As a freshman last year, my move-in was insanely hectic, overwhelming and incredibly tiring. This year, I found it much calmer and strangely more emotional than last year. I thought it would be interesting to combine these differences into a list so I could better organize my thoughts, so please enjoy this rambling catalog!

Bringing less clothes
Last year, I feel like I brought waaaay too much stuff — mostly clothes. There were a lot of clothes that I never ended up wearing or only reached for once or twice. This eliminated a lot of the extra bags for me and freed up some storage space.

Soo much calmer
I’m living in a house with a bunch of my friends this year, and it was sooo much easier to maneuver around people that I’m comfortable with. Also, a few of my friends moved in earlier and helped me carry stuff up to my room, which was so sweet and helpful of them to do.

Less overwhelming
This year, I felt like I knew what to pack, how to unpack and overall I just knew what I was doing way more. So to any freshmen who are stressed out about adjusting to college right now — don’t worry, I promise it gets a lot better! I feel like I finally found my footing here, and I think it shows.

SO much more emotional
This may not be relatable to some people, but last year, I was so excited and nervous to start my first year of college that it barely registered that I’m never going to live with my parents again. This year, I was even more excited to come back but also way more sad to leave my parents because I realized how much I missed them last year — especially being around them so much this summer. I cried this year while saying goodbye to my parents, and I didn’t even shed a tear last year.

Overall, I had a very different experience moving in this year compared to last year, both logistically and emotionally. Even though I felt more sad saying goodbye to my parents this year, I see that as a sign of maturity that I now fully understand how important they are to me. And I am so incredibly grateful and excited to be starting off a new year in a place I feel so comfortable and supported in!