Thinking about attending Suny Cortland? You’ve got your acceptance letter, paid your deposit, and are ready to become a red dragon. Now the next step is getting on campus and starting your new chapter as a student at Cortland. You may be wondering what items I may need to bring or what basic information I should know as an incoming student. Here are a couple of tips to help you get ready for your first semester at SUNY Cortland.
- Weather
Upstate New York is well known for its colder temperatures and longer winters. Before the semester starts, the first thing you should purchase is an umbrella. It is such a rookie mistake for freshmen to walk around campus on rainy days without an umbrella. Not only is the umbrella essential for keeping you dry, it also keeps your backpack dry. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Why would I need to protect my backpack from the rain?” Believe it or not, several students have ruined their laptops and tablets by having their backpacks exposed to the rain. In Cortland, when it rains, it rains cats and dogs. If you are able to afford it, I also recommend buying a rain jacket and rain boots. The rain comes down hard and as you’re walking across campus you don’t want to soak your clothes or ruin your shoes. Alongside the rain, the long winters are what every student should be prepared for in Upstate New York. Pack your thick winter coat, snow boots, hat, gloves, and scarf because the cold can get brutal. If you’ve never experienced single-digit weather before, you most likely will during wintertime in Cortland. Bring any and all winter gear to make sure you stay warm at all times.
Time Management
Since this is most likely your first time living away from home, it is important to make sure you use your time wisely. With all of the freedom you’ll have, it can be easy for you to get distracted and focus on other activities that are not related to academics. Once you’ve created your academic schedule, you can then create a daily schedule to keep yourself organized and on track with your time. A planner is a college student’s best friend as it will keep track of any upcoming assignments and exams and also other important events such as work or extracurriculars. College and high school are two different things, so it is important to quickly adapt to being on top of your academics because your professors or your parents will not be around to constantly remind you. While academics should be a top priority, that does not mean you need to spend all of your time buried in books. Give yourself free time and allot space to socialize and give yourself breaks. Create a balanced schedule that will give you enough time to complete your school work and enjoy time with friends. Time passes by so fast so don’t waste it.
- Making Friends
Do not stress out about knowing who your friends are going to be or making friends in general because you’ll find them over time. For many incoming students, it is common for them to barely know any other students on campus so it can be nerve-racking trying to make new friends on your own. Our campus offers a variety of clubs and organizations that can help you find a group of people that share a similar interest as yourself. Talking to students in your classes is a great way to make friends with those of the same major as yourself. Even talking to students in the dining halls, dorms, or outside on campus will help you get to know your community. As long as you remain true to yourself, you will find your group of friends.
- Keep an Open Mind
The best part about being on a college campus is that there is an endless amount of opportunities that SUNY Cortland has to offer. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Join different clubs and organizations, participate in all activities and talk to new people every single day. You never know what you might like until you try it for yourself. Our college campus is a great place to find new interests and try new things that you may have never expected to do before.
Enjoy every second here at SUNY Cortland because before you know it, you’ll be graduating and calling yourself an alum. Hope these tips can help you have a comfortable start and ease the process of being a new student on campus.