Moving into college, as we all know, can be a pain. Getting our stuff, however much it may be, from point A to point B can be a little strenuous as well. Finding the room to put all of our things in, and even finding the right materials to bring to school can be even more difficult. An experience we all inevitably share is the pain of packing and there are usually a high mixture of emotions that fluster our brains. But for those of you who don't know what it's like, here's a list to aid you in understanding what every college student has gone through while getting ready to leave the nest; whether it be their first or last year.
1. Frantic.
I am a bit of a planner and seem to get over-zealous when it comes to packing for anywhere or anything so I had started packing about 3 weeks before I was even supposed to move in, but I still ended up having to last minute pack the morning of move-in. Having to pack has a lot of weight that bears on your shoulders and the pressure makes us want to pull our hair out even if we've already packed a few days/weeks ahead of time, myself included.
2. Excitement.
I mean, it's college, who isn't excited while they're packing?! As I said before, I packed a little bit beforehand (by a few weeks) so I was obviously very excited, but then again, who isn't?
3. Fear.
A new place, new environment, new people, new opportunities, new responsibilities. I mean, come on, all of those sound terrifying and these were just a few of the things that I know all students feel while packing.
4. Nervousness.
I think that we all know that the above feelings also cover this one pretty well. New place, new environment, etc.
5. Happiness.
I think we all know that we're happy when we first start packing for college, the idea that it's a new place with new experiences and new people, you have your freedom and most importantly, you're doing what you want to do. At least, that's the way that I personally felt while packing.
6. Sadness.
Let's face it, leaving home is hard. Leaving our dogs, family, comfy large bed and our own space, but it's all for a necessity. For myself, my hardest part about leaving home was to leave my siblings and my queen sized bed at home, but it makes me appreciate them much much more.
7. Determination.
Like every student, we all have determination while packing for college. I remember while packing my bags and loading up my car, I had to keep telling myself "I can do this", trying to psych myself up but I also knew that I could. I was and still am determined in more way than one.
8. Curiosity.
Along with determination, I feel like curiosity is one of the main feelings that incoming college students feel while packing for the upcoming year. I felt a tremendous amount of curiosity up until after my first day, and I still will each semester due to the fact that not only will you meet new people in all of your classes, but you will learn something new inside and outside of the classroom.
9. Homesickness.
I, myself, don't really seem to get homesick while at school but I know that this is a terrible feeling while you're away from home. From what I've been told by my peers and from what I notice anytime a 3 (or more) day weekend comes, everyone is frantic to go home.
10. Loneliness.
All of us ultimately felt lonely on our way to college for the first time due to the fact that we didn't know anyone personally. For myself, this was the main emotion I felt on my way to move in. Sure, I knew of people on campus but I still felt lonely due to the fact that I knew there was a small chance I would run into the small handful of people I knew beforehand.
