College prep

Rose113

Im trying to do some college prep but I dont really know what to get equipment to get and stuff. Can anyone give me some tips or something if comfy as ive never been in this big of a school before and since I was just in a different type of school I dont really know what to expect or how to act.

There's 2 key points to my college and practicality.

1) my college is 1 hour 4 mins away on a train
2) ill be doing photography

Maisy

First of all, congratulations on getting into college to study photography! That sounds like an interesting course and I hope you enjoy it!

It can take some time adjusting when going from one place of education to another- especially if it's bigger or different to what you are used to. But it's good that you are trying to prepare for college as this can help make the transition easier. In terms of what to get...

1) Comfy clothes (assuming you don't have to wear a uniform). It sounds like you might have a long day and will be travelling quite a bit during the day. It might help to make sure you've got clothes that you know will be comfortable to wear all day, and to also plan for the different weathers and seasons (if you need to walk to the train station). Trains can feel warm, particularly during busy times or when you are spending a long time on them. You might want to wear clothes you know you can take off/put back on if you start feeling too warm.

2) Food/Drink/Snacks. You might be in college for long periods of time during the day, or you might have a short day (it might not be like school where you have to be in 9:00-3:00 every day), so it's an idea to think about taking snacks with you, where to get food if you are in college all day, and keeping yourself hydrated.

3) Student/young person rail card or buying monthly/yearly tickets. You might be able to get discounted rail travel since you are a student/young person. But if not, it might work out cheaper to buy a monthly ticket (or whatever is best) rather than paying for a ticket everyday. Best to find out how often you'll be in college during the week as it might not be worth the cost if your course is part time.

4) Stationary. I've not done a photography course (or anything practical) but I imagine it may still be worthwhile getting basic stationary e.g. pens, notepad, in case you need to make notes. You can always buy other stationary e.g. folders later on if you need them. Does it say on your courses page whether you need any particular equipment? Some might say that you need a digital camera, while others might be more specific about a type of digital camera. If it doesn't say, then you might want to get in touch with the college or tutor to ask if there is any particular equipment you need to get. Though I'm sure the tutors would let you know at the start of the course whether there is anything you need to get or whether they are able to supply things.

College can feel different to school. It might feel like you have more freedom in a way, as you might not have to wear a uniform, might not have to be in college as much as much as you were in school, and you are learning something you want to study. Some things might be similar though...you might have different tutors for different areas of the subject, or be in different rooms depending on the lesson.

Many people starting college might feel similar to you though and not know what to expect or how to act. But hopefully, given a bit of time to settle in, you may enjoy it. If you think you might need extra support in anyway, it might also be worthwhile getting in touch with student services.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes