10 Ways to Survive Move-in Day

By Gerardo Nicolas, Senior Resident Advisor

Hello and welcome to Chico State. First-year student move-in day is one of the best days of the year for the Residence Life staff and for the campus. It’s the beginning of a new year and new classes. The Chico community is happy to see you!

Here are some tips to make your transition as smooth as possible:

1.  Eat a good breakfast

Everyone is nervous about moving in and being away from home—maybe for the first time—but moving in is a big process that takes lots of energy.

2. Pack the car the day before

Trust me, you aren’t going to have the patience you’ll need to fit everything in your car. Packing doesn’t just mean loading up the trunk. Be sure to fill up your gas tank and check your tire pressure. It’s small things like this that become harder and more expensive to do once you’re on your own.

3.  Priority packing

Organize your belongings in boxes by priority. The most important items, such as medicines, toiletries, valuable jewelry, paperwork, etc., should be packed in clearly marked boxes.

4. Find a campus map and hold onto it

You will find yourself needing this a lot your first week on campus. You’ll probably want to go to the Wildcat Store and get a T-shirt or sweatpants, find your classes, and attend freshmen meetings. Unless you can find your way around campus with your eyes closed, keep a map handy. You don’t want to be late or miss all of the important info they throw out on move-in day. (Campus maps are available on the Chico State Mobile App)

5. Keep your cool

You know that kid snapping at his 50-year-old parents as they carry boxes upstairs, walking in front of them and ignoring their existence, or just plain acting like a brat? Yeah, don’t be that person. The people who move you in (1) are your biggest supporters in life, (2) have probably done more for you than you have for them, and (3) are most likely paying a lot, if not all, of your tuition. Move-in day is really stressful and can cause a lot of people to crack, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just take a minute to sit down and soak in the reward for all of your past hard work.

6. Bring tools with you

Although the front desk of your community has tools for you to check out, it is not guaranteed that they will have some ready for you when you arrive. You might also take a dolly to haul heavy items (especially if you know you have to climb stairs).

7. Find out where the nearest home improvement and household good stores are.

It would be best to know these locations before move-in. Then if you need something for your room, you will not have to take the time looking for these stores on move-in day.’

8. Go to all of your scheduled events

Every minute of your move-in day is usually scheduled—for a reason. There is a lot to cover, and all of it is important. Go to the things you’re assigned to go to, be there on time, and take notes. Chances are your brain will be overloaded by the time the day is over, and those notes will come in handy later.

9. Make friends!

Why? Well, just imagine what move-in day would be like without all of those scheduled events. Students would be lost, unsure of where to go, and would probably end up just hanging out in their new rooms. Which is nice but not always the best way to meet a lot of people and get to know the school. So, even if you think the event after dinner sounds totally boring, go. Keep in mind that the first few days are when a lot of students meet each other, so it’s critical to get out of your comfort zone and join the crowd. After all, you didn’t go to school just to be alone, right?

10. Last but not least: Know it’s okay to be sad.

You’re in college now! Hooray! Your parents have left, the day is over, and you’re finally all settled down in your new bed. Some students feel overwhelmingly happy; some feel overwhelmingly sad and scared; some students feel all of these things at the same time. Be patient with yourself and know that you are making a big life adjustment. All of your emotions are totally normal. You worked hard to get where you are, and while it may be scary, it can still be fantastic at the same time. Congratulate yourself on a job well done, be a little sad if you want to, and get ready to start your new college life—after a good night’s sleep, of course.