For many college students, one important question looms large in their minds: What to bring to college?
It’s important to note that you need clothes, toiletries and a pillow. But what could you bring to remind you of home?
Haley Reid, a freshman political science major living in a single room in Binford Hall, wanted a piece of her grandparents with her at Guilford. So she brought a jewelry box and a few pieces of art with her.
“I have to bring my jewelry box, even if I don’t wear a lot of jewelry,” said Reid. “It was a gift from my grandma and I’ve had it my whole life. I also really enjoy my grandfather’s art. After he died I always wanted it in my room so now I am happy to see it’s also in my dorm.”
Back at home, Reid had a big stuffed animal collection and saw it fit to bring a piece from it. ”I felt from all of my stuffed animals I had to bring my Shrek plush,” she told me. ”It helps to remind me that just because I’m getting older doesn’t mean I have to start acting like it.”
Even the microwave she brought reminds her of home. ”I’ve always had this microwave,” she said. “Me and my little sister shared it in our room together since we were kids so I’m happy to see it in here, it reminds me of her.” It really shows that even though something simple, such as a microwave, could still have a lot of meaning to someone.
Reid says there are necessities like a fan, a snack box for when you don’t feel like going to Founders and a TV for down time, but she insists on one thing every student needs above all else.
”You need a planner if you want to survive out there on campus,” she stated. Other Guilford students I talked to agreed that having a planner is overall a great thing for organization. Writing things down on a planner or calendar makes a large to-do list seem far more achievable.
Micah Hart, a freshman biology major, decided to bring very little to live here. ”Since I dont live that far, I just decided to bring what I felt like I had too,” he said.
Aixa Araujo, a freshman business administration and criminal justice major from Asheville, has a tapestry hanging from her window.
”It is matching with my best friend,” Araujo said. “It was originally put on my ceiling, above my bed and when we got it, it became a staple of my room. I took it, brought it with me and so it will still be a staple of this room too.”
Araujo’s list of necessities was fairly similar to Reid’s, including a snack stash and a fan. But Araujo also suggested tissues, a lamp and shoes for when you need to walk to and from the shower. She recommended a lamp so that the light would not be too harsh for the middle of the night.
Araujo also brought a bouquet of ribbon flowers to Guilford that were given to her by her cousin. “She gave it to me as a going away gift to college, so I obviously had to bring it with me,” she said.
Along with the flowers, she brought a deeply meaningful pillow. ”It’s a pillow my mom made while she was pregnant with me, so it’s like always been my thing,” Araujo said. “It’s very dear to me and means a lot to me and so I brought it with me and if I ever miss my mom it’s always right there.”
