It's so exciting to finally see the room you'll be living in for the next year (or semester), seeing your roommate in your actual room, and seeing new faces buzzing down the hall. But at the same time, it's total chaos not knowing where hardly anything is, trying to arrange all of your furniture and that constant reminder that your family will soon be leaving you.

However, there are a few things I learned during my first-year move-in day that made it a little easier and that I want you to share with you!

1. Be Organized

Okay so this is actually a pre-move-in tip, but still sooo helpful (probably the tip that helped me the most!) Be organized!

I can't say it enough. When the time comes to move in, you will be standing in an empty room with totes full of all of your stuff looking around like "what do I do next?" and honestly, this is the second most overwhelming part of the move-in process (we'll talk about the first later).

Label your bins with whatever is in them and try to keep everything together. For example, I packed all of my sheets, pillow cases, towels, washcloths, and blankets all in a garbage bag that was placed into my clothes hamper (the garbage bag kept everything clean during the move).

I put all of my desk/school supplies into one large storage container. This way, I knew where everything was. It is also helpful to make a list of everything that is in your storage containers and place it just inside the lid (this is something I really wished I had done).

2. Talk to Your Roommate Ahead of Time (If Possible)

You might not be known your roommate ahead of time, and that's totally okay! If you do or have some way of contacting them (be on the lookout for colleges' specific Facebook groups and group chats such as GroupMe).

Talk about how you might want your room set up and some things you really want a specific way. For me, I had to have my head up against a wall (it's an extreme sport for me to sleep any other way) so I put that on my list of things that were important to me.

Some others we mentioned were being close to or away from the window (for when it gets cold in the winter), facing the door or window, having a lot of space in the middle of the room, and having good access to the fridge. If you can't talk to your roommate, don't stress! Chances are, you and your roommate will completely change the whole setup at least once in the first semester (we did three times in the first half of the first semester).

Also, try to plan when you and your roommate will be arriving. It is better if you arrive at different times to have more space to set things up, not mix up each other's belongings, and have quality time with your parents.

Luckily, my roommate arrived a few days before me since she was trying out for volleyball, and was completely moved in by the time I got there. She was gone most of the time I was moving in. If one of you arrives before the other you will most likely need a break which can allow the other to have the room to themselves.

3. Know Your Environment and Plan Accordingly

Be mindful of where you will be going to school. To some, this might sound like common sense but it seems like this gets put on the back burner when the move-in day comes around. Wear (and don't pack away!!) good shoes to walk in. For me, my room was on the second floor which meant that I had to go up one flight of stairs if I came in from the back and go down one flight of stairs if I came in from the front EACH LOAD. At the end of moving, I honestly can't tell you how many steps or flights of stairs I walked (my Fitbit got well used that day) but I can tell you I was very good to have a good pair of tennis shoes on. I was also glad to have a bottle of water (or four) around. Coming from Florida to Virginia I never expected it to be as hot as it was, but it definitely was. Move-in day really is a workout and you should plan accordingly, with whatever measures that means for you and your family.

4. Say "Hi" to Other Girls and Their Families

It may seem like nothing at the time, but this is a really good way to meet other girls on your floor and see how they are setting up their rooms. I can remember talking to some of the girls I'm friends with now on move-in day and how excited we all were. This is definitely something you will be able to talk about for a long time to come.

5. Take Lots of Pictures

And I don't just mean the Insta worthy before and after pics. I mean the before, during when your room is a complete and total mess, everything in between, and then the after. Some of these might seem like pointless pictures that you'll never look at again, but you'll be surprised how important these will one day become. After all, this is likely the first time you've ever left home.

6. Saying Goodbye to Your Family (The Hardest Part)

Make sure that box of tissues is unpacked!! But no seriously, you will cry.

Even if you think you won't you will, and so will your parents. But let them! You might be totally embarrassed but everyone's parents are crying and it's totally normal, it's healthy actually. After all, you are their baby and you're finally leaving them and are in this big wide world on your own.

So break down and shed a few tears and remind yourself that your parents aren't the only ones. After they drive away, return to your room (or bathroom if you don't want to cry in front of your roommate just yet) and let it all out. I guarantee everyone will cry on move-in day whether they admit it or not.

There you have it! Those are some of my best tips and tricks for your first-year move in. Enjoy some of these pictures from my move-in day.

Closet, desk, and bed. I had two small mirrors on my desk so I could see behind me and do my makeup. I also used a cloth shower curtain to hide everything in my closet.

Our dressers, TV, and whiteboard. At the beginning of the semester, we wrote our schedules down so we and each other would know our schedules. We also wrote down the times for the Cafeteria.

The not so glamorous parts of moving in. I can actually remember how good it felt to sit down on my bed for probably the first time and stretch out. You can still see the piles of stuff everywhere.

This is the room I stayed in for orientation and not actually my room, but they're roughly the exact same. I love seeing the transformation from how empty this one is to how pretty we made our room.

This is both of our beds (with more piles of stuff everywhere)

If you have any tips and tricks you would like to share leave a comment below!