundry: If you don't already, learn how to do your own laundry, including separating clothes, using appropriate settings, and handling delicates.

5. Resourcefulness: Develop your research skills. This can involve learning how to find academic resources, but also practical things like using public transit, finding the best study spots, or scouting for the best deals on textbooks.

6. Networking: Learn to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of people, your peers, professors, and even professionals in your field of interest.

7. Tech Savvy: Being proficient in using a computer, email etiquette, Microsoft Office, and Google apps is a necessity in the current academic and work world.

8. Self-Care: Understand the basics of taking care of your mental and physical health—to handle stress, get enough sleep, eat healthily, and exercise regularly.

Remember that the objective here is to prepare for college, none of these are prerequisites and you will have ample opportunity to develop these skills during your time at university. But a head start never hurts!