It’s almost time to start your new classes. Are you ready? Whether you’re a first-year college student or you’re returning for another semester, we have some tips for getting this school year off to a good start. Try to work your way through this list before your first day of classes.
- Transportation and parking. If you’ll be riding public or school transit, be sure you have a current list of routes, with pickup locations and departure/arrival times. Make a practice run a day or two before classes start. If driving, do you need a parking permit?
- Housing. If you’ll be living on campus, have you checked to ensure there is a room or apartment reserved for you?
- Do you have access to your class schedule? Carry it with you during the first week of classes, or store a picture of it on your phone for easy access. Walk around campus to see where your classes will be held each day. Have you purchased or rented the text books you’ll need this semester?
- Locate important buildings, such as the Student Center (also called University Center, Student Union, Commons or campus hub), health services, the security office, and financial aid.
- Be ready to submit a FAFSA in October. You probably already submitted your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2025-26 school year, but did you know the 2026-27 FAFSA will be ready on October 1? The FAFSA is used to determine what types of federal and state aid you may be qualified to receive to help you pay for college, and it may be a requirement for some scholarship applications. Some forms of financial aid can run dry each year, so be sure to submit your 2026-27 FAFSA on — or shortly after — October 1. You’ll need to use the same FSA ID (username and password) that you created for your first FAFSA. If you don’t remember your username and/or password, go to StudentAid.gov and choose “Log In,” then choose “Help Me Log In to My Account.”