Getting Ready for College
Your first day at Beloit is closer than you think — start preparing now.
Classes, club meetings, a work-study job, homework, practice sessions for sports, dance, music, and everything else you find yourself doing. Your soon-to-be very busy campus life can benefit from some serious organization.
Here is a handy list to get you started so that you’ll be well-prepared for that first day in your new Beloit classroom.
Organizing
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Physical or digital planner or calendar
- Beloit College Academic Planner, LEADS SChedule Planner,* Google Calendar, Schooltraq
- Digital storage devices (USB, external hard drives, Google Drive, the Cloud)
- Folder(s) (can color code them for classes; usually four classes per term; may also want additional ones for personal reasons such as keeping FAFSA information, work documents, receipts, and other official forms)
- Binder(s) (color code; can add separators with tabs)
- Bulletin board (a place to put up reminders, handouts, photos, etc.)
*Available in the LEADS office
Taking Notes and Studying
- Notebooks, notepads, loose-leaf paper
- Pencils and pens (try different colors for color-coding)
- Consider a “Smart Pen”
- Erasers and correction fluid or tape
- Pencil sharpener
- Highlighters (to emphasize and color-code your notes)
- Pencil case (for convenient storage of writing utensils)
- Sticky notes and sticky note flags (to make notes to yourself as you read/study)
- Notecards (to make flashcards!)
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Dictionary, thesaurus (physical or digital)
- Online dictionaries, such as www.dictionary.com and www.wordreference.com, are valuable resources for English and other languages
- Calculator (basic, scientific, or graphic, depending on your classes)
Online Studying Tools - all free!
- Quizlet - Create (and find) digital flashcards and quiz yourself!
- Kahoot! - Study by creating and playing quizzes!
- GoConqr - Great for visual learners! Create concept maps, flowcharts, slides, flashcards, quizzes, and more!
- Evernote - Take notes, make lists, and organize your ideas!
- StudyBlue - A Chegg-provided service for flashcards, quizzes, study guides, and homework help forums
- Marinara Timer - Use the traditional Pomodoro method (25-minute work period then a 5-minute break) or set up own timer with custom work and break periods to efficiently accomplish tasks
Miscellaneous
- Coloring supplies (a coloring book may be a good stress reliever)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Glue, tape, rubber bands
- Stapler, staples, and staple remover
- Paper clips and binder clips
- Hole punch
- Envelopes and stationery (for whenever you want to send something by postal mail)
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- Stamps available in the mail center
- If you have a printer, don’t forget paper and ink/toner
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- Printing is available on campus, in the residence halls, library, and the Sanger Science Center
Practice Organizing Before Arriving
It takes a lot of organizational skills to keep track of all of the information and paperwork necessary to apply to and enroll in a college. The Learning Enrichment and Disability Services staff recommend that when you get to Beloit, bring a folder with a copy of everything that you submitted to the college. Then you won’t need to panic if someone is missing the information that you already sent. You can simply show them a copy and everyone will be highly impressed with your organizational skills.
- Application/Transcripts/SAT or ACT score
- Disability documentation
- Employment forms, work-study, job history (resume)
- Financial Aid
- Health Services
- Housing
- Orientation/AMP course information
- Registration, advising information
- Other Questions
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- “How do I get involved in a particular club/organization?”
- “How do I get vegetarian meals?”
- “Who do I talk about being on the soccer team?”
- etc.