College move-in day is stressful and exhausting, but it is also an exciting experience. Packing up everything you could possibly need and moving into a room the size of a shoebox isn't exactly ideal, but meeting life-long friends and starting a new chapter in your life is incredible. Move-in day is a day full of mixed emotions and thoughts, like these:
1. "Do you think everything will fit?"
Whether you're referring to the two cars loaded down with dorm necessities or you're realizing how small of a space you get to occupy for the next year, getting everything packed and unpacked can be the biggest challenge of all.
2. "Can the AC go any lower?"
August seems like the hottest month of the year, and it's also the month that most colleges go back to school. If you live in the South, you know exactly what kind of struggle this is. You start moving in during the heat of the day and you're packed into the halls and rooms with families and roommates. Need I say more?
3. When there are no carts left and you're on the third floor.
If you've ever experienced the feeling of defeat, this is it. You just unloaded your belongings as quickly as possible and now all the carts are in use. You could wait 30 minutes, but that means standing in the heat. So, you decide to go ahead and carry it only to discover the elevators are full and your dorm is on the third floor.
4. When you finally meet up with your roommate.
Whether you're living with a random roommate or you're living with your best friend, meeting up with your roommate is the best. This can be a great time to get to know each other, if you don't already, and put your heads together and come up with a plan for your dorm.
5. "Maybe packing my entire closet was a little excessive..."
Okay, so maybe not every college student has had this thought, but if you're anything like me, you packed 99 percent of your closet and quickly realized your mistake when you saw the space you were given to put your clothes. Not only is your closet teeny tiny, but there is limited floor space and your shoe collection is outrageous.
6. When your wall decorations don't look the way you imagined.
Maybe it's the cute string lights you bought on Amazon and you hang them up only to discover they're not long enough for the wall. Maybe it's something you pinned on Pinterest thinking you could totally do that, only now you totally cannot do that. This is almost as big of a struggle as carrying your stuff up those stairs.
7. "Did I really just move in?"
Honestly, move-in day can leave you exhausted. but there is no better feeling than knowing you are finished and ready to take on the semester with plenty of new people to meet! Yes, it may have taken you all day and you might have had to rely on five cups of coffee, but now the fun begins.
8. When you have to say good-bye to Mom and Dad.
For some people, this is exciting because you are finally on your own. If you want to eat fast-food at 3 a.m., no one is stopping you. For others, this can be really tough. Leaving the people who raised you and took care of you for the past 18 years can be hard, and there may be tears shed. No worries though, Mom and Dad are just a phone call away, and you can always go home on the weekends.
9. Realizing you have to adult now.
Realizing you now have responsibilities can be stressful and intimidating, but you have hundreds of other students in your dorm and around campus that are going through the same thing. It's all part of the experience!
Luckily, if your school is anything like mine, there are lots of events around campus to welcome new and returning students. So despite all of the stress you've endured and all of the good-bye's you've had to make to friends and family, you're going to love it and feel right at home.
