Don’t You…Forget About Me

When embarking out of the comfortable home of mom and dad for the reality of dorm life at William & Mary there are four few ESSENTIAL ITEMS that are 100% not to be forgotten.

1. Rain Gear: As a senior here at the College who studied abroad in London, England, I am convinced that it rains more in Williamsburg then it does in that stereotypically rainy and dreary city across the pond!! I would say the number one thing to bring to William & Mary is rain gear: this includes, but is not limited to, rain jackets, rain boots, ponchos, umbrellas, boat shoes, tarps…basically anything that will keep you very warm and dry while walking across a sometimes flooded campus.
2. A Shower Caddy & Shower Shoes: I am not positive if these terms need defining but just to be on the safe side, I’ll clarify.  A shower caddy is basically a plastic device used to hold all your shower things (shampoo, soap, etc).  No one really wants to be the kid who fumbles all his shower stuff in the hallway while returning from the bathroom and accidentally drops the towel he had draped around him (this would be the epitome of a not-too-great-first-impression). In addition, shower shoes are a pair of old, or really cheap, usually plastic, flip-flops that students wear in the showers to avoid all the fungi and germs that can lurk in dorm showers.
3. Chapstick: No matter who you are, boy or girl, seventeen year old or twenty two year old, Chapstick is a definite essential of college!  I am not sure if it is related to drinking less water or maybe talking exponentially more, but somehow I had never previously depended on my Chapstick as much as I have in college. It is the one thing I have with me no matter the day of the week or time of the day. I would even suggest stocking up on a few, or 20 (they are often too easily lost in pants pockets)!
4. Extra Underwear:  Unfortunately it is a well-known fact that college students hate to do laundry. To be completely honest, college students really only tend to do laundry when they run out of underwear. Yes, I said it and it is the truth! So to ensure you can wait at least two weeks or so, make sure to pack plenty of boxers, briefs, underwear, panties, whatever you may call them!

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, my list of the four essential things to bring to college! Make sure to add them to your massive packing and shopping lists that I am sure will take a decent amount of the summer months to prepare (or least it did for me).

-Rebecca