Hello! Hello! Welcome to college!

Before you start worrying about what it’s like, what to pack, and how to blend in (or stand out), let me reassure you that everything will be fine. That may sound rather redundant; however, it may be more refreshing coming from someone who already has a year of college under their belt.

Is there a learning curve? Absolutely. But trust me when I say you’ll figure it out because most new experiences are humbling. At ISU, not only do you have roughly 36,000 students to reference, but you also have friendly faculty and staff members that are more than willing to point you in the right direction. Remember, it’s their job!

Take my advice and don’t sweat the small stuff. Does it suck not being able to predict your every move? Yes. But you’ll make friends, recognize familiar faces from lectures, and know campus like the back of your hand before you know it.

That being said, how exactly do you prepare for such a transition? An easy rule of thumb I followed while packing was to take what I own, divide it by two, and bring a little less than the remaining half – all while setting aside items you know you’re not bringing.

Though it may feel like you’re bringing your whole life to Ames, you’re really only bringing essential items for dorm life and the appropriate clothing for the respective seasons. Most kids go home around Thanksgiving which is the perfect time to swap out summer clothing for winter clothing. Winter break and spring break are also perfect times to gradually declutter and swap out heavier winter clothes for lighter spring clothes before the big move out in May.

It may seem straightforward on paper; however, when you’re sorting through your things before you leave you start to make impulsive decisions and take everything “just in case”. If you have the room when transporting, by all means get a feel for your room size, keep what you know you’ll need, and send the rest home. However, if you’re like me and wind up in a rather small dorm room, be sure to pack efficiently.

Another good rule of thumb is to buy things when you need them. I found myself packing things I never touched when I moved out in May. Bring practical items, especially items related to your work space.

You don’t need that many pens and pencils. You’ll find that you keep track of the same four or five and stow away the rest. Be sure to pack a few old school No. 2 pencils for bubble sheet exams (the keyword there was ‘few’). Also, you don’t need a glue stick and a glue bottle. Chances are, you won’t need either!

Again, practicality is key! Although you should pack the typical notebooks, folders, binders, etc, it’s important to remember that A LOT of your schoolwork will be online. No need to bring a printer, the library works great and you’re granted a certain number of free printing credits each semester that will be more than enough!

Now, I can’t tell each person that reads this exactly what to bring because everyone’s different! Some like to decorate, others are minimalists, etc. All I can say is to follow these rules of thumb while packing clothes and to be functional when planning which miscellaneous items to bring. Do some Google searches to find tricks and packing hacks! They’re out there and they’ll help a ton! Once again, don’t sweat the small stuff because you’ll figure it out as you go. There’s nothing quite like living in a dorm!