When you move into college for the first time, it’s a really, really big deal. You set countdowns on your phone and patiently wait as the number dwindles to zero. You spend countless hours in Target buying everything that remotely fits into your color scheme. You manage to convince yourself that you actually need a drying rack for your clothes (you don’t). Everything is changing, and you’re preparing for it. Your parents cry a lot and reminisce on the good old days when you were just a child. They tell you the same stories you’ve heard a billion times before. When it’s time to start packing, your mom methodically packs everything you own in as little packages as possible. Your dad does all the heavy lifting, even if normally you would have to help out. Your other family members get excited for you. They tell you how it’s going to be an amazing experience and how they can’t wait to hear about your crazy adventures. Your high school friends and classmates talk about how nervous you all are. You wonder about your roommate and if you two will get along. You’re full of emotions. You and everyone around you cares about what’s going on.
Now you’re a sophomore. You’ve had the crazy adventures like pushing your friends in move-in carts down the length of your hallway. You have become best friends with your roommate (or found out that you could never live with them again). You’ve had all the fun people wished you would have, and now they really don’t care anymore. The novelty has definitely worn off.
Everyone knows what to expect now. They know how many car trips it will take to move your entire existence to your new room. They’ve met your college friends. Your high school friends have gotten it all figured out as well. No one is surprised or anticipating something abnormal happening. It’s like a second nature now, even if you have only moved out once before.
I just packed my entire 19 years of life into the back of my Buick Encore. My books, my clothes, my makeup, my shoes. Everything. The first time around, it was a life-changing moment. I felt like a new person heading off to do great things. This time, I felt nothing but stressed out over how much crap I’m going to have to unpack.
You’ll probably think it was sad, but my mom didn’t even help me pack everything up this time. She just said, “You’re a big girl now. You can do it.” And I could. I knew what I needed to take and what I should leave behind. My dad still did the heavy lifting, but I definitely had to put in my fair share. No one told me how excited they were for me to experience my second year of college. There was no countdown on my phone.
Now, all of my things are in my new dorm room. My clothes are hung up and my books are displayed. Move in day is over. Nothing monumental has happened. I have had no ground-breaking revelations. It’s just another item scratched off of the to-do list.
To all the first years patiently awaiting their move-in day, don’t rush it. Spend those precious hours in Target with your friends. Let your mom and dad dote on you for as long as possible. You think, “Oh, I have to do this three more times anyway. Why does this one matter?” It does. It does matter. This is the momentous occasion you were waiting for; revel in it.
