It's that time of year again... MOVE IN WEEK/SYLLY WEEK! The best two weeks of college (before holidays and when you finally get to go home) is right now, so live it up while you can. On top of all the excitement of the first week of class and all of campus activities, there is also some added, but unnecessary, stress that is added by moving in to your college dorm. Here are just a few of the many struggles you probably felt while moving into your own college dorms.
1. Your Odyssey AME still wants your article
Not only did you probably pack all of your stuff within a few days of moving in (me), but you still have to write your Odyssey article and turn it in, even if it is a few days late. And it's even worse when you can't connect to the WiFi until Sunday night. Thanks, Byron, for this idea.
2. Everyone decides to move in at the same time
Sooo, not only are you constantly waiting for the elevator with your cart full of stuff, you have to walk behind slow people and you are fighting for a cart so you don't have to make 100 trips up 2-plus flights of stairs. And it feels like 1,000 degrees with everyone being in the same small area
3. Packing
It's so hard deciding what to take with you to college and what will stay at home. You always end up bringing too much stuff, or not enough, and you've probably left something really important at home. And you never know what kind of themed college party will happen and then you'll be sad you didn't bring you sports jersey or your Hawaiian shirt.
4. Unpacking
Trying to find a space for everything you brought from home is not always easy when you go from having your own room, to moving into a 10-by-20 cube.
5. Freshman activities
At Penn State Altoona, we have these things called OLs, or orientation leaders. Their jobs are to be peppy and get all the freshman involved in welcome week activities, which is great and all, unless you're a sophomore who happened to move in early. If that is the case, you've been woken up by loud cheering and probably roped into a few ice breaker activities.
6. Decorations
Unless you're a boy, or a very boring girl, you will probably have tons of decorations for your walls. Most dorms have strict rules about how you can hang pictures, posters, tapestries, etc. which means there is only one thing you can use to hang all of that... command hooks. If you have not experienced them yet, make sure you buy the right ones or else everything you hang will fall down. Trying to organize everything on your wall can also be annoying, especially if you're short and you can't reach anything.
7. Sylly Week
Also known as syllabus week, which can be both good and bad. Depending on your teacher, you will either 1) spend 10 minutes in class going over the syllabus or 2) take notes and work the entire class, which just sucks if you're adjusting back into school mode.
Moving into your college dorm for the first time can be stressful, but everything will get better. Your college career has just begun and don't become overwhelmed with the stress from the first week. Just have fun and go with the flow everything will fall into place, and get ready for the best four years of your life.
