You don’t know what you don’t know! Here are some tips to help you be “In the Know” and “College Ready.”
Never say never because: • You will lose your key at least once. • You will lock yourself out of your room. • You will wish you had learned how to do laundry before leaving home.
You will not eat as healthy at college as you did at home. • Take your vitamins every day. • Prescription medication – stock up before you go, take advantage of mail delivery options, or find a local pharmacy that is easy to get to. • Have Gatorade and Pedialyte on hand in your room. They are great for days you are not feeling well or just hungover.
There is no catching up in college. • Do not procrastinate. • Utilize professor office hours.• Go to class. • Find someone more productive than you and study with them. Check this out!
• Experiment with different organizational tools and study tools until you find what works best for you. • Once you find it, use it!
Utilize the packing list that your college provides. A few extras that may not be on the list that came in handy are: • Brita water pitcher. • Command Strips of all sizes. You will need rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. • Fan. • Extension cords, and power strips. • Doorstop – some doors are higher & heavier than others so you might need a larger doorstop than your typical one from home. • Back up phone chargers, and extra-long chargers. • Humidifier. • Febreze-especially if you are bringing sporting equipment. • Clorox wipes, paper towels. • Small lockbox for cash, etc.
You will pack too much. Not every dorm is the same, but rest assured they will all have one thing in common – no storage space. • Compromise with your roommates on how to best set up the room so everyone has an equal say and space. • Concede some space. Perhaps if you are rooming with a hockey player who needs just a bit more room than your violin you could give up some space. • Pack two weeks’ worth of clothes and plan on doing laundry.
Communicate with your roommates before arrival and keep an open line of communication throughout the year.
Have patience and practice common courtesy. • You are about to move into a building filled with strangers from all sorts of backgrounds and life experiences. • Be open to learning about your new family and how you can utilize each other’s skills and strengths to work together to make your new community happy, healthy, and fun.
Seek advice. • Everyone is on a different schedule, has different likes, and quirks. Utilize RA’s, advisors, and seek advice if you are having difficulty getting along with your roommates.
Most importantly: Once the line of communication is cut off by stubbornness, or selfishness, you might as well start looking for a new roommate. It is unfair to expect that you will become instant best friends, nor do you have to. But starting with an uncompromising, authoritarian attitude you are setting yourself and your roommates up for failure.
This is your start to living a life of independence away from your parents. Take their advice but ultimately you and your new family must do what is best for your current living situation. Having over-involved parents can make it uncomfortable for you and your roommates. Let mom make your bed upon arrival, have dad carry all those heavy suitcases but then urge them to step back and allow the next steps to move in take their course.
Having over-involved parents can make it uncomfortable for you and your roommates. Let mom make your bed upon arrival, have dad carry all those heavy suitcases but then urge them to step back and allow the next steps to move in take their course.
