Whether you have a long or short distance back to school, it can always be a little difficult to get back in the hang of packing for school. It can be even more difficult when you are packing to move into a new dorm that may be completely different from your last.

1. Think about yourself once you move in and brainstorm the things you might need.

Take some time to think about your daily routine once you are back at school because it may look completely different than what your summer has been like. Think about all the things your may need for not only your room but for your living space, class, and for fun nights on the weekend!

2. Communicate with your roommate(s).

Make sure you have and are communicating with your roommate(s) so that you are able to have a plan for your room going in. Moving can be stressful and it can be even more stressful when you get to your room and still have to rearrange the right way before you are even able to put your stuff away. Make sure that you are also communicating about with them about who should bring what so that everything can be split equally. It’s no fun to be the only one buying everything!

3. Give yourself a decent amount of time to move in.

Don’t cram moving into your new dorm in too small of a time frame. Like I said before it can be pretty stressful moving in so it is always nice to have at least the whole day dedicated to your move in. It is also helpful to have someone there to help as well, sometimes maybe they are just there to talk to you while you unpack or they can be a trooper and make the trip in faster by helping you bring stuff to your room! Either way, having that second hand is always nice.

4. Don’t think that you have to have it all done in one day.

Whether you move in early or right before school starts, don’t put pressure on yourself to unpack or get your room completely done in one day! Take some time to get settled into your room so that you can get used to everything and really take the time to decide how you want to decorate and organize.

5. Make sure your new dorm feels like home.

This is where you will be spending the majority of your time for this upcoming school year so it is important to make it feel like home, a place you are excited to go to after a long day.