Ahhh, move-in day. The date you've had on your countdown app since last spring. This summer, you have been buying all the essentials for your dorm room and been dreading saying goodbye to all your hometown best friends. You have all the emotions of a Taylor Swift song running through your head, but the day you've been waiting for is finally here! Moving in can be a long, crazy, yet exciting process. Here are a few tips you need to know to make your process as smooth and fun as possible.

• Pack the car the night before.

Packing all your luggage and dorm room materials the night before makes leaving the next day so much easier. This way you're not grumpy the next morning and you can leave right after you check to make sure you have everything packed and ready to go.

• Leave early.

I know waking up early sucks but you're going to have to get used to it for those 8AM classes. Traffic on the main route to school is going to be a mess the whole day and will only progressively get worse as the day goes on. Leaving early helps you beat less traffic and have more time to set up your room. Plus, if you move in on a very hot day, hopefully the weather will be a little bit cooler earlier in the morning.

• Have your school ID ready for check-in.

This might seem like a no-brainer but I made this mistake my freshman year. As soon as you go to check-in to get your room key, they ask for your school ID card to make sure it's you. I had my ID packed away in a Vera Bradley ID holder somewhere in a plastic tub and had to dig for it for about 10 minutes. My mom was not happy.

• When you first get to your room, mark down any scratches or marks.

I know you are excited to start unpacking, but this is very important. Mark down anything that might seem like it has something wrong with it, even the tiniest scratch. This way you won't be responsible for this when you move out at the end of the year. You'll be happy you took the time to do this later when the people who didn't are getting fined for something they didn't do.

• Wait for your roommate to arrive before you start rearranging your room.

This will avoid conflict later on with your roommate and you don't want to be off to a bad start. You could even ask them prior to moving in if there is a certain way you two want the room arranged or who prefers what side.

• When you start to unpack your room, make your bed first.

Your bedding and pillows are all very bulky things and will take up space in your room. If you make your bed first, you can start putting down boxes on top of your bed instead of wasting more space with all your bedding. Let me tell you, you need all the space you can get.

• Utilize the move-in helpers.

At Eastern, we have Panther Pals who volunteer to help students carry and move all their possessions into their rooms. Please let these students help you. You are going to be taking so many trips to your car and if you don't have an elevator or live in a tall building, going up and down the stairs will be a workout. Move-in volunteers are so helpful, you will be very thankful for them!

• Say hi to the people on your floor.

When you walk past someone's room, just say hi and introduce yourself. These people are in the exact same boat as you. Also, keep your door open when you're in your room! The girls on my floor did this all the time and we became best friends and we're still very close two years later.

• Spend time with your parents before they leave.

If you're the first child in your family to go to college, it's going to be harder on your parents than you know. I know you're excited to be on your own and start making new friends, but try to spend as much time as possible with your parents before they go back home.

• Take a picture with your roommate on move-in day after you're all unpacked.

Cheesy, I know, but 20 years from now you'll be happy you have that picture to look back on.

• Go to the freshmen events with your roommate.

This is the perfect opportunity for you and your roommate to get to know each other along with seeing what clubs and RSO's you might want to get involved in.

• Check out the buildings your classes are in.

This will help you big time on your first day of classes. This way you aren't rushing early that morning and you'll feel a lot more comfortable.

• If you go out that night, please please please control your alcohol.

I know you're excited that it's your first night out in college but you really don't want to be that girl/guy who is obnoxiously all over the place and throwing up. People do talk at school and you don't want your reputation ruined on the first night. This is the night to have fun and make some friends, not be blacked out and miserable. Plus, most orientations are early the next morning and you really shouldn't miss that.

• Last but not least, have fun!

This is the beginning of the most exciting time of your life. You're about to meet awesome friends who you will make incredible memories with. Think about how lucky you are that you have finally made it to the college classes where you're at the start of your future career. There will be somedays you'll love college and other times you'll hate it, but that's what it's all about.