Dorm. That word has so many meanings and associations, but the one association that should be most noted of is preparation. Be prepared for your new home away from home, the small space with the ultra utilitarian furniture and small beds, and most of all, know exactly what you will need and use throughout the year, so that when the year ends right before your eyes, you are prepared for moving out, which is treacherous in itself! Of course, once you have the bare essentials and adapt to the new space, the fun and opportunities are literally endless. From being able to see friends and hang out in their dorm room for hours to campus activities right around every corner, living in the dorm provides endless ways to relax and meet all kinds of people. However, there is a lot to know before moving in and living the fun old dorm life.

Start lightly. What do I mean by "lightly"? Pretty much everything that college has in store, but especially in terms of dorm accessories. While it might seem completely rad to have your own refrigerator, microwave, television set, and even stereo system, consider how much it will all be put to use between all of the flex dollars, dining hall meal swipes, campus activities, homework, and technology that you already have at your fingertips. Also, consider move out day and how much vehicle space that a refrigerator alone will take up. I would start off with a Bluetooth speaker for playing the hot hits for those fun times and maybe a small television to cast videos on.

I would especially start lightly in terms of meeting people and making friends, especially during the freshman week of welcome. While it is undoubtedly a great opportunity to meet and greet other students, I recommend exploring events and even joining a specific group where you will see them on a regular basis to help form a regular bond; for me, that meant the Freshman Mixer for the Campus Crusade (Marshall Cru), which was highly beneficial, as I am still friends with some of those people to this day. And last but not least, I do not recommend jumping into the Greek and party life right away! Checking out one fraternity or sorority is good just for a basic idea, but it should be well thought out and sincere.

Gradually break out of your comfort zone.

Even though I had dorm experience before my freshman year of college, my main step was opting for a dorm with a roommate. Not just because I wanted to be in the nicest dorm room on campus with our own personal bathroom, but I wanted the roommate experience for somebody to be there starting college at the same pace as myself.

Just be prepared that anybody could be your roommate.

Throughout my freshman year of college, I had three roommates. My first roommate was a pretty chill guy, who unfortunately left before the semester started. My second roommate was an engineering major who was always busy and almost never in the room except to sleep or to work on less complex stuff, and he went to church on Wednesdays. My third roommate was your typical fraternity guy who prioritized parties and drinking over anything, stayed up until 1 a.m. constantly gaming, and ended up leaving the university due to a low GPA. College is full of all kinds of people, so just prepare to live with anybody.

Last of all, be extra prepared for move out day!

Right when you feel that the semester can't end soon enough, it's over right before your eyes! However, you still have to pack and find somewhere to store all of your stuff as well as transport it all there! From experience, I will tell you that waiting until the last day of exam week to pack everything is the worst possible idea. Therefore, I recommend stocking up on a couple of vacuum bags and plastic containers and gradually packing by starting with recreational things such as entertainment, decor, and extra clothes (hey, less distractions for exam week)!

Find a storage unit right around study week (or even before) and arrange a day to move in, as well as having a trusty friend help you transport your stuff. As somebody who did not have his own car for move out, ANY kind of advanced preparation and help you can get with moving (specifically transportation) is vital.

Overall, as long as you follow some essential preparation pointers and branch out to attend activities and gradually bond with people, you will be prepared for the dorm life, which is like no other life ever...in an amazing way!