How to Prepare Your Freshman Roommate for College

By Alyssa Laffitte on August 22, 2017

A new school year is upon us! Soon, campus will be full of familiar faces and some new ones, too. For the new ones, it’s an exciting but also a scary time. They’re going through a rough transition unlike simply moving up a grade in high school. They are unfamiliar with college life. Who better to help them navigate this wild time than an upperclassman like yourself?

Here are a few ways you, as an upperclassman, can help a young freshman navigate the transition from high school to college.

Image via Isorepublic.com

Show them around campus

When I was a freshman, it took me a while to discover the best places to eat or the fastest shortcuts to take on campus. Yes, maps can be helpful, but there’s nothing like having another human being showing you where you should go or how things work on campus. For example, it would be nice to know that you can easily access one building by cutting through the one next door, or that all the good lunch places close at 2 p.m. This will eliminate a lot of frustration on the first day due to being lost.

If you took the same classes they are currently taking, give them some tips

If your freshman friend is majoring in the same subject you are, chances are they are taking the same classes you did a few years ago. Remember how lost you were at that time? Spare your friend the trouble and give them some tips on how to succeed in the class. For example, tell them about the study method you used that helped you ace the final, or show them the helpful YouTube videos you watched while you were studying.

Include them in your plans

Okay, I know you don’t want to be attached at the hip to your roommate. But it would be very nice if you could include them in your plans at least every once in a while. When you are a freshman, it can be pretty lonely because you haven’t established your circle of friends. Including them in your plans will not only ensure that your friend is not lonely, but it might also help them begin to develop their own circle of friends. Your friend just might hit it off with someone else in the group and become close friends with them!

If you see them struggling, help them

It’s difficult to adjust to being away from home, by yourself, especially at a young age. You are there to help make the transition from high school to college less difficult for your friend. If you notice (or if they outright tell you) that something is not right with them, help them. If they are having trouble with schoolwork, if they’re having health issues, or if they’re still trying to adjust to being far from home, be a helping hand and guide them. If you think their problem requires professional attention, help them make an appointment to see a school doctor or counselor.

Maybe it’s been a long time since you started college and you’ve got the hang of it now, but there are some students who are just starting out and need help from competent people (like you) to make their first year in college go smoothly. Help them out!

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