Her Campus Pre-Collegiette Conference

As a member of the Her Campus Blogger Network, I attended the Her Campus Pre-Collegiette Conference on Saturday as official press! The Pre-Collegiette Conference was an event for high school girls going into college to gain insight on what college life is really like. The transition from high school to college can be a little overwhelming in the months leading up to move in day.

The conference used the hashtag #HStoHC, meaning high school to her campus which was very fitting! The use of this hashtag and the social integration of the conference was so perfect. There was a social currency station where you could cash in the use of the hashtag on your Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages in order to get more tickets for the raffle. The raffle included LeSportsac tote bags, a pair of Jack Rogers, Chipotle catering, and 2 Intel devices! As a social media fanatic I loved the social media integration and made the most of it. I think I probably got around 100 raffle tickets for all my social media posts!

Walking to the first panel in the rain!

The conference began with an introduction from Windsor Hanger, one of the co-founders of Her Campus.
After that, the panels began. I brought my friend from Bentley, Courtney, with me to the conference. We headed over to the neighboring building to the conference rooms for the panel. It was raining but that didn't get our spirits down!


We decided to attend the first panel "Packing for College 101: What to Pick and What to Skip". I've been in college for 2 years now and still have managed to overpack for each semester. I agreed with a lot of the tips the panelists gave about storage strategies and how to figure out what should should take. The advice the panelists gave was advice that I would also give incoming freshman. You should only take clothes for the current season and make sure you only bring clothes you'll wear! One panelist jokingly said she used to worry about making sure she had the right outfit for a possible jungle party and had to bring clothes accordingly. Things like that just take up your limited dorm room space. In order to make more space for clothes you also should maximize the space you're given by using command hooks to hang bags, scarves, jewelry and storage bins/drawers as added space for clothing. Even arranging your room in certain ways makes space for more storage.

Getting ready for the first panel, College Packing 101, to start!

Taking notes at the College Packing 101 panel.

"Finding the Right Fit: How to Determine Which College is Best for You". Both of us transferred from the college we originally attended in to Bentley so this panel seemed really fitting for us. The best piece of advice that was given at this panel was, "If it's something you're dreaming of, find out if it's possible." This applies to picking the right college because if you want to play a specific intramural or be a member of a certain type of club, find out if the college you're looking at has that. Don't be afraid to call the school or do as much research as possible to reach out to anyone you might know there through even a weak connection. You'll have to spend the next 4 years of your life at whatever school you pick (unless you're like me and you transfer!). During this panel I snacked on the PopChips that were all around the conference on snack tables. I loved the original flavored PopChips.I needed a snack to get me through until lunch!

Advice from the Finding the Right Fit panel

At the From College to Career panel

After the first two panels we had lunch catered by Chipotle! It was absolutely delicious! I loved that in addition to the food to make a burrito or taco, there was also chips and salsa. When everyone finished lunch the Keynote Address began. The Keynote Speaker was Jessica Bashelor, owner of The Handle Bar Indoor Cycling Studio. She explained her experience in college going from a communications to biology major and graduating thinking she'd go to medical school until she realized she didn't want that anymore. I loved hearing her story because it showed that success isn't a calculated formula and you reach obstacles along the way but facing obstacles doesn't mean you're failing. She said her boyfriend tells her "Stay the course, kid" as a reminder to keep pushing through obstacles. She is now a successful entrepreneur who taught herself business by reading a business book! As a business school student I thought this was so intriguing because here I am learning the ins and outs of all aspects of business but someone else did it successfully without a business school degree.
After Jessica's speech we went to the panel "From College to Career: How to Land Internships in College". I thought this was a great panel because I just completed my first college internship and it's definitely something that I didn't think of at all before the first semester of my sophomore year. While the panelists agreed it isn't something first semester freshman should do, it is definitely something they should know about for the future!

Closing remarks from Windsor

Windsor gave closing remarks and then started the Do's and Dont's College Fashion show. I thought this was such a great event. One thing I was so nervous about going into college is what to wear! This fashion show hit all the key points. Don't wear soffee shorts and T-shirts to the gym, Do wear work out leggings and a work out tank top. Don't wear school clothing from head to toe, Do show school spirit with a single item like a hat. Don't wear Abercrombie to class, Do wear skinny jeans and a cute top. Don't wear heels and a short skirt to class, etc. Instead of dressing one model up and saying "she looks awful" the screen displayed clothing that would make up a "Don't" and then after Windsor explained why this is a "Don't", one of the college panelists would come out modeling the "Do" look. I thought this was a great way to set up the fashion show so there was no bashing how a model looked!

Fashion show

A College "Don't"

After the fashion show ended it was time for the winners of the raffle to be announced! Courtney and I were hopeful since we had earned so many tickets. But I was still surprised when I won two prizes! I won one out of the 5 Chipotle catering gift cards they were giving away and then I won one of the 5 LeSportsac bags! I was so excited to win these two great prizes! Here's a BIG thank you to Her Campus, Chipotle, and LeSportsac for my prizes!

Posing with my raffle prizes!

Here's a look into the goody bags all attendees received! The conference was powered by Intel. There were Intel devices set up to test out. We also received Popchips, a card for one free burrito from Chipotle, a HerCampus cup and pen, DHC and Dickinson's skincare products, a voucher for a coupon booklet from Wrentham Village Outlets, a See Jane Work notebook from Office Deopt,a laser pointer pen from Intel and nail polish from Intel!  I was so excited about the goody bags! I had brought my own notebook to use but loved the Office Depot one so much that I used that one instead! I was very impressed by the goody bags and the partners of the conference: Intel, Chipotle, LeSportsac, Jack Rogers, PopChips, Neuro, and Maia Yogurt.

Goody bags!

As a blogger, this conference was an amazing experience. I loved being press and utilizing social media. I wish this conference had existed when I was entering freshman year of high school. I most certainly would have rounded up all my friends and our moms and attended the conference! I hope this conference helped the Pre-Collegiette girls there by giving them advice and knowledge but also confidence to take on college and excitement about it! I'm thankful I got to attend and grateful for the opportunities being in the Her Campus Blogger Network has given me! I can't wait for next year's conference!