As the University makes its way through the first week of classes, it is apparent that not everyone has the same expectations for the upcoming school year. 

I am a current sophomore, meaning I know a little bit about how to do “college stuff” in general (sorry, first-years) but not enough to be an expert. However, I do pride myself in knowing what to bring to school and what not to bring to school. 

Of course, not everyone can say the same. The discrepancies between what you should and should not bring are different for each student, but overall they don’t vary too much.

It feels as though there are two types of people this semester: those who have brought either everything they own in fear of leaving something behind and not being able to retrieve it due to the social distancing rules, and those who have decided to bring only the absolute essentials because they firmly believe the University will close relatively soon. 

As you can imagine, this makes for some very interesting room decor and a lot of Amazon, Redbubble and Barstool packages. Why everybody needs to own the same “Saturdays Are For The Boys” flag I will absolutely never understand. 

“Obviously I have one at home. I just didn’t want to bring it in case the University closed down early. The more command strips I attach to it and then take off in a short amount of time will damage the fabric and I don’t want that to happen. But then I got here and realized it’s just not the same vibes without my flag. So now I have one for school and one for home,” Dave Partney ’22 said.

Partney’s dorm features a singular “Saturdays Are For The Boys” flag on one wall as well as a few lonesome Natural Light beers on his nightstand. 

“I felt it necessary to bring absolutely every single one of my belongings just in case I needed something and I couldn’t go back home to get it. That is why I needed to bring my underwater basket weaving practice kit, as well as my blow-up kiddie pool. My room at home looks very similar to Dave’s room, minus the Natty Light and flag: empty,” Cora Viros ’23 said.

Viros’s room looks almost as if a bomb went off, but also as if VSCO Headquarters themselves came into her room and arranged it for her. Very well done, but just a little bit overwhelming. What color are the walls? At least now I know the different kinds of wildflowers thanks to her poster. It is certainly a good thing she remembered to bring every single one of her cameras, string lights and all of the posters she owns, because how else would she survive? Good thinking, Cora. 

If either of these rooms sounds a bit too similar to yours, please consult the University’s packing list. I promise it’s actually worth a read.