With each new school year comes the excitement of getting back to school. Most people get excited about the new school supplies, the new memories, and seeing all your friends again. Although for some of us, the thought of going back to school is enough to start a little bit of a sweat and provoke some anxiety. And that's totally fine, but here are the other things you should pack in your car on your way back to college this fall.
1. Your syllabi
"But that's what syllabus week is for!" you exclaim, "Why print it out now?!" But here's the thing, I know I get nervous during syllabus week from overwhelming feelings about my classes. I get nervous I'm going to be handed a syllabus and look at all of the test dates and finals and panic about how overwhelming it is to have so many intense classes. So go ahead and email your professors and ask for the syllabus. Print it out, read it, and highlight things you'll want to remember and/or ask about during syllabus week. This'll probably also save a lot of stress about required vs. suggested texts (and some moolah).
2. A planner with dates already written in it
Every commercial right now is telling you to buy your back-to-school planner and you might already have your cute one all lined up. But what they're not telling you is to go ahead and write some in that planner. Decide your system. Write in important dates while you're still with your family. Extra points if you go ahead and write in the dates for the assignments you saw in your syllabi.
3. Prescriptions and/or backup medicine
Except for some of us, we need more than just more cowbell. It's a cycle with me: Forgetting to refill my antianxiety/antidepressant medicine (which I'm totally fine with talking about) only causes me more anxiety. To combat that? See if you can have your prescriptions written out so that if something were to happen, you at least can go have it filled at a different pharmacy. Or go ahead and refill it before you get to school. Same goes with things like contacts (thanks to friend Natalie Schiano for this one). Just be prepared with all of those things so it's one less thing to worry about when getting back to school.
4. Schedule: but not just for classes
Obviously you'll want to have your class schedule written out. But the best thing that comes with knowing those times is that you can go ahead and schedule time for the things you need to be your totally fine and somewhat anxious self. Set aside times for just you -- before meals, classes or anything. Find a time to be by yourself each day and recollect yourself. But along with that, look at when you'll work out every day. Look at the gym class schedule and find a friend or two to go with you. Even right now, I have a group text with girls in my sorority that all want to get better at running and want to be able to talk specifically in this group about running jogging together. Find friends to go eat meals with you in between your classes. I promise, assuring that you'll have people to eat with is one of the best solutions for that "OH MY GAH NO ONE I KNOW IS IN D-HALL AND I'LL HAVE TO EAT ALONE" feeling. For extra points, check out Rae's article about how to stay in shape during school. Honestly changed my life for the better.
5. A good eating plan (and no, not going on a "diet")
When I get stressed, I'm either of two extremes: I stress eat all the food (mozz sticks at d-hall, you get me, am I right, Lou?!) or I worry I'm gaining weight and just don't eat. Nope, neither are healthy. So I try to stick to the things that I know will fill me up and also make me feel good so I don't get stuck eating pizza for every meal. I love eggs in the morning and will make the time to go get eggs so that I know I feel good for the rest of the day. I keep a Luna bar or a bag of almonds with me if I do get hungry. Don't let food stress you out when you know you have healthy meals planned or healthy snacks with you!
6. A group text/Google doc with your roommates
Nothing is as nerve-wracking as not knowing when your roommates are moving in or just assuming they're bringing the microwave and then realizing no one was bringing the microwave. My roommates for the summer and I all set up a Google doc for what we were bringing and also had a group text to make sure we weren't forgetting anything.
7. Your "good" shampoo and cleaning solution
I get a little anal about cleaning. I don't like dirty dorm rooms and I don't like being dirty. Invest in some Clorox wipes, Windex, an air freshener, dish soap, and possibly some Draino if you have your own shower. Be comfortable with all of your good shampoos and soaps. If you're going to get stressed out by only having the cheap stuff, then come on, buy the good stuff. (Extra points: I've learned that mint-scented body wash makes me feel extra clean and wakes me up!)
8. A budget: Save dat money
(Sorry y'all, just wanted to give a little bit of a shoutout to Richmond's most well-known alum) But really -- money is a major stressor, so make a budget. My sweet friend Emi (and fellow Odyssey intern!) wrote a fab article about how she saves money with Digit. The same thought process applies for the schedule of eating: I know I end up accidentally spending money on junk food if I'm really hungry and didn't plan out my meal. Don't waste your money on things you know you don't need.
9. Detergent and other laundry paraphernalia
This one is more for the others out there that really get stressed out about laundry. Thankfully, laundry is what I do to calm my nerves, but there are a few things out there that can make laundry not such a stressful event. Come to school prepared with detergent (thank you, Tide pods, for making it all easier), a laundry basket (for dirty clothes), a laundry bag (for clean clothes), and a whole lotta quarters. Don't count on the quarters you think you have in the bottom of your backpack, just go ahead to the bank and get some. Then find your closest laundry room, evaluate it, and feel calmed for when you wake up one day and realize you have no more clean underwear because, surprise! You've already got all your stuff and know where it is.
10. Knowledge that your friends are there for social events
I'm still trying to figure out how to get past anxiety for social events. But in the same token of making a schedule for who to eat with and go to the gym with, keep in touch with a few close friends and make plans for the weekend so you don't end up by yourself watching Netflix on the first Saturday night of the year -- these plans can also include watching Netflix with said friends, but it's always nice to be with other people.
11. A potential tutor and other academic necessities
This should probably have come first, given the fact that academics are what stress me out the most and are the most important, but that's kind of a duh. Figure out who's in each of your classes so that you already have someone to sit with on the first day and to study with. Nothing freaks me out more than having a question about an assignment and realizing I have no one's number to text and ask about. If on the first day you realize it's going to be a difficult class (I'm looking at you, b-stats), go ahead and make an appointment with the academic center/a tutor! It'll be super helpful in the long run. And who knows? You might meet your Aaron Samuels.
12. A therapist or someone to talk to
I hear all the time of people who see therapists or doctors at home that just fall off the track when they get to school. And it's easy to do that and to assume that it'll all be okay once you're back at school. Or it's easy to just assume there are no resources for you when you're at school. But for those of us out there that really need someone to talk through things with, make those appointments when you get to school. Don't wait until midterms or finals when everyone else also needs to talk to someone.
13. NOT an iPhone alarm clock
Though we'd all love to tell all of our parents that no, we don't need one of those old-fashioned things, we probably do need an alarm clock. My biggest fear and also still my biggest weakness is oversleeping. So, get yourself a good alarm clock, plug it in a little bit away from your bed, and go to bed early. Yes, I sound like your mother, but yes, it works.
14. Planned outfits
Do any of us like waking up and realizing we have *nothing* to wear? Nope. Do any of us like trying to get ready for a fun night and feeling like we look bad in everything? Nope. Lay out your clothes for the next day the night before. Check the weather and make sure your clothes are adequate. Take pictures of a few outfits that you know you always feel killer in so that you're not in a rush to get ready.
15. Backed up and fixed technology
Back up your phone, your computer, and make sure that everything is in tip top shape before you go. When you're back at school, you're not going to want to figure out how to get to the Apple store and wait two hours to get something on your phone figured out. You're not going to want to have to turn in something that uses Adobe if you don't have Adobe (but you knew it was needed because you read your syllabus...see above) And heaven forbid, if something were to happen, you don't want to stress that you lost every document and photo on your computer because your computer crashed. Back it up.
16. Knowledge that it's all going to be okay
It's cheesy, but take a deep breath and know that you can conquer whatever life throws at you. And that a lot of other people are feeling the same way. I promise, it'll all be fine.
