Check with your college's website or class planner to obtain the book list for your course. Get your books as soon as possible to avoid discovering that it is not available at your campus book store. If you use an online book service, ensure that you receive the book in time for the first class.
Consider the course prerequisites, if there are any. If you have not worked with the required material in a couple of years, it is a good idea to brush up on some of the fundamentals before you begin the course. If you are taking an algebra course, for example, look at your worksheets from high school to revisit formulas and practice problems.
Purchase the necessary stationery and supplies for the class. Determine if you are going to need any extra notebooks, calculators, pens, highlighters or writing tools. If your course requires an additional software program, install the program ahead of time to make sure your computer is compatible.
Plan for the assignments once you receive the course syllabus and determine how long it will take to complete each task. For example, if there are a number of books that need to be read before a specific class, schedule the time it will take to read each book so you are not speed-reading four novels in one week.