Coming Back to Campus? Here’s Some Helpful Packing and Move-In Reminders
by Donal Buckley ‘26
After being at USC for two years, I’ve realized that getting ready to go back to school in college is very different than in high school. Especially if you’re from out of state or simply do not live at home, getting prepared for the new school year is more than just buying school supplies.
One general principle that most people follow is to give yourself 4-5 days before classes start to move in and unpack your things. On campus residences have required move-in days that fit within that time frame, but even if you’re planning on living off campus, I’d still recommend giving yourself the time to settle in. Not only will it make the transition back to college less overwhelming, there are also plenty of campus events to enjoy during the days leading up to school starting.
This also gives you time to reconnect with friends from freshman year. Hopefully you’ve made a few good friends in the past year that you can catch up with after not seeing each other for the summer. I found that readjusting to my second year was much easier than moving in during the previous one because I had people I already knew to go out with and help with last minute move-in needs.
As for more practical bits of advice, reuse everything you can! I know lots of people who buy new containers, backpacks, and homegoods just because they’re moving into a new space. I’ve had the same backpack since high school; and if the kitchen supplies you have aren’t broken, what’s the point in buying new ones? Something I’ve learned since coming to college is that the amount of money you spend on food, days out, and even just day-to-day supplies adds up. Don’t spend any more than you need to on move-in.
I live far away from campus, so when I come back, I use a plane. But many people that go to USC live within driving distance, or may live far away but still choose to drive. Living in LA is expensive, so my recommendation for those folk is to stock up on household necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, water jugs, and anything else you think you might need during the semester. Back home, there’s a good chance those things are cheaper than waiting to buy them here. Even then, Target is the only place next to campus where you can buy these items, so it’s a good idea to bring them with you since there’s a very good chance they’ll run out of what you need before the semester is over.
On the topic of saving money, I’d also recommend not rushing to buy books for your classes before the first day. Most professors will list what books you “need” to buy for the class before classes start, but many of these “require” 6-8 books. Purchasing so many books at once is extremely expensive. My advice: go to the class for a week or two to deduce whether or not you actually need to buy the books. I’ve taken classes that say online that you need to buy a giant stack of books, but come time for the semester we don’t end up reading it, only read a small section gets posted to Blackboard, or it can be found for free online. I made this mistake my very first semester here and have since waited to purchase books. You don’t even know if you’ll stay in the class before you go on the first day. Also, if you do find yourself needing particular books, many textbook companies offer semester-long e-book rentals that are much cheaper (and lighter). I’ve even found cheaper alternatives on Amazon.
Next school year, I’ll be living off campus, so I’m sure the back to school process is going to look different for me than it has in the past. Regardless, whether living at home, on campus, off campus, or somewhere else, it’s important to be practical when going back to school.
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