It happens every year just around this time: Welcome Week Anticipation.
Social Media begins to buzz with countdowns until move in, house warming party invitations, roster release chatter, tailgating tweets, and general "OMG I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!" posts. It's something that is inevitable and affects everyone from incoming freshman to victory lapping seniors. Bloomington has that effect on us, and we should all just accept it now.
Yes, Welcome Week is one of the most glorious times of the year. We reunite with friends we haven't seen in months and regain the freedom that comes with living in a college town instead of at home in our parents' houses. An entire week to frolic all over the beautiful land that we lovingly call home. Freshman have already gone through orientation, Kilroy's has switched from tanks to tshirts, and the number of Uhauls on campus outnumber bicycles (which is quite a sight in a town like Bloomington).
BUT, we have all become quite unsettled, because no matter how much we wish and will the end of summer to come, we just have to wait. So here are some of my tips for getting the most out of that "waiting" time.
- Pack a little bit each day. When you wait until the last second, you're far more likely to forget something...or a lot of things. Packing over time is a lot less stressful. It's also helpful for when it comes time to unpack. When you give yourself more time to pack, your boxes will be more organized, which will in turn mean faster unpacking and more time to get out and enjoy your welcome week festivities!
- Talk to your roommate(s). Make sure it's clear that you're bringing X and they're bringing Y. Communicating about these things early on will reduce move-in frustrations and stress. If you both bring the mini fridge and neither of you bring the microwave... things can get ugly fast. Check and double check before moving from home to the dorm, apartment, house, etc. This goes for everyone!
- If you have a job... WORK, WORK, WORK! I know it seems silly to spend the last few weeks at home working your butt off, but you'll be SO grateful to have that extra money to spend on cheesy bread or at the bars. You all know the motto: Work hard now so you can play harder later. Well, it holds true.
- If you need a job...Apply Now. Take it from a seasoned veteran (read: senior), it can be hard to find a job on a college campus this big. You're competing with 40,000 other students and townies for a job. If you're close enough to make a day trip to Bloomington, do it! A lot of places accept in-person applications. If you are out of state and still want to find a job, try some job search engines and apply online. You're much more likely to land a job before the flood of students come back and are doing the same.
- Pre-order your text books. You've got the time to look up all of your needed classroom materials now, so why not? It'll free up time for you to enjoy yourself when you're actually in Btown. If you're tight on money, it'll be WAY easier to find used textbooks instead of buying all that's left: EXPENSIVE new ones. It's also great because your books will almost always be in stock. Nobody likes waiting for a book on back order.
- Buy what you need at home. If you've ever been to Walmart ot Target during Welcome Week, you'll understand why this is an important tip. If you are an incoming freshman or for some reason haven't, realize that we're all college students and need/ want the same things. The stuff you plan on buying is the same stuff I plan on buying and these stores will look like a grocery store right before the end of the world: bare of anything. Buy your coffee pots, pong balls, cases of water and easy mac at your local store.
- Hang out with your family and friends. This one should be a no brainer. But sometimes, it isn't. Soak up the last remaining days of seeing your friends from home. Relish in the last few home-cooked meals you'll be eating for a while, or loads of laundry your mom is doing for you. You're excited to leave it all now, but duh... you'll miss it at some point.
Can't wait to see you all on campus! But until then...
Senior Speechin,
Em