Moving Into The College Dorms

It is that time of the year again. If you didn't apply to college as an early acceptance, then now is about the time when you will begin to hear decisions about schools you applied to. This is an exciting time in any ones life, when the possibilities of what is to come next September loom ahead.

This is also the time when you need to begin to plan what you should bring to college with you. Let me say that from experience, I was truly shocked at how small the dorms actually were when I began living in them freshman year at Northeastern University. There is nothing that can truly prepare you for the experience of living in a residence hall at college, but there are some things that you should know to help make the year easier.

1. You don't need to bring everything you own with you! There simply isn't room. In my case I wanted to bring all of my clothes, my two guitars, a small amp, about 5 pairs of shoes, and my skies. This of course didn't work. Since most students will be sharing their dorm room with at least one other student, you need to remember that all of that stuff you are bringing, they are probably trying to bring just as much with them too. This will never work considering the small spaces available, and you should just stick to the necessities.


2. What are the necessities that you need to make your stay in the dorms a fairly comfortable one? The three things that I would suggest everyone have is: a memory foam mattress topper for their bed, hooks to stick on the wall (the more stuff you can keep off the floor the better), posters or wall art to help make the room look more like a bedroom then a jail cell.


3. Finally, remember that moving to school does take some degree of planning. Start making a list of what you think you need to bring with you as soon as you are accepted to college. This way you can begin to pick up the stuff you need as you come across it, and you won't have to rush at the last minute to find everything. Also, if you make a list early enough, if your school offers a summer orientation you will be able to make a better judgement after staying in the dorms of what you will be able to actually bring, and what you will need to cross of your list!