Do's and Don'ts to Bring for Illinois Freshmen Move-in Day

By Charlotte Carroll on July 21, 2014

With August quickly approaching, it feels like yesterday that I was getting ready to move in myself as a freshman. I know that I read so many lists on what and what not to bring, that I became overwhelmed with information. Well here’s a list, though not complete, that is a great start on the essentials for all the future University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign freshmen. Here are six Illinois freshmen do’s and don’ts.

Do

1. Plaid, Neon, Hawaiian- You Name It, You Bring It

Regardless of whether you’re in a sorority or fraternity, themed gear is a recommended addition to your closet. While themed parties are a regular part of Greek life at Illinois, the gear comes in handy for plenty of other events along the way for non-Greek students as well. Though I wasn’t in a sorority, my plaid shirt came in use for barn dances and my neon accessories came to life for Halloween. You don’t need a trunkful, but it’s fun to have a few pieces in case an event comes up. Even if you only use them a few times, chances are you’ll have a friend who desperately needs to borrow your obnoxious sparkly top or strange hat at some point.

Katy Perry

image via www.cnn.com

2. Fans for the dorms without air conditioning

This is not a suggestion. This is a necessity if you get stuck in a dorm without air conditioning, like I did. But hey, at least you get to bond even closer with floor mates over the mutual suffering. While planning a sleepover on your residence hall’s roof or library sounds insane now, by August 25th this idea will be the most brilliant thing to come to you all year. And because the staff didn’t agree completely with our ideas, the fan is the next best possible thing. Or a friend with an air conditioned room. The first month will be brutal, but just remember that winter is coming. And by the time February rolls around, you’ll be wishing to turn on that fan.

3, Shoes for those college parties you might attend

No one exactly knows what lies on the bottom of bar and on fraternity floors. And it’s best to keep it that way. Bring shoes to wear that you don’t mind getting dirty. Because if you don’t, I promise you will regret that decision. I know I did. Floors are sticky from spilled drinks and other unmentionables. So have a pair especially for going out that you don’t mind trashing. Your favorite shoes will thank you.

Don’t

1. T-shirts

Bring one or two to get you started, unless you wear only t-shirts. But if you mainly stick to other clothes, you don’t need to bring your own. Between that first week of school and the last day, you will get so many free shirts, you’ll send them home for eager siblings to wear. From convocation to your specific college to a day at the ARC pool, the shirts will keep coming. And they will be what you work out in, what you sleep in and occasionally go to class in.

All those Illinois shirts soon to pile up in your closet

2, TV

You’re probably so excited to bring your own TV to school and finally be able to watch whatever you want when you want. But don’t bother. You really won’t find it worth the time. Unless you’re a serious gamer who needs the TV to hook up the PlayStation, the Xbox, the Wii or whatever else the kids are using these days, it’s not worth it. I didn’t have a TV and I’m so glad I didn’t because it forces you to go out and mingle with other students. Most of you have a laptop, so invest in Netflix or Amazon Prime instead. You still can watch plenty of movies and shows if you get the urge. And if you’re choosing the TV over the laptop, you have much bigger problems than can be solved by reading this list.

3. Printer

That printer you think you need takes up your valuable space and money from your savings for its maintenance. So ditch the printer because Illinois provides a computer center complete with a printer in each residence hall complex that will simply charge your student account. And keeping the weird college student’s schedule in mind, these labs are open 24 hours! You can even print from your room. Plus, there are printers at the libraries and other locations so you’re never too far away from one. A lot of professors require or offer the option of emailing assignments, so the days of desperately searching for a printer are disappearing quickly. In short, don’t waste your precious space.

Messy Dorm

image via www.hercampus.com

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format