On the first day of freshman year, I rolled onto Babcock Street in West with a U-Haul trailer, two road-tired parents, and my dogs. My new roommate, whom I’d never met, was terrified by the amount of stuff I piled on my side of our Rich Hall dorm room. And yet, despite the under-bed drawers, color-coordinated school supplies, and uber-crammed shower caddy, I found that I wasn’t quite prepared.
I had not read “Things to Do Before Fall” on orientation’s website. Big mistake.
If I’d read their tips, I would not have referred to “woostah” (aka worcester) as “war-chest-ar” upon arrival.
If I’d read their tips, I might have realized before arriving at the laundry rooms with 30 pounds of laundry and enough Tide for a family of 12 that (surprise!) you do actually need a form of payment…like your terrier id card or a sack of quarters…in order to actually do the laundry.
Grants. Scholarships. Loans. Work study. Quickie-jobs. Baaaaaah! I was so overwhelmed! If only I’d known…this orientation website will lead you to a fantastic video explaining everything you need to know about finances.
Things I did not include in my U-Haul trailer that I would have had I seen orientation’s list of “things before the fall:” shower shoes, extension chords, a fan, a mattress cover and/or “egg crate,” and a husband pillow.
Seriously, this is a fantastic and very thorough list. Aside from maybe clothing and bed-risers, there’s not a thing I would add.
And, best of all, if you stick to this list you won’t need a U-Haul. Let the girl who made that mistake once give you one piece of advice: make a pile of everything you’re planning on bringing to B.U. Then cut that pile in half. Trust me, you’ll still have everything you need and if you don’t, you’ll find it in this city.
terrier love from a recovering u-haul user,
-Celie
