Move in day felt surreal. It was like this moment I had been envisioning for at least four years, and now it was finally here. As I said goodbye to my parents and cried like a baby, I sat in my room alone with my roommate for the first time. She said, "Hey, Katy, guess what ... We're in college!" It didn't exactly sink in then, but it sank in through a series of moments that really made me think about what the next four years would look like. I moved in early for theatre boot camp. (Shoutout to the LSU School of Music and Dramatic Arts!)
Here are a couple of things I learned the week before classes started. Enjoy the "Airplane" gifs.
How to properly use command strips.
Command strips are a must have if you want to make your dorm feel remotely like a home. My roommate and I put up all of our posters, pictures, and artwork, then, curiously, throughout the week, they all one by one began to fall onto the floor. Our 3 foot tall framed sign that says "theatre" fell on my roommate in the middle of the night. Our theatre major had officially hit us in the butt for the first time. (Sarcasm intended.)
That some people can be incredibly nice, and others incredibly awful.
I'm not talking about the friends I made; only the random pedestrian students. Big shoutout to the nice young man who gave up his umbrella for my friend. Even bigger shoutout to the frat guy who called my other friend a faggot. Karma will catch up to you.
It's like kindergarten all over again - just tell someone hi!
I made some of my best friends in the first week. Just keep your dorm room door open, say hi to some of your floor mates, or sit next to someone who is by themselves in the dining hall! Everyone is just as nervous about making friends as you are.
If you live in the South, don't bother with too much makeup.
You WILL look like this by the afternoon.
There are so many food options!
This is both a blessing and a curse. How can you possibly be healthy when there is literally a cookie shop that delivers to your dorm 'til 3 a.m.? There's also the dining hall, Chipotle, and tons of coffee shops. Moderation, my friends.
I absolutely love college!
College will be what you make it. Find some things that interest you and people who lift you up. You'll be as happy as you want to be!
"College is the reward for surviving high school." - Judd Apatow