Are you planning on going to college, or living in a dorm in the upcoming fall semester? You need to start preparing and getting ready now. I know it sounds crazy, especially with college being 6-7 months away. Why should I start now?

College is a very big transition and is hard for many people. Moving from living at home and having your own private room to sharing a room, sharing a bathroom, and having to sleep in a bed that is not yours. You have a new school, new people and new classes. There is going to be so much change that happens in your life. 

A lot of people are going to college in the fall semester of 2024 and if that is you, you probably have some of the same thoughts. You probably feel super excited but nervous at the same time. Your life has changed a lot and instead of it being a scary thing you can turn it into a positive aspect. 

Living in a dorm does not need to be a scary thing, it can be really fun and exciting. To avoid the chaos start now, if you start getting ready for your dorm today you will have 6 plus months to save money and buy all the cute fun things for your dorm. 

Here are some things you can start to prepare for your dorm experience. 

Start saving your money 

This is a big one, start now, every paycheck put $100-$300 into an envelope. If you start now you will have lots of money saved over for college. You never know when you will need something. Living by yourself is very different from when you are with your family. You have to defend yourself. You never know what could happen. You need to start saving money so you are better prepared for college and having tons of money is never a bad thing. 

Make a list of things for your dorm

Figure out what you will need for your dorm. Do you need cleaning supplies, new bed sheets, a bed cover, a shoe rack, or even some cute lights? You need to make that list so you can start to figure out little by little what you would like to have. It will make the process easier and less chaotic. I asked Carly Warshauer, a senior planning on going to the University of Cincinnati, what are some things she is planning on bringing to college. This is her list of some items:

“Water bottles, Brita water filter, drawers for storage, shoe rack.” 

Having a list of items you know you want to bring is super essential and you should start making that list now!

Start getting the dorm accessories 

If you start buying now little by little you will save yourself a lot of hassle for when it is time to move in. You can plan easier and have a much easier time moving into your dorm. You can get bins and start filling up bins full of new things you want in your dorm. You want to feel at home and comfortable in your dorm so it is important to start now getting decor and other fun cute stuff. A shoe rack can make a big difference when it comes to saving space, most dorms do not have a lot of space in them so organizing can make a big difference. You can buy storage compartments and different types of clothes organizers for your closet.

Declutter and organize your room 

Clean out your closet, throw away old clothes, and declutter and organize your room. It will help you see what you need to buy, what you don’t have, and what you do have. It will help you figure out what things to add to your dorm list. 

Learn the rules of your dorm 

Learning the rules of your dorm is important, you do not want to get into trouble bringing a mini fridge if you can not have one. You do not want to break any rules either because you never know how strict the dorms are. I asked Emily Turner, a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, what rules they have at her dorm.

“We have mandatory quiet hours on weekdays from 9 pm-8 am…be respectful of others… Keep your dorm clean.”

Knowing the rules is very important because you could get written up for breaking them. You should make sure you understand and know them! 

Buy some snacks  

This is more of a closer-to-move-in-day type of activity but buying and saving up on snacks and chips. It will make life easier when you want a tiny snack and you have it ready to go in your dorm. I talked to Sarah Jones, a senior who is planning on living in the dorm at Ohio State University and bringing some of her favorites. 

“I will bring chips, fruit snacks, Wheat Thins, Oreos.”

Snacks are always fun and good to be stalked up on! Start getting your snack game ready to go and put it together now. 

Figure out Roommate connections 

Start now and try to figure out who you want to room with. It is a lot better to room with someone you kind of know than someone you 100% do not know. Trying to find connections now will make life so much easier when the day gets closer. You also never know you could find someone chill who is going to the same college as you and you guys have the same interest. 

If you start to prepare now and you start to get ready now, August shopping for dorms will not be so rough. Start now and get ready to make your dorm living comfortable and fun!