My Move-In Day Advice
The day you move into college for the first time will be tear-jerking or exciting, but memorable nonetheless.
In retrospect, I could have prepared better for what move-in day entails. My tips would be:
- Get to campus early!
- Pick up your key and ID card before you go to your dorm; you don’t want to be locked out of your room before you even start moving in.
- Wear an outfit that lets you move around in, and something you’re not afraid to get dirty. Moving in can get a little messy.
- Don’t wait until last minute to buy all of your dorm stuff. One or two things is fine, but there are four other colleges in the area, so the local Target or Walmart may sell out of what you need.
- Lastly, and most importantly: Don’t rush saying goodbye to your family.
My move-in day was one of the most emotional days of my life. Of course, I couldn’t wait to start college. But I was so sad to move away from my family. My mom and I left my Connecticut home early and got to Amherst hours before my designated move-in-time. We spent the next few hours exploring the town, buying last-minute dorm accessories, and just enjoying each other's presence, ignoring the fact that we would be separating shortly. When it was time for her to help move me in, we quickly organized my stuff and then fled campus again in order to have just a bit longer with each other. I cried for hours after she left but was relieved by the friendliness of the people at UMass (especially to freshman who are all adjusting to the new college life). While I dreaded leaving home, I quickly assimilated to being a college student.
Residential Assistants, faculty, and students just want to make sure your first days here are as accommodating as possible. They understand the range of emotions that come when you move into college and try their best to make this transition comfortable. Something I love about UMass is how much the campus values being a welcoming community. One way they do this is making move-in day as stress-free as possible. So, when you move to UMass, don’t worry! You’ll love it here.