Hello, college freshmen! Welcome to the next four years of your life, which will quite possibly turn out to be the busiest years you've ever experienced so far! Because so much of college life is a mystery (what will classes be like? what if my dorm mates hate me? how should I dress for a kegger?), I am writing this guide in order to help fellow students during their move-in days.

     My only education in the matter of collegiate life is my own current location in the college ranking: I am a sophomore (which means second year of college, for us of those not in the know yet), with one full year of dorm living under my belt. I am not yet quite 'jaded' by dorm living, but I still have the experience of my year living out of home. Therefore, I consider myself quite prepared to offer tips on college living for the modern teenager. However, I am also fully aware that you must be 21 to drink legally in the United States, and at no point will I condone drinking by college freshman, sophomores, or juniors if they are underage. (Scientific evidence shows that drinking can lead to brain development problems in the underaged brain, as the brain is not yet fully formed until it is about 20 or so.) But enough with the depressing stuff! Onto the college packing!

                                                          What to pack

     Obviously, you know that you're going to need clothing, toiletries and the like. However, I will make a list of some of the items that you might not realize you need until you arrive, in order to help save time trying to buy them after moving in.

• Shower caddy (this is a plastic or fabric bag or box that carries your bathing items. As some dorms have communal bathrooms, keeping your stuff near you and organized at all times is a must!)
• Money for books (sure, your parents know you need money-- but in the first semester alone, it's possible to spend $500+ on books and supplies alone!)
• Ear plugs (if you get noisy roommates like I did, these will be worth their weight in GOLD)
• Bottle opener (random, I know, but it's not just for beer! If you drink any other beverages in bottles [sparkling cider, Coca Cola, etc] then you will be stuck unless you have one of these babies.)
• Extra Long bedding (most colleges have extra long beds, and if you don't get the right bedding, it won't fit your bed!)
• Hanging files (with all of the handouts, pamphlets and important papers you get in college, you are going to NEED one of these! A small, portable hanging file is best, with tabs for financial documents, fraternity/soroity info, housing contracts, maps, and any other tabs your major might require.)   
• Cup/dishes/flatware(if your dorm is equipped with a kitchen, you will definitely need some dishes. However, even dorms with just a mini-fridge would do to keep a cup or two around, as it's cheaper to buy soda by the liter than by the can.)
• Blanket/beach towel(even if there's no beach or pool around, colleges sometimes have open air events, and having something to sit on will be much appreciated by your buddies)
• Sunblock/sunscreen (don't want to get burned!)
• First Aid Kit (of course your college will have a nurses office of some kind, but if you get a small scratch, you won't want to be running across campus. Make sure this kit includes Band-Aids in various sizes, some sterile gauze bandages, Neosporin [or another antibiotic ointment], painkillers, Ibuprofin [for allergic reactions], cold/heat pad, and any other medications or items that would be relevant to any conditions that you might get/do have.)
• Telephone with answering machine (this is only if you have a telephone line in your room. It's very important to be able to get messages while you're out at class!)  
• Address book (chances are, you'll be meeting new friends and future collegues at college, and it's nice to have a place to write all their names and numbers down on -- and NOT just in your cellphone! Cellphones can get easily killed at college, so make sure to have a hardcopy backup)
• Calendar (obviously, writing down all your classes will help you to prepare and plan around them, so get a nice BIG one with big boxes to write all your classes down in)
• Pocket calendar (often, having a smaller version of your plans to carry around makes it easier to keep track of things in class that may change suddenly, so you won't have to change it on your calendar when you get home)
• Posters (this seems a little mundane, but college dorms can be very bleak at times, especially when you're homesick, so make sure to bring little reminders, pictures, and posters of home and things you love.)
• Prepaid calling card (if a college gives you phone service for free, chances are they don't allow you to make long distance calls. So, make sure to bring one of these puppies so that you can keep in touch!)
• Stamps and envelopes (occasionally you might want/need to mail something, and not having stamps can be a real downer!)
•  List of emergency numbers (your college should have these publically posted, but just in case, make sure to make a copy for both yourself and your parents. These numbers are who you should call in the case of an emergency at your college, as well as numbers for the local police and fire station)
• Fun books (sometimes, you'll want a break from boring text books, so make sure to bring a few books you can relax while you read)
• Eyemask (also called "daysleeper", these are a BOON to nap-taking college students. As naps become frequent for those of us cursed with early classes, I highly recommend these.)
• Alarm clock (clearly, you'll need to wake up for classes, and asking your roommates usually won't work!)

                                            Tips and Tricks for College Living

1. Your dormmates and you might not turn out to be friends, and this is okay. I personally had a host of HORRIBLE roommates (regularly came home drunk and vomiting, had boys sleeping over all the time, had said boys vomiting in shared toilets, kept up the entire dorm til 2AM regularly, etc), but I managed to deal with them with minor mishap throughout the year. The trick is to only deal with them when you HAVE to, and merely remain cordial when you meet otherwise. If you have problems with them, wait until they are dead sober to talk to them, as I found out the hard way that arguing with a drunk does nothing.
2. Get sleep whenever you can. Sleep becomes a precious commodity when you are in college, and staying up late listening to music does not prepare you properly for your class the next day! So, if your roommates are keeping you up, make sure to have earplugs and eyemask on hand! (This has saved me several nights of agony.)
3. Find public places to hide. If you do not like your roommates (which is common), make sure you  know a student lounge, library study room, or quiet park where you can go to destress and study. You might even make a friend who's trying to escape his or her crazy roommates, too!
4. Do not be pressured into drinking. EVER. While it may seem that all of your graduating class is doing it, they really aren't. And if you DO decide to go drinking (which is against all better judgement), make SURE to bring a buddy to keep an eye on you. People who have never drank before are more likely to drink too much and get sick and possibly die, so make sure to alternate your alcoholic drinks with water, and make sure to eat BEFORE you go drinking. (Eating while you drink will do nothing, but having some food in your stomach helps the alcohol disperse A LITTLE.) Also, if you have to drive home, DO NOT DO SO DRUNK!!! EVER!! Even if you have to take a cab, or even if you have to stay at someone's house overnight, DO NOT DRIVE DRUNK! 
5. Do not panic if your teachers are butts. I was recently advised that if you find five (5!) teachers that you like in your ENTIRE college career, you're lucky. So, be prepared to hate some of your teachers, and try to put up with them for as long as you can if it is impossible to transfer out of their class.
6. Be aware of transfer and sign up dates for your classes! These seem easy to remember, but they're not, and they could turn out to be KEY to doing well!
7. Get involved! While you don't have to be in EVERY club, make sure to find something fun to do at your school, so that even if you miss home, you'll have something fun to do every week on campus.
8. Don't get in over your head! Joining activities is great, but if you're in so many that they feel more like a chore, don't feel bad about dropping out! It'll make you feel a lot less stressed out.
9. When buying food for your dorm, buy liters of soda and some cups instead of cans, as A) it's less trash to take out, and B) it's cheaper!
10. Try to pack your lunch, as it will A) save time in cafeteria lines, and B) probably have less fat than a normal school lunch.
11. Buy GALLONS of water and two quality bottles! While this seems silly, if you drink enough water during the day, it will help curb your appetite, keep you hydrated while walking to classes, and help stave off the Freshman 15! So, fill up both bottles and alternate, washing each bottle as it becomes empty and needs a cleaning.
12. Find what stores are near campus. Make sure to find a bike/car repair shop, a grocery store, a post office, a police station (or the campus security station), the medical office for campus, and any restaurants that you like. If you can figure out where these are before class begins, you'll be in great shape!
13. Watch out for crime! There IS a lot of crime on campus, so try not to walk alone after dark, and don't walk around with headphones on or talking into your cellphone. These activities mark you as distracted and an "easy mark" for pickpockets!

     In conclusion, I'd like to say, even with all my guidelines and tips, your college experience will be unique to YOU, and there's no way to completely tell exactly what it will be like! However, if you feel that you are properly prepared and educated about what you might face, I hope that you will feel confident and stress-free as you enter the exciting world of college life. Thanks for reading, and have an awesome time at college!!

     This guide is going to be updated fairly often, so if you have something you think was omitted or that should be added (or even some errors!), please do not hesitate to send me a message though eBay. :) Thanks!

(This guide was last updated: August 24th, end of first week of classes!)