Hey y'all! I'm back with my next installment in my College Series and this post is all about Move In Day. This is easily one of the most stressful and exciting days for all college freshman and I'm here to help out with some tips that will help keep the day more exciting than stressful!
Label Everything
Move In Day is straight up chaos. If it's anything like my school things get put from vehicles into one central location then residence hall staff helps to move things to individual rooms. Things get labeled with room numbers but sometimes the stickers or tape can fall off and your stuff can get lost. I learned this the hard way. If you're putting things in a clear tote put a piece of paper with your name and room number on the INSIDE of the tote so it's visible from the outside and (hopefully) your things won't get lost.
Expect Chaos
As I mentioned in the first tip it's a very hectic day, especially at bigger universities. There are tons of people from the residence life staff, the college staff, students, parents, and friends all trying to get people's things where they belong. It's a crazy day and a long one too. You'll be much more stress free if you expect things to go wrong and plan ahead.
EAT!
Honestly this might sound stupid but it's really important. At my college Move In started at 7:00 a.m. and I had to drive for 2 hours to get there to begin with. Make sure you eat something in the morning! It's a really long day and when they don't have lunch planned until 1:00 p.m. you might be starving if you don't eat breakfast.
Dress the Part
Believe me, I love to dress up. Especially for the first time anyone sees you as an actual student on your campus. I know someone who made that mistake (**ahem, me**) and it wasn't worth it. Nobody else cares what you're wearing to haul things up and down what feels like a million flights of stairs. It's. Not. Worth. It. If you have orientation later in the day and want to dress up for that just pack a separate outfit in your purse and change after you get all moved in. Trust me. Nike shorts and a tee shirt is the way to go. Don't wear flip flops, they like to break at inconvenient times. (Maybe I just have really bad luck?) Either way, comfy clothes and tennis shoes. Just trust me.
Be Prepared to Introduce Yourself 1,000,000 Times
This is no joke. Five hundred different people and their parents will ask you where you're from, what you want to study, what you want to do with your life, and tons of other questions. Just be prepared to answer them over and over. It's annoying at first but believe it or not it's how you make friends.
Pack Wisely
One of my all time favorite packing tips involves garbage bags. Make sure you have a bunch of them. Seriously this will save you so much time, are you ready for this? While your clothes are hanging in your closet at home take a garbage bag and pull it up from under a section of clothes (about 15 hangers to a bag) and tie the garbage bag strings around where the actual hanging part starts. You can rubber band the hangers together for additional security. Then all you have to do is carry the bag and hang it right in the closet. Untie the bag and you're done. No rehanging all your clothes. You're welcome. The other thing I would recommend is packing everything into large clear totes and using the first tip above. It's much easier to carry than 100 random tote bags full of things. Again, learn from my mistakes.
Buy Things Close to School
This is especially important if you're moving from a distance. You can buy things online at Bed Bath & Beyond and have them held at a store near campus. Talk about convenient! That way you're not packing and unloading as much right away. I also waited to buy things like cleaning supplies, a fan, and even dishes until later that night when I made a trip to Target, it made things so much easier.
Don't Be Shy!
I'm actually a pretty shy person when I'm around people I don't know. My advice for you is to talk to everyone. Some of my best friends at college are people I met on Move In Day. Nobody is going to think you're weird for talking to them, I promise.
You're Not Alone
No matter how stressed, anxious, or outright terrified you are right now everyone else is feeling the same way. For all the freshman this is your first real taste of total freedom from your parents. Some of you will love it, some of you will feel homesick. It happens. You will find your people.
Enjoy Every Minute
You only get a first day at college once. It's a stressful, terrifying, incredibly fun, and wonderful day. Don't let being scared or nervous keep you from making new friends or trying new things. Put yourself out there. College is great and you'll have a blast!
I hope you've enjoyed my tips for Move In Day and I'll link a couple of the products I found most helpful below! Let me know what tips work for you!
Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss my post next week about What to Pack including a super cute printable packing list!
