CULTURE

How to transition from your dorm back home

Finals are over, you're all caught up on sleep and you managed to pass yet another year of college — or your first year for all the babies out there. But uh oh — now you have to move all your stuff home after you finally figured out how to fit everything in your closet of a living space. So roll up your sleeves, chug some coffee and put on some Kendrick because here is a list of everything you need to do to ensure a smooth transition back to your house.

Ship small items

When I moved out this summer, my dad's car was literally filled to the brim. There were so many things that I could have shipped back home for a couple bucks a box. Pack up small items such as jewelry, decorations, books, or anything else that fits in a cardboard box and take it down to your resource center. They usually ship it for you but if they don't you can take it to a local shipping center. Doing this will save a ton of space and save you time.

Unpack right away

Trust me, I hate this one as much as the next procrastinator, but if you don't do it within the first couple of days, it'll never get done. Your motivation will float away faster than your A's during finals week.

Start by putting away your clothes first as they take the longest (at least for me). You can leave your winter clothes where they are because you obviously won't need them for the summer. I like to separate summer and winter in my vacuum sealed bags so they're easy to put away.

Get any outstanding work done

Do you have any more take home finals? Essays? Assessments? If you do, make a plan for yourself to get them done. You know all of your extended family members are going to want to see you and your friends are going to want to go out, so get the assignments that literally dictate your future done before you go mess around.

I suggest doing one or two assignments per day so you don't kill yourself or if you're really behind, take one day to cram it all in. I know that doesn't sound too healthy but hey, you did this to yourself buddy.

Have jobs or interviews already lined up

Given my anxiety driven life, I applied to, like, 38 internships in January. I'm not saying you should do the same thing but at least have something lined up. Whether it be a retail job or an internship at City Hall, you're going to want the extra money to do fun stuff during the summer — or save up for the fall.

And don't be discouraged when you don't get the first job you applied for — almost nobody does. I was dead set on this awesome internship because I thought no one else would take me but I ended up with an even better gig that paid twice the amount and padded my resume even more.

Enjoy the summer

Now this last one might seem kind of cheesy but it's really important. I'm the kind of person that either has an overly productive day or a downright wasted, stayed-in-bed-all-afternoon day. Have some balance to your life! You can party all night and sleep all day, but make sure you have days where you watch the sun rise or take a day trip to somewhere you've always wanted to go.

Your situation now isn't going to always be the one you'll have. If you're in a privileged position to enjoy these things — enjoy them.

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