Summer is beginning to wind down. The sun is beginning to set earlier and the nights are getting longer.A chill is returning to the air that lets you know autumn is just around the corner and the beginning of a new school year is fast approaching. For many people, it's time for their freshman year of college, where they will be living on campus and away from home for the very first time. It's uncharted territory, and unexpected experiences will lead the way of next year of their life. So, what should you expect on move in day?
1. Nerves
It's a whole new experience and there is no road map or expectation of what may happen. It's okay be a little scared. Take it as an adventure. Let yourself be excited. This is the beginning of the rest of your life, it would be shocking if you weren't the least bit nervous.
2. An overcrowded stairway, hallway, elevator, and dorm room
Two people, with two families, are trying to unload two carloads at once. The room is going to be a disaster at first. The hall is going to be filled with little brothers and sisters, best friends, and moms and dads. Sometimes it's better to just take the stairs. Don't count on catching the one elevator the building has to offer.
3. Tears
Whether they are yours from moving away from that special place called home, a stranger down the hall realizing that they're not actually going home that night, or your parents because you finally left the nest, tears will be falling somewhere. And it's okay to cry. It doesn't make you childish. It makes you human.
4. Meeting new people
Then reintroducing yourself because you forgot you have already met them. And then seeing them a few hours later and coming to the conclusion that you may just never remember their name. But at least give them a hello. These people are your floor mates. You're going to be living with them for the next ten months. It's worth getting to know them.
5. Decorating your room. Redecorating.
...and then putting back, only to move it again. As far as packing goes, decorations may be the last thing on your mind as your shuffling through all the clothes you want to take, but take it from me, having an aesthetically pleasing room matters. It makes the small space that is actually yours feel more like a home. So bring the faerie lights and a rug, even if mom and dad says there's no more room in the car.
6. Forgetting your favorite piece of clothing
Or a pillow. Maybe all your hangers. You definitely won't remember everything. Thankfully, you'll eventually get to go home and grab it. If you're anything like me though, chances are you'll forget it a second time.
7. Walmart
Everyone hits Walmart to get their dorm snacks and pick up those unfortunate items that were left behind. And it's chaos. Don't wait for move in day to pick up anything important (like a fan to keep you cool on the dog days of summer) because Walmart does not have enough items in stock for thousands of incoming college students.
8. Your parents finally left
You're excited because there is no one there to tell you what to do. Your life is your own. Your goals are in sight. It's a new chapter. You can finally walk around at all hours of the night without having to tell anyone where you are going or when you'll be back. You can scream your heart out at three am or eat cookie dough right out of the tube. Who's going to say anything? Well, your roommate just might.-
9. Fear
No one is there to help guide you through the mess that is most certainly about to ensue. You had help doing everything your entire life, and now every decision lies in your lap. It's terrifying having the training wheels dropped in an instant, but I guarantee you that learning how to take the wheel on your own is not as hard as you think. And some mistakes are bound to happen, but mistakes make us who we are. They give us a chance to grow. So, don't fear it too much.
10. Sadness
Your parents are gone, and for the first time in your life you do not know when you will see them next. It might not be until Christmas break for some. It's definitely sad. Going from seeing your loved ones every day to not at all certainly takes a couple of days to get used to. Thankfully there's phone calls and Facetime to dull the pain of missing the people you love the most while you're out becoming the person they always knew you could be.
11. A hall get together
No one knows each other, not yet at least. Lounge hang is the perfect way to get to know the rest of your floor and make friends. Some of the most fun there is to have is putting thirty young adults into the same lounge and seeing them create the closest friendships they will ever have.
12. It might feel rough at first
Your best friends are spread across the state, or even country, and no one in the college understands you like they do. But this isn't a bad thing. It's an opportunity. New friends will come in time, and your best friends will be there for you no matter what.
13. The beginning of a new era
Move in day is just the first step in creating the rest of your life. It's scary and exciting. Don't panic, though. You're not the only one experiencing something new. Everyone around you is finding their footing.
