1. Baskets are your new best friends.
These glorious, little, organizational gems turn a chaotic mess into ... well, it's still a chaotic mess, but it looks organized, and that's all that really matters.
2. You have an excuse to spend hours in everyone's favorite store.
In preparation for dorm life, you get to spend all day scouring the aisles of Heaven, AKA Bed, Bath & Beyond.
3. The space under your bed is basically Narnia.
It will blow your mind just how much you are able to store under there.
4. White boards, they're all fun and games until ...
These little dorm accessories are great. Friends are able to write cute messages, you can create festive doodles around the holidays and everything in between. But keep in mind that every morning after a night out, you will walk out the door to discover very expressive and detailed drawings of a certain part of the male anatomy kindly drawn by your floormates.
5. Don't do laundry on Sunday unless you want to fulfill your dreams of playing in The Hunger Games.
It's basically an unspoken rule that Sunday is laundry day. Unless you feel like waiting around with everyone else in your dorm, ready to pounce on the first washing machine that becomes available, save doing your laundry for during the week.
6. You need to vacuum ... a lot.
The amount of dust and hair (gross, I know, but beauty is pain) that is going to collect on the floor of your humble abode is not so pretty. You're going to need to whip out the old Shark pretty often if you want to avoid the oh-so adorable hair tumble weeds from rolling around.
7. Downsizing is your new best friend.
This may seem like a daunting task, going from (at least in my case) having your own room to only owning half of an already small space. Learn to love change, which in this case means embracing the old saying less is more. Which leads me to my next point ...
8. Over-packers beware.
Coming from a true over packer, you don't need nearly as much as you might think, trust me. Basically, if the phrase, "Oh, I might need this ... " runs through your mind when packing it, chances are you will never actually need it. That dorm closet is going to fill up really fast, and you will sit there in a pool of regret asking yourself why you felt the need to pack every article of clothing you own.
9. Ethernet cables are essential for survival.
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones to get stuck in a Wi-Fi-stricken room like I was, you're going to need this little bad boy to remain sane. Trust me, when it's 11:58 and you're trying to submit that assignment due at 11:59 without running around your building in search of a connection, you'll be happy you made the investment (of course, you could just do your assignments earlier, but let's be realistic here).
10. NEVER try to study on your bed.
This may just be a personal one, but if you're anything like I am, getting work done while lounging is simply not an option. You will fall asleep and wake up the next morning in a panic, fully dressed in the previous day's attire. So do yourself a favor, and stick to your desk (they give it to you for a reason) or a public area that will force you to stay awake for study time. Keep your bed as a sacred space used for its intended purposes such as Netflix and napping.
11. Yes, you will get sick.
College is basically one big breeding ground for germs. From constantly being in and out of friends' rooms to venturing around campus to living in tight quarters with others, the chances of you not needing a few "sick days" are slim to none. Stock up on tissues and disinfectant because, boy, are you going to need them.
12. You come to realize just how good you had it at home.
Don't forget to pick up the phone and give your folks a call every now and then to let them know you appreciate and love them. They're adjusting to you being away just as much as you're adjusting to being away from them (plus, they'll probably send you food, just saying).
