College is doing weird things that don't matter anywhere else. It's making the best of a really awesome and weird season of life that can be frustrating and mind-blowing at the same time. Here's a list of things you never knew you needed to thrive during the adventure!
1. An emergency crying surface
Tears will be shed. These are homesick tears, heartbreak tears, hormonal tears, frustration tears, or even confusion tears. It's best to be prepared with a go-to pillow, stuffed animal, shoulder, or bathtub edge for when the waterworks come rolling.
2. A flattering mirror
You're going to be getting ready in ten minutes most days. It's best to pretend you look better than your sleepy, no-time-to-shower body actually feels.
3. One staple adult piece of clothing
Sometimes you're going to need to look like the adult you keep hidden under that college-chic shell. A blazer or a tailored pair of pants go a long way in an interview or class presentation.
4. Sweatpants that make your butt look good
On the other hand, sweatpants are going to be an everyday thing. Might as well get a pair that give you a confidence boost every time you walk by a mirror or through the common area full of athletes.
5. An app to track calories
The freshman 15 is a real threat, but it's honestly more like a freshman 5 for most people. An app to track calories is helpful for most to avoid the gain all together. Then again, you'll probably only log calories for a week and then decide you don't really want to know how many calories that spoonful of peanut butter contains.
6. A go-to bag
7. A hookup with transportation
8. Scents
Sometimes life literally stinks. Whether your room perpetually smells like your roommate's cleats or you didn't have time to shower after zumba, you're going to want a lot of scents around. Febreeze, wax melters, perfume, and candles. You're going to want them all.
9. Headphones
Whether to get out of conversations or to avoid everyone hearing that snapchat from your sister, headphones always come in clutch.
10. Blinders
College is one of life's greatest tests of focus and concentration. You're going to want blinders from your phone during study time, blinders from seeing your roommate's butt while changing in your shared ten square feet, and blinders from unnecessary crushes in general that try and distract you from being the boss you are.
11. A BFF on staff or faculty
If you have a bestie on staff and play your cards right, you'll have regular home-cooked meals and never have to collect quarters for the washing machine again.
12. A soulmate
Not romantically, but someone who is made of the same stuff and truly understands what your soul needs. You need someone in your corner to remind you how awesome you are and what the deadline for that paper was.
13. Multiple forms of caffeine
14. A sense of adventure
15. Manners
Don't forget to be polite to literally everyone. You treat your professors with respect and they will respect you as an adult. You treat the dorm janitor with respect and they will keep cleaning the communal toilets for you.
16. A Panera rewards card
Panera has unlimited wifi and coffee. Keep that in mind when your roommate has people over or the campus wifi crashes for the third time that night.
17. Social Media
While maybe not a necessity, social media is a lot of fun. You can keep up with distant friends and family, show off old pictures and ex's to your new friends, and look up the cutie from your 10 a.m. that you're way too shy to ask what their name is.
18. Decorations and an area rug
This is a great way to spruce up the cement walls of a dorm, but it's also the best way to cover that mystery stain on your carpet.
19. Good dental hygiene
Chances are you're going to swap some spit during college. If you don't want to be the next worst-date story for somebody, please just brush your teeth.
20. Something that makes you smile
Buy yourself some flowers and remember that you're worth it!
21. A stock pile of groceries you'll never actually eat
If you haven't held onto that random package of shrimp ramen for four years, I'm not positive you've truly earned your degree. You really only have it just in case you run out of spare change to spend at Taco Bell.
22. A living thing to nurture
Keeping a plant or goldfish alive is really satisfying when you barely feel alive yourself.
23. Something to keep you grounded and connected to the real world
Keep a news app or get a job off campus. Just something to remind you of life off campus.
24. An attitude of self-preservation
25. A solid playlist
26. 10,000 pony tail holders and pens
27. A sauce or spice that goes on literally anything
28. The guts to be straightforward
This is a skill that will get you far in life. It's best to be straightforward with your roommates, friends, professors, and especially yourself about everything you're thinking, feeling, and doing.
29. A project unrelated to school
Have a book, a knitting project, or some sort of art project that allows you a creative outlet from school and work.
30. A sense of humor
Have fun and laugh loud! College really is a short season in your life and you have to be able to laugh at yourself along the way!
