All I wanted in my first five minutes was to get a move on and change into fresher clothes. After a six-hour shift at the golf course, I looked like a hot, sweaty mess and I feared I would not make a great first impression with my roommates.
Sat., Aug. 20, I moved into my new home, Residence Hall One. Standing outside of the gleaming building, I couldn’t help but think, “This is it. I have been counting down since January and here I am.”
Orientation only gave a brief taste of the college life, but I knew what I was getting into. I watched the final season of “Greek” for a reason—though it really did not help since USFSP doesn’t have sororities or fraternities.
Move-in day is a zoo. My eyes had never seen a crazier scene: mother hens fussing over their anxious (and rather flustered) baby birds, freshmen fluttering about, chattering voices echoing throughout the bright halls, and a worn-out RHO staff.
Half-dazed by the blistering heat and roar of the lobby, I mindlessly scribbled required information on papers at the sign-in table and retrieved my set of keys. I ambled to my room, keys dangling from the lanyard around my neck and arms full of belongings.
The room opened to a tiny kitchen with two doors along the far wall, one being the entrance to my room. Boxes and various kitchen supplies crowded the table and countertops. Time to unpack.
The unpacking process is an art form, a feat I hope to master by my second semester. My tips:
Pack lighter. You thought you packed light with only half of your closet and a box of stuffed animals? I probably could have left half of my boxed belongings at home and saved my family the pain of carrying these in. If you’re smart, like one of my roommates, you will pack light and ask your parents to mail you some of those items you forgot.
Do not open all of your boxes at once. Talk about overwhelming. Set up your organizers first, make your bed, and then slowly unpack. This will speed up the process and grant you more space. Your new roomies will thank you for allowing them to see the floor.
Use all possible spaces and surfaces for storage. I chose to raise my bed up high enough to fit some cubbies and bins. I even chose to use the top of the cubbies as a mini office supply closet with my printer set up.
The shower caddy is your BFF. We have ours lined up against the wall with all of our essentials inside to help keep the floors clear.
Leave some things to be bought after the move-in. We chose to pick out bathroom essentials and decorations as a group outing to Target. It gave us the opportunity to get to know each other and bond as we squealed over the cute ducks and submarines on the shower curtains.
