Hutton Honors College

IU Honors College Summer Prep

Curriculum by Mercedes Rodriguez '03, a journalism major from Hialeah, Florida, who now writes for the Bloomington Herald-Times.

Chances are that at this very moment, a good many incoming freshmen are spending their summers sleeping and swimming, or working a job they won't want after college, or just reading a lot and waiting to get to Bloomington. (Or all of the above.) Don't squander your time. Use the summer to prepare for college. Here are four activities that'll jump-start your college experience:

Travel.
Traveling is always a great idea. Travel is an excellent way to broaden cultural horizons, and to make new friends. Also, travel may even help new students learn to handle culture shock; and that may reduce any later shocks that moving to a college town entails. "Visit a place in our out of the country that is completely culturally different than your home town. If you live in the north, go south. If you live in a city, visit the country," says Ashley Sperzel, of Floyd's Knobs, Indiana.

A trip may also be just the thing to help steel the self. The Outward Bound program hosts trips into the wilderness meant to teach leadership and promote self-reliance- both necessary skills for college. "They just throw you into a tough environment and you have to deal with it. You don't have your parents to help you," says Kelsy Robertson, of Darien, Connecticut. A trip like that would leave folks with more than enough discipline to get through any all-nighter.

Keep Fit.
It takes a lot of discipline to avoid eating pizza in your dorm room every night and having donuts for breakfast every day. Being at school means having to scare up your own grub, and often times it won't be the healthiest. For some, weight gain is inevitable. However, exercise really helps, especially if it's already a habit. "If you're used to it, if you're on a schedule then you won't gain the 'Freshman 15' easily," says Sheila Betz, of Bluffton, Indiana. Once in the habit of exercising, students can take advantage of the many classes and programs at IU designed to help folks keep fit.

Hug Your Friends.
All the activities and new people that make the first days and weeks of college such a crazy blur will always be tinged with pangs of homesickness. Leaving behind lifelong friends may be the hardest part for some. Use this summer to spend extra time with them, to plan one last hurrah, to enjoy their company. "It's just harder to keep in touch with friends when you're in school, especially of you're going far away," says Chad Vanderbeak of South Bend, Indiana.

Say Good-bye.
Some may want to use the summer to spend more time with significant others. Going away to college may put extraordinary strain on a relationship, especially if partners are separated by a long distance. To avoid the stress and heartbreak of a long distance relationship, sadly, some upperclassmen suggest making a clean break of it while still possible. "You're just going to end up doing it later on anyways, unless you happen to go to the same school," says Dave Fase, of Demotte, Indiana.

Preparing for college may take a lot of work and guts, but in the end taking these steps and others will insure a happier, healthier freshman year.

More Advice from Rodriguez: What to Bring