College move-in day can be an emotional time, as it’s often the first time incoming freshmen are leaving their family, friends and pets behind at home. Even students eager to start this next chapter are often filled with a mix of nerves and excitement about adjusting to campus life and meeting new people.
However, move-in day – which often includes welcome events — and orientation are designed to help ease those feelings. Students are introduced to their roommates, hallmates and resident assistants, and learn the layout of campus and school traditions.
“I really just encourage first-year students to try new things at their own pace,” says Crystal Cusimano-Figueroa, assistant dean of orientation and new student programs at the University of Rochester in New York. “Figure out where your community is on campus. Take your time and don’t feel the need to kind of jump into everything all at once because you do have time to explore.”
Here’s what to expect on move-in day and ways to prepare as a freshman.
Logistics of Move-In Day
The logistics of move-in day vary per school, but students are typically assigned a specific date and time to arrive on campus. Freshmen often move in before other students — typically between two days and a week before classes start in August or September — unless they are athletes or in the marching band, for instance, which may require earlier arrival.
Upon arrival to campus, freshmen may be greeted by a group of eager student volunteers and staff dressed in college gear, ready to help remove items from cars. Colleges may also set out carts or dollies for students to use. During check-in, students get their keys or keycard, fill out necessary paperwork and receive a packet of information about events and campus resources. They may also be directed to other buildings on campus to secure other items, like a student ID or parking pass.
[READ: Resources for College Students Facing Housing Insecurity.]
Resident advisers will also likely go over a room condition report, which indicates any room damages, and ask the new occupants to sign it. That form is referred to again at the end of the academic year when a student moves out and the room is inspected again. Any damage found at that time that is not indicated on the original form may result in a fine.
“There is usually some kind of hall meeting with the resident assistant, icebreakers and oftentimes welcome activities that students are able to go to and attend with the student leadership on their floor in their building to get acquainted with the university, their roommates and their hallmates and start building a sense of community,” says Christine Reed Davis, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Ways to Prepare for Move-In Day
Before move-in day, first-year students should check their college emails, start packing, discuss a semester or yearly budget with family, reach out to their roommate and practice life skills.
Check College Email
Throughout the summer, freshmen should pay close attention to their new college email. Schools typically provide information about housing, orientation events and instructions for move-in day, such as the assigned time frame for when to arrive, campus traffic patterns and where to park.
Specific questions can be relayed to residence life staff or an office of orientation and first-year programs, depending on what resources are available at the college. Students may want to ask in advance about dorm room accessibility, for instance.
Start Packing
Dorm rooms are typically furnished with bed frames, mattresses, desks, chairs and closets. Students are responsible for bringing all other items, such as sheets, blankets, pillows, clothes, toiletries, medication, storage supplies and decorations.
“Certainly if you are moving across the country, then you do need clothes for all four seasons,” Reed Davis says. “But if you are more local, you don’t need to pack up the entire dresser drawer. You can take seasonal kind of clothes back and forth to home.”
[READ: How Colleges Are Addressing Food Insecurity.]
Lists of recommended items, as well as things not to pack, usually are available on schools’ websites. Anything that can be a fire hazard, like toasters, air fryers, crockpots and other kitchen appliances, are typically not allowed to be used in dorm rooms. However, residence halls are equipped with communal kitchens, which may include a stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave and places to plug in small kitchen appliances on a per-use basis.
Mini refrigerators can be kept in dorm rooms, and either be brought from home or rented through the school.
Students living in a suite-style room, or one with a personal bathroom, also may need to bring cleaning supplies, trash bags, toilet paper and tissues. If any items are forgotten, most colleges are located near drugstores and retail stores, or they’ll have a small convenience store on campus.
Make a Budget
Before leaving home, students should make a budget for the semester or year — accounting for any potential emergency or miscellaneous expenses — or discuss funding expectations with their parents.
“Be clear about what happens if there is miscommunication (about what constitutes an emergency) or if the money runs out before the month does, how that is all going to work,” says Carol Binzer, director of administrative and support services for residence life at Texas A&M University.
Reach Out to Your Roommate
Experts advise first-year students to connect with their roommate before move-in day, either via social media or email, to avoid bringing duplicate items that are unneeded, talk about hobbies and interests, and learn about their living and sleep habits.
“Get a feel for how they live and work on a day-to-day basis to make sure that you are compatible,” Cusimano-Figueroa says. “And if not, you can always work out a compromise to make sure that you are comfortable and everything is fine your first year. Obviously sometimes that doesn’t work out and we have a whole process with our resident advisers where students can work through things if they potentially need a room change. But we try to mitigate that early with these types of conversations ahead of time.”
Practice Life Skills
Living independently comes with certain responsibilities, such as doing laundry, cooking, maintaining a clean space and learning to respect boundaries laid out by a roommate.
Students also have to maintain their own schedule, as college involves balancing classes with extracurricular activities, a social life and work, in some cases. Before heading off to college, it’s important to practice and develop related life skills such as time management and teamwork, experts say.
Family Involvement in Move-In Day
Parents, siblings and other family members can play a large role in the move-in process. They can help pack and unpack the car, decorate dorm rooms and aid with the adjustment process.
[READ: Paying for Meals at College: What to Know About Costs.]
After move-in is complete, many colleges host separate events for students and families to get acquainted with campus. First-year students may attend floor meetings and other orientation activities, while families participate in their own introductory events or receptions.
“We welcome families to be involved in that process because we are partners with them in helping their students be successful,” Reed Davis says. “And we want them to feel just as welcomed on our campus as the students feel. But there is a break. You have to allow the student to do what they are going to do and to begin their adult journey.”
To ease the anxiety and homesickness, students may want to schedule when they are going to see their family again, whether it’s during family weekend, fall break or a holiday, experts say.
But before freshmen make plans to have their entire family move them into college, it’s important to check campus policies. Some schools have restrictions on the number of people students can bring with them on move-in day as a way to reduce congestion on campus.
“Whether it’s your first kid or multiple down the line, it’s still very emotional to leave them behind,” Binzer says. “And it marks a change in the relationship a little bit, maybe signaling adulthood. As a parent, you don’t just go from worrying about your child to not worrying about your child.”
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What College Freshmen Should Expect on Move-In Day originally appeared on usnews.com
