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The moment you've packed your tenth pair of shoes is when you should start to realize it might not be an essential move-in day item. Move-in day stands out among other college rituals especially as it brings an end to a long summer and opens the door for a fresh, new semester. The time period leading up to move-in day involves a lot of over packing, overthinking and over stressing. The key to avoiding all of these setbacks is simple: plan ahead.
Over packing is the result of stress. The case might be that you create outlandish scenarios to justify why you need ten pairs of sneakers, but unless you’re Michael Jordan then it is highly unlikely that you need to bring that many shoes. If you need to convince yourself to bring specific items then it's better to leave it at home. Save yourself the trouble and make a detailed list which includes the essentials and what you cannot live without. The list usually contains a specific number of clothing items, cleaning supplies, bedding material, wall decorations and electrical appliances.
The weather is usually cooler during the majority of fall and spring semester so it’s unnecessary to bring a significant number of summer clothes. Less summer clothes can help save room for bulkier and more useful items such as sweatshirts, sweaters and sweatpants. Closet space is valuable so it’s important to consider bringing closet hangers, bins, a portable mirror and over the door shoe bags, which can double as a holder for small items.
When it comes to wall decorations, do not overdo it with a million picture frames and posters because by the end of the year, you and your roommate will be sick of staring at prom pictures from two years ago. The more limited your wall décor, the better because as the year progresses you will find new interests to display on your wall.
Appliances such as a microwave and mini fridge are a must have. Verify with your roommate that at least one of you will be bringing them to ensure your semester survival. You will go through cases of bottled water faster than you think so bring as many as possible. The cases will fit perfectly under your bed along with a clothes hamper, trash can and plastic drawers. Other notable items to bring would be an extension cord, trash bags, Lysol wipes, paper towels, plastic silverware and extra batteries.
Mackenzie Scibetta can be reached at mackenzie.scibetta@student.shu.edu
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