Move-in Day
I will never forget the feeling of packing up my whole life into a few boxes. As an 18 year-old who had never lived anywhere but New Castle, a small town in rural Indiana, I had known all the same people since I was about five years old. I felt secure in my life and comfortable living at home with my parents. It’s not that I wasn’t excited about moving off to college – I was – but more than anything, I was terrified of the unknown… and also stressed out about packing.
First Time Mover
For someone who had never moved before, sifting through 18 years of stuff and trying to decide what should and shouldn’t go off to college with me was nothing short of a herculean task. How could I not take my favorite 
lamp? What about my collection of Harry Potter books? Of course I need all of my shoes! If I could give advice to anyone who is moving, it would be this: It’s better to take less. Simple is better and you can always buy what you don’t have. This is especially true if you’re paying someone to help you move – the lighter the load, the cheaper it will be. If only I would have known this back then…
The College Experience
As my parents and I made the 50 mile trek from New Castle to Butler University, a small liberal arts college located in the heart of Indianapolis, Ind., my stomach was churning with nerves. As we pulled up to Butler, I saw the picturesque view of college, complete with a group of fraternity boys grilling hamburgers and hot dogs in the front yard of the fraternity house situated right across from my dorm. As I walked up to my dorm room in Schwitzer Hall, I was struck by two things: 1) this whole no air conditioning thing might be really unfortunate and 2) this move is really happening.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of running up and down stairs, setting up my laptop, plugging in my mini fridge, running to the store to buy forgotten items like power strips and plastic containers, making my bed with my brand new Twin XL sheets and unpacking all of those special touches that make a stark dorm room feel more like a home.
The rest of my freshman year of college progressed and before I knew it, I found myself receiving my diploma, physical proof of everything that had happened from the move-in day in 2008 to graduation day in 2012. That diploma represented all that I had learned in the classroom, but also represented all the lessons learned outside of the classroom. It represented the not one, not two, but eight moves that I made during college (moving tips to come – watch for the blog post!) It represented four years of growth and experiences that I will never forget.
Advice for the Future
Don’t fear, freshman. Move-in day is overwhelming. It’s an anxiety-induced 24 hours, but it’s just that – 24 hours. Before you know it all of those 24 hours will have strung together to make four years and you’ll also have that coveted diploma. Enjoy move-in day for all that it is. Just wait. You’ll blink and it will be gone.
Meredith Slavens is the Online Content Development Specialist at Wheaton World Wide Moving. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Arts Administration from Butler University. Having moved ten times in the last five years, Meredith enjoys helping others make their moving experience a little simpler by sharing some of her own personal moving tips. Feel free to contact Meredith at meredith_slavens@wvlcorp.com
