August is upon us, and as such, move-in will also soon be here. Some upperclassmen have already begun moving into their houses and apartments off campus, but the incoming freshmen are still anxiously awaiting their day to move into the dorms. Many of the freshmen have never lived away from their parents before, so they don't know some of the tricks to insure a flawless move-in (and to prevent being fined at move-out). So from the upperclassmen to y'all, I have for you 19 tips for moving into the dorms.
1. Don't try hauling things up flights of stairs. This should be fairly obvious, but use an elevator if it is available.
2. Use the blue carts available in the lobby of your residence hall. They make the process so much quicker and more convenient.
3. Go ahead and move your furniture around now. Many people wait until second semester so they can try out the current configuration of furniture. Don't be one of them. It's easier to do it now while the room is empty of all personal items and embellishments.
4. Be cautious with hanging items on the walls. If you use nails, be sure to fill in and cover the holes before move-out to avoid fines. Command strips are a sturdy alternative, but can tear strips of paint off the walls so also be wary of the risk of these at move-out.
5. Roll your clothes instead of folding them when you put them in drawers. Not only will you prevent creases from setting into your clothes, you will save a ton of room.
6. Make the limited furniture do double duty. My freshman year I used my desk as both a place to get ready in the mornings and do academic work. I put all my school supplies in drawers, and put a makeup mirror on top of the desk. Making your furniture serve multiple purposes is incredibly efficient and will help you make the most of your room.
7. Use surge protectors. With all the weird weather Mississippi gets, at some point during the year, you will be thankful you had surge protectors that kept your computer, phone, and other devices from frying. This isn't one of those B.S. things Housing makes you do just because; it's a legitimate life-saving tip.
8. Take note of all damage that is already in the room. Write down and take pictures of every chip in the paint, any scratch on the wall, appliances that don't work properly, or any other damage that occurred prior to your move-in. If you don't, and Housing finds it at move-out, they will fine you even if you hand-to-Heaven swear you weren't the cause of the damage.
9. Get lined curtains. You might think those super sheer curtains are to die for, or you might be too lazy to even put up curtains, but you're going to regret your choices the first time the sun wakes you up three hours before your alarm.
10. If you're short, get a step-stool to use for getting into and out of bed. Because it's all fun and games until you realize you need to pole vault to get into bed or faceplate while trying to get out.
11. If your room smells weird at move-in, stick dryer sheets in the vents. You can also take car vent clips and clip them to the vents.
12. Put a curtain or a screen in front of your closet. Just covering up your clothes makes everything look so much neater. This also enables you to shove all your junk in your closet when your family surprises you with a visit.
13. Utilize storage space under your bed. Plastic drawers and containers fit perfectly under the dorm room beds at standard height.
14. Make sure there are no issues with your room key. Whether it's a standard key or your student ID, you'll need to be able to get into and out of your room as needed. If there is an issue with your key, get it fixed ASAP.
15. If you have an in-room bathroom, buy a plunger. I promise, you're going to need it.
16. Christmas lights are a nice decorative touch, and can serve as dim lighting when it's dark or when your roommate is trying to sleep. You can get them in the standard white, or get them in colors to match your room's color scheme.
17. Make sure you have a case of water or several gallons of water on hand. Occasionally, the university has to issue a "boil water alert," which means that any water on campus that comes out of anything but a bottle isn't safe for use. Having water already on hand will save you when one of these alerts inevitably happen.
18. Have a small first aid kit, a small sewing kit, and a small tool kit on hand. They come in handy so often that it's worth the initial effort to get them.
19. Make friends with the other people on your hallway. You could end up making a new best friend. Or if you got lucky like I did, a hallway full of them.
