Hey everyone! So there are a lot of things to think about when thinking about moving into a dorm. Everyone is unique in the ways that they decorate, clean, sleep, eat, and more.

During my freshman year my mom loaded me with snacks that we both thought I would be eating in my free time. I figured out during the first month of the semester that half of those snacks never got opened. So one thing I wish I knew before moving into a dorm is that you should wait until you actually want snacks, then go out and buy them. It saves money and space!

Another thing I wish I knew before moving into a dorm is how useful a small couch or recliner could be. For me, sitting on my bed, for some reason, makes me feel very unproductive. My bed is usually where I sleep, nap, or spend time on my phone. I can’t really focus on homework while on my bed. Once I put a couch into my room, it became easier to focus (and not want to instantly start napping).

A third thing that I wish I knew before moving into a dorm was that your room can get really messy, pretty fast. Throughout the day you’re going in and out, using things, eating things, moving things, and so on. It can get hard to remember to put stuff in its place when you’re always on the go. So maybe set a reminder for a certain day of the week—every week—to remind yourself to fix up your room before the mess starts piling up!

A last thing that I wish I knew before moving into a dorm is that bugs are hungry and sneaky as heck. If you eat fast-food, really try not to throw that trash in your dorms’ trash can. The ants will come out from wherever they’ve been conspiring and ruin your life by the morning. Trust me on this one, I eat a lot of fast-food. Same goes for fruits: try not to leave certain fruits in your room for more than a couple of days. One time I had these bananas next to my window for quite a while. The day I decided to take them out to the trash, a huge swarm of fruit flies burst into my room as soon as I lifted the bananas. That sucked to clean up, haha.  Learn from my mistake!

Everyone’s dorming experience is different and unique to them. Definitely have fun and always be yourself, but just remember to always pick up after yourself in the process! I’ll see you soon :)