9 Ways to Prepare for College

Getting ready for college can be daunting. These nine tips will help make the transition to MSU Moorhead a little bit easier.

1. Save Your Money!
You’ll thank yourself later. It is recommended not to work a lot of hours during your first few weeks of school to help ease the transition. When you're ready to find a job, the Career Development Center can help.

2. Hang Out with Your Hometown Friends and Family
We know moving away from your family and hometown friends is really hard, but there are so many people left to meet and plenty of ways to make new relationships. And trust us, it won’t be the last time you see them!

3. RELAX!
Really, it’s not as scary as it sounds. There are many opportunities to get acquainted with your new campus and classmates, like during Welcome Week.

4. Know Your Schedule
Making sure you have all your Dragons in a row before the first day of school will help immensely! Get a calendar app or a planner and figure out your schedule. Don’t overbook yourself the first couple of weeks.

5. Talk to Your Roommate
Give them a call or text, maybe even get together and grab a coffee. Plan out who is bringing what so you don’t double up on unnecessary items.

6. Set Goals
Set goals to motivate yourself. Don’t want to gain that freshman 15? Make a plan to go to the Russel & Ann Gerdin Wellness Center a few times a week. It's included in your student fees, so why not make the most of it.

7. Get Organized
Order your parking permit and textbooks ahead of time.

8. Research Ways to Get Involved on Campus
MSUM has a ton of opportunities for students to get involved. Check out DragonCentral to see what you might be interested in joining.

9. Get Excited!
Everyone is so excited to welcome you to the Dragon family! If you have any questions, contact First Year Programs at any time.