Sitting by the door is the massive heap of things your IU student-to-be has packed to bring to campus. The sight of it probably stirs up some emotions. Among them is anxiety as you ask yourself how all of that is going to fit in one room, let alone a vehicle. Here's a guide you can give your student to help make sure they bring along — and leave behind — the right things.
BRING clothes to cover a variety of weather:
Especially if home is far from campus, having a small selection of the wardrobe equip for Bloomington's erratic weather is a must. You don't need six parkas, but you should realize that between move-in and Thanksgiving Break the weather can range from the humid one hundreds to the frigid forties.
BRING surge protector strips:
Surges won't be the enemy. The very limited number of outlets in your student's room will be.
BRING alternative lighting:
The bleak hospital lighting often doesn't really light the room all that well. More lighting will make the space more relaxing and warm for your student.
BRING a small vacuum:
Most of the floors in the residence halls are carpeted now and a broom won't cut it. The residence halls have a couple... from the 1990s that always seem to be checked out by other residents or in repairs. Your student can be the popular person floor mates go to when their parents are coming to visit and a last-minute clean is in order.
ABANDON pre-packed food:
Bloomington has grocery stores where you can stock up after your student is moved in.
ABANDON the entire movie collection:
There are places around campus where your student can rent television and movie DVDs for free and there's so much to stream online. It is understandable to have a small handful of go-to to watch in the event of a social or stress emergency. The same goes for books.
ABANDON sticky tack:
There's something about the paint or the walls or the way the temperatures change that sticky tack tends t be a bad option. Your resident will either be fighting a year-long losing battle with posters constantly falling or the war will be lost on move-out when the putty peels off paint and you get charged mid-summer for damages.
ABANDON any pre-conceived ideas of college:
Everyone is going to have a different experience at IU, so the best way to make the most is to have an open mind and a smile.
