So, you've just graduated from high school and I heard you got pretty good grades so you've been accepted into the school of your choice. Congratulations! By now you must be pretty excited as you anticipate taking the next step, but are you ready for it? I mean REALLY ready?

For many students, the summer is when they'll be leaving home for the first time and going off on their own. If you're one of them and you're moving to a new town for school, it would be a good idea to move in a few weeks before registration. Allow yourself plenty of time to unpack and get settled in.

Most likely, you'll be living in a dormitory style residence on campus during your first year of university. Even if your school offers the option of living off-campus, it's a good idea to live in residence for at least a year. Although not everyone who attends university in Canada chooses to live in residence, statistics have shown that those who do generally have done better academically and are more likely to graduate from university. Surprised?

Sure, living in residence can have its drawbacks - no privacy, crowded bathrooms and you might run into a weird roommate or two, but most people who have lived in residence before, myself included, will tell you that the rewards outweigh the frustrations.

Being part of the residence community can help ease the transition to living on your own because it'll make you feel safe and secure in your new surroundings almost right away. And you won't have to worry about furnishing your room or making your meals or travelling to campus every day. For these reasons, residence can be convenient and save you a lot of time.

Another bonus is that it can help jump start your social life by introducing you to a diverse group of people. These people will probably include some seasoned back-to-school students as well who can offer the new dormies like yourself some advice and support.

If you have any pet peeves, be sure to tell your roommates right from the start. You can do this in a light-hearted way but do let them know. Find out what theirs are too. If you find you have problems with a roommate, try to work it out right away or get help from the Residence Assistant (RA). You don't want to live under stress all year.

Before classes start, it's a good idea to walk around campus to acquaint yourself with the layout and places you know you'll be visiting later (e.g. the Registrar's Office, libraries, student and counselling services, health services, the Student Union building, etc.) so that you can start feeling more settled and comfortable in your new surroundings.

Most schools also offer a New Student Orientation Day in the summer to help first year students register for courses and get oriented with where the buildings and services are. Getting familiar with your campus can help you find your classrooms faster, too. You'll appreciate this when school starts and you find yourself rushing from one class in Building C to another one in Building G.

If you need financial assistance, applications for student loans are available at the Financial Aid and Awards Office. Here you'll find information on other financial aid programs such as bursaries and scholarships as well. You may also want to buy your textbooks before classes start to avoid the long line-ups at the bookstore the first couple of weeks of classes. You can find out what books you'll need from the university bookstore. Don't worry if everything seems a bit confusing to you in the beginning. All students feel that way at first, but after a while, it'll all seem routine to you.

University is a wonderful opportunity, a great challenge and a lot of fun. You'll meet people who live in the dorm and you'll meet people in class and at the dining hall. You might also want to join a few campus clubs and associations so that you can meet people with similar interests.

This is a completely different environment than high school, there are all kinds of activities here that are available to you that may not have been available to you in high school. You have a lot more freedom now but at the same time, you have to be a lot more self-disciplined and give a more focused effort.

University courses are at a higher level than high school courses and the material is usually presented at a faster pace. Plus, professors are likely to assign more reading and writing than you have been accustomed to in the past. If you skip classes and don't do your assignments, no one will nag you. When it comes time for the final, though, and you don't know the material, you may wish someone had.

As long as you are aware of your responsibilities and you are up to the challenge, you'll be fine. If you run into any problems that you can't handle, don't hesitate to seek guidance from your university counsellors - they are there to help you succeed. Best of luck, be all you can be, and enjoy the journey.