With only a week left of summer vacation, the reality of college has begun. The basement is a packing tornado and the front porch is a delivery warehouse. This time last year, I was a freshman excited for college, with zero idea of what to expect. One year later (and one year wiser, if I might add), the excitement of moving in keeps me on my toes! If you're an incoming first year, here's a little sneak peek. If you're a returning student, welcome back, here's a little refresher to get you pumped to move back.
1. Designing the perfect room
Chances are that your bedroom at home hasn't been redone, updated, or maybe even redecorated in a while (or ever). The good think about moving in is that you can do almost whatever you want to your new room and keep changing it up throughout the year. It's the perfect room.
2. Buying whatever you want to buy
Similar to what I said above, since you're "redecorating", you choose the theme, the layout, the furniture, and basically everything that goes in your room. And, since you're decorating, you need stuff to decorate with. That gives you a pretty good reason for justifying that fuzzy chair.
3. Meeting your RAs
It sounds corny, I'm sure, but it's so nice to meet new people, especially if their older. Having friends who are older some in handy more ways than one. (Plus RA's usually are nice, but I wont speak for all...)
4. Meeting your floormates
Cliché bonding? Yup! You're essentially living with these people for nine months, sharing the same bathroom, lounge, and laundry, so you might as well get to know them. Living and sharing the same space, you may have something in common.
5. Checking out the bathrooms
We all secretly want hotel-like bathrooms and we all know that will probably never happen. Ever. But it's always nice to check out to see the place you'll be using for two semesters, while hoping that it is at least a decent place.
6. You get to start off the semester with a clean room
Less is more! The less junk you have, the more space you have. The more days you live there, the less clean it gets. I could go on forever, but I wont. Just be thankful for starting off the semester on a clean note, literally. And starting it off clean only makes it easier to maintain throughout the year.
7. Be chill and chill with your roommate
No doubt if you already know your roommate from last year, you probably already have a plan on how you want to set up the room an how you want it to look. If you don't know your roommate, this is a good time as any to introduce yourself to them.
8. Seeing your name tag on the door
Weird? I know. And maybe I'm alone on this one, maybe because where I go to school, our RA's get pretty creative with the themes and décor. But creativity aside, seeing my name on my door gives me a feeling that I belong here. Just me? We'll see.
9. Activities + Food
Ah! I'm sure emotional parents and annoyed siblings will appreciate this one! It's exhausting to move in, that's no secret. But it's all worth it when there's free food out on the lawn. Oh wait! That's only for freshman and families. There's always the dining hall...
