hello all! Summer has flown by and I find myself starting a new adventure hours from home in college. To be honest, I was pretty freaking excited for college. All the freedom, being able to eat whatever whenever, being able to exercise whenever in “free” gyms or not, and just adulting. And after a week of being here, I feel like I’m definitely qualified to help anyone out who is starting for fall or any time in the future and wants to know what’s really going on out here in the semi-adulting college world.

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MOVE IN

Not going to lie to you, move in was STRESSFUL. As soon as I stepped out of my car, I stepped into an ant hill and my ankle got a ton of ant bites and it was painful to say the least. It was a lil stressful to haul all the bins and clothes up to the next floor to my room, but at least my dorm had an elevator which was awesome. I’m the kind of person who will over pack just to make sure I have everything for every occasion in case I need anything. Cuz I’d rather have it and not use it then need it and not have it ya know? (Even if my arms are screaming for mercy the whole way cuz we’re all about that #onetrip life)

My number one tip is to bring your siblings to come help you carry your things and even a lil wagon or cart/trolley to make it easier for you if your school doesn’t provide any for you to borrow. Don’t move in at the same time as your roommate(s)! Pick a time that works for each of you with some time in between so that everyone’s things won’t get mixed up or confused and it won’t be so hectic while both families are in there. And while your roommate(s) is/are moving in, go explore campus or something. It makes the whole process less stressful because tensions are high and the room a lil less crazy.

 

STORAGE BINS

College life = storage bin life. It’s that simple.

You’re living away from home now so you’re going to need a place to store your stuff. And whether it’s granola bars to beauty items, you’re going to want to make sure it’s someplace safe and secure, especially from bugs.

My tip is to invest in good storage bins and take care of them!!! They may be a bit pricey in the beginning but you can reuse them over the years and they will help you SO MUCH. The ones that I have are from Target and you can find them here. They have airtight gaskets that are sure to keep everything fresh and they’re very sturdy and can hold literally everything I could ever need. Also they aren’t that large so it’s easy for you to carry them and move them around for move in (can you tell I’m short and weak yet?). I personally find that these thinner bins make it easier for you to see what’s actually in them and you won’t be digging everything up when you need something from the bottom! Plus you can move them around and stack them perfectly under your bed for storage so there’s more room in your dorm just to live in.

 

WIPE EVERYTHING DOWN

Chances are that if you’re living in a dorm, hundreds of people have probably lived in it before you. And whether it’s hundreds of people or just one, you’re definitely going to not want to catch whatever issues or things they have going on.

Wipe.👏 Everything. 👏Single.👏 Thing. 👏Down. 👏

You want to be able to enjoy your first week of classes and your college experience so why go into it super sick or with some kind of STD. Wipe the desk down, the wall next to your bed, the chair (I will speak more about this later), your bed, the closet, the drawers, basically any freaking surface that you will ever touch or may touch in the future, WIPE IT. It’s that simple. We ain’t about that #freshmanflu life in this household.

 

BRING SOMETHING TO PUT OVER YOUR DESK CHAIR

Do you know how many freaking butts have sat in that desk chair? If your dorm room comes provided with a desk chair, I recommend you not only wipe that ish down, but you put something over it. And whether you’re super aesthetic like me (jk), or you want to show some school spirit like my suitemates with their blankets with the school logo, or you just want to have a comfortable tush while sitting and doing homework or studying for hours, put something down!

I got a TON of compliments on the faux fur white throw that I’m using on my desk chair and it’s super soft and comfortable. You can get it at Target here, and I definitely recommend it for sure!

 

GET A BEDREST THROW PILLOW

When you’re living in a dorm or even an apartment off campus, chances are you aren’t going to want to sit at your desk for hours doing homework. Luckily, my family already had one of these pillows for me to bring, but they are a complete life changer people. Whether you’re writing an essay, binge watching Netflix, or even writing a bomb blog post (*ahem* me rn), it’s a great way to make sure you’re nice and comfy and supported in your endeavors.

Plus those concrete walls aren’t cute and these bedrest pillows can function as a lowkey headboard for your dorm bed. It’s a win win in every way.

 

FIND YOUR CLASSES IN ADVANCE

Chances are if you’re in college, it’s proooooobably a large campus and chances are, you don’t know where everything is. Take the time to see what your schedule is and what routes you’re going to need to take to get from class to class safe and on time! Take your roomie(s) with you so you’re not traveling alone (#buddysystem) and so you can get to know them better if you don’t know them already.

And give yourself time!!! Not joking, my roommate and I walked 8.5 miles the day we went looking for our classes and got lost for over an hour. We spent forever trying to find this class which was 5 minutes from where we were. Shout out to those juniors who told us we were going in the complete opposite direction that one time. I appreciate YOU.

 

INVEST IN A GOOD PAIR OF SNEAKERS

In this household we’re all about supporting each other. And that starts with the shoes. A large campus means lots of walking at some point and you want to be able to stand after one day of college life. No joke, I walked over 70 miles in less than a week here and while I may feel like a freaking legend and absolute ~health goddess~, I’m glad I have a good pair of sneaks to keep me going.

Like yeah I wanted to be trendy and I definitely wanted those beautiful Nike or Adidas shoes, but my arches weren’t having it (neither was my wallet tbh) so I listened to my mom (shocker!) and went with the simple yet comfiest sneakers in the world. Walking on clouds? I do that EVERYDAY y’all.

They might not look like beautiful works of art, but at least they’ll be there for you when you need them. (me too honestly :’))

 

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR RA (RESIDENT ASSISTANT)

Girls and boys, this is CRUCIAL. First of all, your RA’s are basically in charge of you and can write you up for being dumb or doing dumb things. Like everyone makes mistakes, but who will be more forgiving? The RA who knows you or the one who has seen your face maybe once?

Now with the practical stuff aside, here’s the deal. RA’s have THE TEA. Face it, they’ve been at the school for longer than you have and they know all the ins and outs of the school. One of my first days in college, my roommate and I befriended our RA and she chilled in our room and we spilled tea for over an hour.

Instead of seeing them as “the police” or someone you have to be wary of, hang out with them and get to know them. They’re a student just like you and they’re like the cool older brother or sister that you didn’t know you needed.

 

CALENDAR

There’s just something about being able to see all your dates and deadlines in front of you in a calendar that just makes you feel like a true #adult. So whether you’re using a google calendar and color coding your classes and events or simply getting that aesthetic with a dry erase calendar, invest in a good calendar to keep you organized for the new challenges ahead of you.

Pro tip: color code!!! That way with just a glance you can tell how many tests or assignments are due in a week before making plans or planning your study schedule! It’s very helpful and honestly just very cute. If possible, getting a dry erase calendar is much better because not only does it save on paper use, but you can pretty much use it forever so you’re making a one time purchase instead of getting a new one each year! If you just have a dry erase board but it isn’t a calendar, you can even use cute washi tape to make the calendar yourself!

The calendar that I used throughout high school and now into college is this dry erase metal framed gold one from Walmart, but you can get any color that fits your room decor or style! It has a perfect notes section on the right hand side which is perfect for writing down my daily/monthly goals or big exams I have coming up.

 

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE/ BRITA FILTER

Whether you’re going to a school with the temperature of the Sahara or the temperature of Antartica, you’re going to need to drink water. Invest in a cute yet practical water bottle that’ll not only keep your drinks cool (or hot) but is also easy to clean and something you’re going to actually want to use! The one that I’m currently using (you can see it in the header photo for this blog post) is this cute galaxy looking one that you can find here.

And to get this water, you’re going to want to make sure you aren’t drinking anything else besides that good agua, so that’s where the Brita filter comes in. I personally don’t have one of these right now and I’m surviving off of water bottles, but for fall I’m definitely investing in one! Many people on my floor use this one from Bed Bath and Beyond so this will most likely be the one that I’ll purchase. You’ll get that hydration and help save the environment by using less plastic too!

 

PLANNER

Aight ladies and gents, this is a simple one but a good one. GET A GOOD PLANNER. I used my planner for literally everything in high school and it definitely saved my life more than a few times. I’ve always wanted a Passion Planner so for college I made the investment and not only is it the most aesthetic thing in the world, but it’s also the best thing in the world (peep the header photo).

The unique thing about Passion Planners is that they have more than just a place to write down what you need to get done. They truly help you develop your passions. With “passion road maps” to outline your goals to spaces for quotes and to-do lists to even spots to reflect and write about the positives of your day, the Passion Planner truly helps you just organize your whole life, academic and non. You can check them out here if you’re interested!

 

FAIRY LIGHTS 

Okay so this one miiiight just be for the girls in the room (live yo life, do yo thang boys) but fairy lights just make everything better. Plus they’re useful too! They can set the mood, get you into the feels, or even just help you see so you don’t trip over your rug on your way hop onto your dorm bed (aka what my roomie and I use them for)!

I already had some from home but I also got some as a graduation present (best thing ever) with little clothespins on them to hang pictures! I have one plain rose gold set over my bed in an arch like a makeshift headboard and the ones with clothespins on the wall that goes along the length of my bed with pictures of my family and friends just for the memories. Plus my roommate has a matching arch in silver lights on her side and I have never seen anything more adorable and my suitemates have them too! You can find them in any craft store, Target, or even Amazon to just give your room that extra feeling of home. Or just buy clothespins and use some old Christmas lights cuz why not?

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And that’s it! After a week of surviving (more like #thriving) college, I hope some of these tips help you in the upcoming fall semester for all you freshmen out there!! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or hit me up on any of my social medias @kasual_kook! 🙂

Kasual kook xx