My First Week of College

Moving to college is such a whirlwind of emotions. Students are anxious, excited, nervous, happy, sad, and so, so confused. There’s really no real way to avoid it besides taking it slow and embracing this once-in-a-lifetime moment: your first college move-in day. Here are a few tips to make this transition easier, and what I have learned through my first week of dorm life. 1. You will forget something. No matter what you do, no matter how many online, college packing lists you look up (about 10 for me), you will forget something. Personally, I forgot to bring pictures from home. I brought three picture holders and no pictures. Nothing could have prepared me for this mistake, no online source. Except, now you are prepared for that after reading this post. The reason you forget stuff is because you don’t really know what you’ll need until you actually move in and spend the night in this scary place called “college.” For instance, I didn't know that my desk came with a bulletin board on the back of it, so I didn't bring any thumbtacks. After going to three different stores and realizing that those crazy moms had snatched up all the thumbtacks for their little angels, I am still without. I also absolutely refuse to pay millions of dollars for a pack at the bookstore. 2. The bookstore is very expensive. I don’t know what kind of rights college bookstores have, but they mark up everything to ridiculously high prices. There really should be some kind of law. One five-subject notebook may cost you $9.99! Do not buy your school supplies here. It’s an expensive idea that you will quickly realize was bad. Also, when you are buying textbooks, look at a lot of different sources. Do not just head straight to the bookstore. 3. Bring dorm room decorations There is nothing worse than walking into a dorm room with nothing to look at but white concrete blocks. Bring a poster, a calendar, a flag, something—anything. It makes the dorm a lot more livable and much less like a prison cell. I had a super intense craft day before I moved in and I made all kinds of wall decorations for my room. Girls, this is the time to look at that craft board on Pinterest. Boys, posters work just fine, too. Even try bringing some Christmas lights or a lamp. The dorm lights are usually pretty harsh, and you will look so much cooler to the passerby in the hallway that looks in on you every time. Seriously, every time. 4. Meet the people on your floor as soon as you can The first few days are pretty much the only “normal” time to go next door and introduce yourself. After that, it’s kind of weird because the window of opportunity has already passed. Feel free to keep introducing yourself, but the best time is in those first few days. Who knows? The peanut butter to your jelly could be right next door! Good luck to everyone moving in! The first week is a blast and something you’ll remember for the rest of your life!