Before You Arrive
Get ready this summer.
Start building smart habits now to prepare for a smooth transition to life at Wake Forest.
Here’s your roadmap to what’s ahead.
As you get started on your Wake Forest journey, we want to share some important practical information about things you will need to be doing over the summer, as well as how to prepare mentally for some of the college adjustments to come.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the Forest, Deac!
Select from the following topics to learn more.
Summer Priorities
Take time to review the following items and tasks that need to be completed this summer.
Check your WFU email regularly.
Throughout the next few months, you will be regularly receiving emails at your WFU email address that will contain information about important dates, opportunities and summer tasks. Students should check their WFU email account regularly—ideally daily, or at least several times a week—in order to stay up-to-date.
Complete all items on the Checklist.
The First-Year Student and Transfer Student Checklist show all of the tasks you must complete over the summer, as well as when they are due. Please ensure you are taking care of all tasks by their deadline. This will be great practice for navigating the fall semester independently!
Complete required health information and immunization forms.
All new undergraduate and graduate students are required to be up to date with required vaccines. You and your healthcare physician need to complete the health information and immunization forms (HIIF) available in your Deacon Health Portal.
Please check your secure messages regularly in the Deacon Health Portal in the weeks after you upload your documentation; if your documentation is missing or incomplete, you will be sent a message.
Complete the Housing and Dining Application.
Within a few days of enrolling, you’ll receive an email from Residence Life and Housing with instructions for completing your Housing and Dining Application in the University’s Housing Portal.
We encourage you to take your time with this application. The information you provide plays an important role in helping Residence Life and Housing match you with a compatible roommate and create a positive living experience.
The Housing and Dining Application is due June 1, 2026.
Review the technology to-do list.
From setting up your WFU Account, to enabling Google 2-step verification, to choosing a new laptop and more, this checklist will help you get connected.
Attend a virtual summer advising session.
Attend a Virtual Summer Advising Session with your academic advisor to prepare for fall registration. You will receive an email at your WFU address from your academic advisor in the Office of Academic Advising to schedule the summer advising session in June.
Register for fall semester classes.
Registration for fall classes begins in the summer and continues through the last day to add/drop in the Fall semester. In early July, the University Registrar will notify you via your WFU email to let you know when you can check Workday to know when your assigned registration day and time is.
Pay your fall semester tuition.
Fall tuition payment will be made available through Workday in early July, and it will be due on August 1. You will receive an email from the Workday system once this bill is made available, as will anyone that has been set up as a Third Party Payer. It is to the student’s advantage to make their parent(s) or other family member a Third Party Payer to ensure you do not miss a bill.
Buy your textbooks and course materials from the University Bookstore.
Ensure you get the correct textbooks and course materials by buying from our University Bookstore. Get 100% of your materials just by entering your Student ID.
Mentally prepare yourself for the adjustments to college.
College brings a wide range of new experiences, and with them come important adjustments—both big and small. From managing your time and responsibilities more independently to adapting to a new academic environment, social setting, and daily routine, there’s a lot to take in.
As you prepare for this transition, the summer is a great time to start thinking ahead about these changes and how you’ll approach them.
You got this!
College isn’t supposed to be easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. This experience that everyone has told you will be the time of your life can be pretty uncomfortable at times. You are joining a new community, living with strangers and wrestling with high-level academics.
The highs and lows of college are real, and opportunity awaits in how you choose to handle both. Use the resources on campus to seek help when you need it and push yourself past the limits of your comfort zone. No one succeeds on their own.
Regardless of how it may look or feel, you are not alone—in your struggles or achievements. Be relentless, genuine and unapologetic in pursuit of your growth. It’s why you’re here.
Find your people.
If you miss the life you had before college, you’re not doing something wrong. It means you’re human. When change threatens the familiarity of routines and relationships you spent years building, it’s only natural to want your normal back. It will take time to build a new network here, and that timetable is different for everyone.
For a lucky few, it’s friendship at first sight with a new roommate. For many others, that’s simply not the case. It takes patience and more than a little bravery to find your place and your people.
You’re running the show.
For maybe the first time ever, you are in charge. You can choose to hit the books, sleep till noon, eat whenever and whatever, head downtown, drive to the mountains, hang out alone in your room or party all night with friends. Increased personal freedom and responsibility are a big part of college.
A lot of what you learn will come from experiences outside the classroom. Embrace it. But choose what you do wisely. Rules can be a good thing when you come up with them yourself. And remember—you’re on your own, but you’re not alone. We are here to help, but it’s on you to make it happen!
Checklist
Refer to the new student checklist to stay on track of all your summer tasks leading up to move-in.
Before You Arrive
Here’s what to prioritize over the summer to ensure you have a smooth transition to college life.
Once You’re Here
Learn about how students experience campus and how to make a home at Wake Forest University.
Academic Success
We have a robust suite of academic support offices to help students succeed in the classroom.
New Deac Week
Learn more about our in-person Orientation experience for students as well as parents/families.
Campus Resources
Explore our vast network of campus departments and resources that students will use at Wake Forest.