Four weeks. Just four weeks until you move to Baylor (the best university EVER). It feels like forever ago that I began my journey as a Baylor freshman. I thought I had all the time in the world to shop for my dorm room, hang out with my friends one more time before the big move, and thank my parents for the gift that is a college education.
Well, I was wrong. So wrong.
Now, as an eager sophomore ready to share some advice to the class of 2022, here is the ultimate timetable for Baylor freshman as they prepare to come to college.
1. Four weeks before move-in: Begin compiling your shopping list
Your Pinterest board is about to come alive. Create a shopping list that doesn't go overboard. Yes, buy that cute lamp for your desk (studying is a part of college, after all), and do get that cute comforter. But don't buy EVERY cute poster to pin to your wall. After a few months in my dorm room, the walls covered in posters and cute paintings gave me anxiety, causing me to feel stuck in the already small dorm room.
Buy things that make your cold and stale dorm room feel like home. Print pictures of your family and friends. Hang up string lights to avoid using the overhead light, especially in the mornings. Buy a plant to take care of, not just for the aesthetic. Make your new home your own oasis.
2. Three and a half weeks before move in: Get in touch with your roommate
Maybe you have already done this, but it never hurts to get to know your roommate for the next nine months a little bit better. Ask them questions about their major, where they're from, and what their favorite foods are. If you do this before move-in day, it will make the entire experience so much better and less awkward. Also, ask them if they want to coordinate with bedding and the color scheme of the room too. Orange and purple do not look good together.
3. Three weeks before move in: Hang out with your high school friends
When you move out and head to school, you are going to miss your high school friends. You spent every day with them, and now you are heading your separate ways. Spend a couple days hanging out with your friends (not for the last time, I promise) and remember the good days before you leave. Don't forget to keep in touch and reconnect during school breaks!
4. Two and a half weeks before move in: Hit up all your favorite hometown restaurants and eat a lot of home cooking
Waco is a great college town with great restaurants that have become favorites of mine. But when you become tired of eating at Penland, (and you will) you're going to crave some of the foods you find at home. Eat all the home cooking too, because you will miss your mom's casserole and having regular access to a kitchen.
5. Two weeks before move in: Start packing your things
Believe me, start packing AT LEAST two weeks before you move to Baylor. You don't have to pack everything now, but every little bit helps, especially if you were like me and you left all your packing just two days before move in.
Here's a tip: use plastic storage bins to pack your stuff and use packing tape to seal the handles. You can use the storage boxes year after year for move in, and they make for great storage units underneath your bed.
6. One week and a half before move in: Relax
The nerves may have already kicked in, but take time to chill and enjoy these last few moments before you are officially a college student. Chill around the house, watch some Netflix, and cuddle your dog a bit longer before you leave for Waco.
7. One week before move in: Hang out with your family as much as possible
You are going to miss your family. Yes, you are going to feel homesick. So hang out with your family as much as possible. talk to your parents about any concerns you have, and be open to their advice. Spend time with your siblings, cuddle your pet some more, and enjoy this time together with your family.
8. Move in day: Give thanks and get ready
On move-in day, you are going to be excited. You will wake up ready to get out of bed and head to Waco, decorate the walls of your room and meet your roommate in person.
But before you pack your car, look at your house one more time. I took a picture of my house right before I left, even though I knew every detail of my house by heart. You won't be home for a few months, so it doesn't hurt to take a look at the place you grew up. On the way to Waco, look outside the window. Look outside to see your hometown and appreciate this place that built you.
When you get to Baylor, think about all the amazing memories you are going to have here. Late nights in your room with your friends, Saturdays watching football at McLane Stadium, and events in your residence hall with your new roommate and hall mates. It may seem stupid to thank Baylor for the best four years of your life before they happen, but you will be doing it sooner than later.
Thank your parents for raising you and giving you the gift of a college education. Hug them as they leave you in your dorm room and head home. Tell them you love them and that you will call them.
As they leave, get ready for one of the best years of your life.
Moving away may be scary for some people. Some people are ready to leave their house today. But moving away will change you. For the first time, you are an adult taking care of yourself without the careful eye of your parents.
But college is a time of growth, and as you move away from home you can already see how you are becoming more of an adult. Take time to appreciate these few weeks at home before coming to Baylor. We can't wait to welcome you home.
