Start packing now.
I’m not kidding.
Grab your suitcase, but keep reading, I’ll wait.
Now, find a tape measure or a ruler, a scale, a pad of paper (preferably the graphing kind with nice grids on it) and a pencil. Figure out the exact dimensions of your suitcase. Weigh a shirt or two, some pants and anything else you want to take with you, just to get an idea of how heavy they are.
Now stare at your suitcase. Look flustered. Yes, it is as intimidating as it looks. You have to fit your entire life-clothes, accessories, electronics, dishes, and everything else-in that little piece of reinforced cloth.
But wait. Now that we know the approximate weight of some of your clothes, start to panic as you realize exactly how heavy your wardrobe is. How exactly are you supposed to fit all your clothes and that ten-pound DVD album in your suitcase without going over weight and paying a ton for overages?
Well, luckily I was close enough to campus to drive, so I didn’t have to worry about that*.Anyway, I’ve found there are a few things I keep going back to-those little things I threw in that make my life a lot better.
Adequate lighting
Depending on your dorm, the lighting might be great. In other cases, you will be provided with nothing more than an antiquated lamp and a bulb that will fill the room with just enough light to avoid stepping on your roommate’s laundry, which he or she has neglected to wash for three weeks (note: I was the roommate leaving the laundry, not the one tripping over it).
Most of you will be living with a roommate, so talk about who will be bringing the floor lamp. I suggest one with three or four separate bulbs to point the light where you need it in the room. Also, pack a desk lamp or some other small light source to use if you need to stay up studying while your roommate is sleeping.
Storage
Maybe you pack too much. Maybe you don’t. Either way, some storage bins are a necessity. They will help you stay organized and hide what otherwise could become a roommate relationship-ending mess. You’re probably going to have 30 different sets of clothes for fall quarter (and if you don’t, I suggest you do) because temperatures range somewhere between skin-scorchingly searing and frigidly-face freezing. On Oct. 15, you will undoubtedly wear shorts. Oct. 16? Probably a parka. Once November rolls around, it’s all over. Pack away most anything that reminds you of the better days of summer.
These containers will also help you deal with food, school supplies, and anything else you think you need (but probably won’t have time to use).
To accommodate these containers, I bought a free-standing shelf to put over my bed. It also had a cup holder for late-night study aids (aka energy drinks).
Some kind of miraculous power strip
I went with the “octopus” or “squid” style power strips because the conventional ones only fit about half of my chargers. You can’t have an extension cord, so make sure you get one with a decent extension already built in.
Something to sleep on
Lesson number one: Dorm beds are not comfortable.
Lesson number two: Traditional “egg crate” mattress pads add little extra comfort to your already lumpy, hard and uneven mattress.
Lesson number three: Sleep is precious.
What can we learn from these lessons? Fork out the cash for a nice mattress pad.
When you get sleep here, you will want it to be as good as possible.
Sound equipment
You’ve probably been told to bring headphones already-if not, bring headphones. Your roommate doesn’t like your kind of music. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. The housing questionnaire you filled out months ago clearly forgot possibly one of the biggest parts of getting along as people.
However, you will have some overlap in music, movie or television taste (let’s be honest, who isn’t ecstatic for the return of Family Guy, Greek or Glee?). Therefore you need speakers. I’m not talking 20-inch monstrosities with subwoofers, just something that will let you hear from more than a foot away.
When it comes down to it, packing is more of an art. Sure, you’re probably going to forget something when you show up in a few weeks. You’re definitely going to pack something you don’t need. But don’t sweat it. Target is only a Shop-N-Ride shuttle away.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the freshman orientation issue, an annual publication mailed to all incoming freshman by The Daily Northwestern that is intended to prepare new students for their first year at Northwestern.A small number of the orientation issue articles, including this one, are being printed online for the benefit of international and returning students. During the school year, all articles that appear in the print Daily Northwestern are published on the website, along with several types of online-only content.
