On Moving and College
Well, just as quickly as it arrived (or slowly, depending on where you live), the summer has just about left us, and with the beginning of September also comes the beginning of a new school year.
For those of you just beginning college, this could also mean a major life change is about to happen: moving out of your house and into a college dorm. Many of you will be venturing out of your cozy nests for the first time and moving into a dorm room that may or may not be the same size as the rooms (read: cells) that prisoners are accustomed to at Riker’s Island. While you probably won’t be able to fit all of your earthly possessions in one half of a 10×20 dorm room, there’s still a lot of things you’re going to need, and that means that it’s important for you to delegate what will be vital to your living environment at school and what you should probably leave at home.
Luckily, I’m here to help you make these important decisions. Let’s start with the vital pieces, things that you’ll absolutely need to bring with you to college, either for the benefit of your academic career or for your sanity.
1) Computer. This may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. Lately, the old-fashioned desktop computer has lost out in favor of the more portable laptops, and for good reason: It’s simply easier to take with you when you need to retreat to the library, cafe or other place where you can work on papers and projects without being disturbed by roommates and loud music. Make sure that you bring everything necessary to keep your computer up and running, such as portable chargers, hard drives and extra flash drives for increased memory.
2) Bedding, Pillows. Most dorm rooms will provide you with a standard desk and bed, and some may even splurge and provide you with a microwave and refrigerator, but you’re going to have to bring your own comforters, sheets and pillows. Think about comfort and don’t forget about the fact that most dorms have wonky air conditioning/heating systems that don’t always provide the best level of comfort. This means that you’ll have to bring some light bedsheets for the warm weather and a heavier comforter for when it gets cold.
3) Portable Fan. This goes along with my previous point. When it’s hot outside, sometimes the only relief you’ll get is in the form of a nice, heavy-duty window fan to keep you cool at night. You’ll be glad you remembered this when it’s 95 degrees and humid and you’re sleeping like a baby.
4) Clothes. Another obvious one, but also obviously important. Like the bedding, make sure you have outfits for all weather so you’re prepared for anything. Don’t bring so many clothes that you leave your roommate with space in the closet for three hangers though. Remember that sharing is caring, especially when it comes to dorm room space.
5) Comfortable chair. Most dorm rooms will provide you with a standard desk chair, but these are typically about as comfortable as the old wooden chairs you’ll find in your local library. Bring your own cushioned desk chair, bean bag chair, sheepskin chair, or any other chair that is comfortable enough to relax in when doing your work; not comfortable enough to fall asleep in while doing said work however.
6) Posters. The walls of a dorm room are typically pretty bleak. White-washed brick walls that are intimidating to pretty much anyone. But, you can spice up your room and make it feel a little more like home by putting up some posters, collages, pictures of friends or family and anything that livens up the room. Just don’t creep out your roommate by lining the walls with pictures of Justin Bieber.
7) TV and DVD player. While you might not have a lot of free time to sit around watching TV in between your massive amounts of studying and socializing (partying), there will still be those late nights and rainy days when you’ll want to just curl up in bed and pop in a movie. So, don’t forget a television, but keep it modest (anything from 19″ to 27″ should be fine) because anything too big will quickly take up precious space. Also, bring a few of your favorite movies along too, just don’t clutter up your room with a giant box filled with your entire 200+ film DVD collection.
There you have it, the important pieces of home that will make your transition to the college life that much easier. If there’s anything you think I forgot to add, feel free to comment below!
