How to Prepare for Your First Day of College

There’s a moment, usually in mid-August, when the idea of college starts to feel less distant and much more real. You start thinking about the room you have to set up, the (perhaps new) city you will get to know, and the people you have yet to meet. And the question floating in the back of your mind might be: “Will I be good enough?”

If you’re about to begin your studies at Bocconi, the most honest answer is: probably not, at least not at the very beginning. No worries, though, because college is a process rather than one continuous exam to pass. “We do not envisage students to be perfect, but we do want them to be curious and willing to put themselves out there,” says Rector Francesco Billari. Translation: feeling anxious — and making mistakes — is to be expected. 

In recent years, attending college has been portrayed as some sort of automatic upgrade: you enroll and instantly become more intelligent, confident and “grown up.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. The truth is that you enter this phase of life with everything you are — your habits, fears and expectations — but slowly begin to question them. “College is a place where one learns how to make choices, not just how to study,” underlines Billari. And making those choices, at first, is the most unsettling part.

This is why preparing in a less obvious way might be worth it — that is, by actually adopting the right mindset, not just reading the syllabus or searching for a place to live. You must accept that you will feel both eager and lost, that you won’t understand everything right away, and that others will seem more confident (spoiler: they aren’t). And it is exactly on this foundation that the university experience is built.

The following list is not a “summer assignment,” but rather an emotional survival kit: novels, films, TV shows, and podcasts that capture what really happens when you leave your comfort zone. You will find among them The Catcher in the Rye — a novel exploring the disorientation of growing up without sugarcoating it — along with The Social Network, a film where college becomes a ruthless driver of ambition. The series Normal People shows just how complicated relationships are, even when everything seems to be going “well,” while the podcast How To Fail normalizes the idea of making mistakes. Some of these tools will make you feel like you can conquer the world, while others will bring you down to earth. It’s actually better this way; you need both.

“Starting college also means learning how to navigate uncertainty,” says Billari. It’s a sentiment that sounds great in theory, but much less in practice. Before long, it will become much more real: new routines, relationships, failures (yes, even failures), and possibilities that you never even see coming.

And when it’s time to finally embark on your journey, make sure to take advantage of all the Welcome Days event has to offer. It is, after all, your first real exposure to the Bocconi environment, its approach to learning, and its people. More than a simple orientation program, it’s a way to help cut through some of the noise and give you a better understanding of where to begin. The complete program can be found on the Bocconi website, and taking a look beforehand will give you an idea of what to expect during those first few days.

The rest will come later — or rather, through doing. In the meantime, below is a solid starting point to be truly prepared, not just well-prepared.

A list of 25 stories (including books, films, TV shows, and podcasts) to help get you through the first day without feeling overwhelmed:

1. The Catcher in the Rye – novel, J.D. Salinger
   Holden Caulfield never sets foot on a college campus, but he is exactly the kind of person who gets there with a head full of doubts and a chronic aversion to “phonies.” Reading this before you start means accepting that feeling out of place is not a flaw — it’s a feature. A must-read for anyone who thinks they need to have everything figured out, which is not going to happen. And that’s okay.
2. On the Road – novel, Jack Kerouac
   Kerouac is the antithesis of a curriculum: no roadmap, just detours. It’s not a call to drop everything, but a reminder not to turn college into a dead-end track. Perfect for someone with résumé anxiety and who needs the reminder that getting lost every now and then is productive — and that experiences matter just as much as exams, even if they don’t earn you credits.
3. Norwegian Wood – novel, Haruki Murakami
   Murakami depicts college as a liminal space: intense friendships, complicated romances, and unfiltered vulnerabilities. There is no glamour — just real life. A great read for anyone who thinks that simply moving to a new city is enough to automatically become an adult. It is not, but that’s exactly where the fun — as well as the challenges — begins.
4. Dead Poets Society – film, directed by Peter Weir
   Yes, a film everyone knows, but rewatching it before college offers a different perspective. More than just “carpe diem,” it is an invitation to stay intellectually curious, even within the confines of higher education. It helps you avoid becoming the kind of student who takes notes without ever taking a stand. In other words: study hard, but never stop thinking.
5. Starter for 10 – film, directed by Tom Vaughan
   College quizzes, social blunders, and clumsy attempts to reinvent oneself. It’s the first year unedited: plenty of enthusiasm and plenty of embarrassing moments. Perfect for those who enroll in college convinced they can turn their lives around in a week. Real life is slower, more awkward, and definitely more interesting.
6. Stoner – novel, John Williams
   A university career viewed without all the fluff: quiet, persistent and frustrating at times. Stoner is not a hero, but someone who perseveres. Recommended for anyone who considers college as an immediate springboard; sometimes it is a long and unspectacular journey instead. However, it can have a profound meaning if you truly immerse yourself in it.
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – novel/film, Stephen Chbosky
   Letters, friendships and traumas: everything you carry with you before starting something new. It’s not about college, but it speaks to the experience all the same. Perfect for anyone who thinks they can reinvent themselves from scratch. The truth is, you bring all of yourself with you — and learning to live with that is already half the battle.
8. The Social Network – film, directed by David Fincher
   Dorm rooms, code and off-the-charts ambition. In this film, college is a catalyst: ideas turn into companies, while friendships turn into lawsuits. This is not a fairy tale about talent, but about the price of success. Useful for those with big dreams, the film reveals that you can achieve amazing things, but they will come at a cost.
9. Freshers – novel, Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
   Two teenagers, their first year at college, and a long string of misplaced expectations. A lighthearted yet spot-on read, it captures exactly what happens when theory meets reality, with its unlikely roommates and cringe-worthy moments. Perfect for taking the pressure off because no one really knows what they’re doing, especially at the beginning.
10. Normal People – series, created by Sally Rooney (adapted from her novel)
    Love, social class, long silences, and glances that say it all. In this series, college is more of a testing ground for relationships than for academics. Recommended for anyone who thinks that being smart is enough to get by. In reality, human dynamics are much more complicated — and often decisive.
11. Skam Italia – series, created by Ludovico Bessegato
    Authentic dialogue and characters who seem real, without the moral high ground. Even though it begins in high school, the series is ultimately about the transition to independence. A good pick for anyone who fears they aren’t “good enough.” The truth is that everyone is trying to figure out who they are; it’s just that some hide it better.
12. Generazione 56k – series, created by Francesco Ebbasta
    Set between the past and the present, it shows just how much we change without ever realizing it. It’s not a college story per se, but more about growing up and making choices. Recommended for anyone who thinks that the decisions they make now are final; luckily, they are not. In the meantime, however, it’s enough to simply make them.
13. Girls – series, created by Lena Dunham
    New York City, confused 20-somethings, unstable jobs, and complicated relationships. No idealization — just trials and failures. Perfect for anyone with an overly romantic view of independence. Being free is wonderful, but it’s also chaotic and often uncomfortable.
14. The Chair – series, created by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman
    Behind the scenes of a university: internal politics, academic ego, and a shaky balance of power. Watching it as a first-year student is helpful for understanding that the institution is not neutral, and that professors are also winging it, more than you might think.
15. How to Fail with Elizabeth Day – podcast, Elizabeth Day
    Interviews with a diverse group of individuals, all of whom have experienced mistakes, missteps and failures — some more public than others. The tone is reflective but never heavy-handed, and it effectively debunks the idea that there is a single, linear path in life. A great listen for those who come to college afraid of making mistakes. They come to understand that making mistakes is not only inevitable, but often the only way to build something meaningful.
16. The Daily – podcast, The New York Times (hosted by Michael Barbaro)
    Twenty minutes a day to understand the world’s current events. It’s not exactly light listening, but it helps you get out of your bubble. Recommended for anyone who wants college to be about more than just exams. It’s about context, too — because knowing “what you’re studying” without knowing “where you are” is of little use.
17. TED Talks (failure and career) – videos, TED Conferences
    Brief, powerful and at times a bit “quintessentially American,” but when they hit the mark, they’re hard to ignore. Ideal for those who arrive at college feeling anxious about having to perform right away. These videos normalize mistakes, redirections and fresh starts. Here are three to start with, all available on TED.com and the official YouTube channel: “Embrace the Shake” by Phil Hansen (limitations as a resource); “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown (the value of imperfection), and “Your Elusive Creative Genius” by Elizabeth Gilbert (putting the pressure to be brilliant at all costs into perspective.)
18. L’auberge Espagnole – film, directed by Cédric Klapisch
    The Erasmus experience before it became a cliché: unlikely roommates, a mix of languages, and identities in the making. Not everything about it is realistic, but the sense of losing oneself certainly is. A great watch for anyone about to leave home (or maybe even their country) since it reveals why college is not just about lectures — it is, above all, about learning how to coexist with others.
19. One L – memoir, Scott Turow
    An unfiltered account of the first year at Harvard Law School: fierce competition, imposter syndrome, and an obsession with grades. It is not reassuring, but it’s extremely honest which makes it an excellent read for anyone entering a high-pressure environment like Bocconi. It reminds you that feeling the pressure is normal, and that learning to manage it is part of the journey rather than a setback.
20. The Bear – series, created by Christopher Storer
    Set in a restaurant kitchen instead of on a college campus, this series is the most accurate portrayal of pressure in the modern world: a frantic pace, extremely high standards, and the constant feeling of never being enough. It’s perfect for anyone enrolling at Bocconi with the idea that hard work alone will get you through. After watching it, you will understand what it really means to work (and perform) under stress, without romanticizing it, and — just as importantly — what it takes to work as a team.
21. Lady Bird – film, directed by Greta Gerwig
    Senior year of high school, the desire to leave, the hope of making it on your own — all to discover that it is not that simple. The film recounts the period right before college, with a no-frills storyline. An ideal watch for those about to set out on their own, where enthusiasm and impatience go hand in hand, and there’s nothing more normal than that.
22. Good Will Hunting – film, directed by Gus Van Sant
    Off-the-charts talent, but no direction. It’s less about college and more about what to do with your skills when no one is really forcing you to use them. A must-watch for those who come to college with potential, but also a lot of confusion. Sooner or later you have to make a choice, but it’s not always the “easiest” one.
23. Animal House – film, directed by John Landis
    College fraternity life, pure anarchy, and excess: the most chaotic and irresponsible side of college life. It’s deliberately over-the-top, but there is some truth to it: college is not all about performance and résumés. A reminder that there’s also a lighter side to it all — but to be taken with a grain of salt, not as a model to follow.
24. Rooster – series, created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses
    A college campus, an overbearing father, professors in crisis, and academic dynamics that are anything but straightforward. It has the tone of a comedy, but beneath the surface lie relational chaos, a sense of disorientation, and that notion that everyone is just making it up as they go — even when they’re supposed to be the adults. Ideal for those who arrive at college expecting to find an orderly system; it’s often much more chaotic, and much more human.
25. After the Hunt – film, directed by Luca Guadagnino
    An Ivy League school, a professor, an outstanding student, and the accusation that sends shockwaves across campus. It’s a “college film” that goes deeper, demonstrating what happens when prestige, ambition and accountability collide. A great watch for anyone who views academia as a neutral space; unfortunately, it is not, and the sooner one understands that, the better.