(via gossiponthis)

Tip #1: You don’t need to bring your detergent with you.

A lot of the stuff you really need can be purchased in Mount Vernon. Laundry detergent, snacks, hygiene supplies, fans, carpets, really anything can be found in Mount Vernon. There is a Wal-Mart, a K-Mart, a CVS and a Rite-Aid in town. If you want to travel a little farther, you can find Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Costco, and Sam’s Club (and pretty much any other store you can imagine) in Columbus. 

Tip #2: Everything you left behind, you can find on campus.

There’s also a rummage sale during the first week of school where you can find all the stuff that people left behind last year (think lamps, fans, carpets, microwaves, dishes, etc.) There is also a poster sale every fall that takes place in Peirce, perfect for decorating your new room.

Tip #3: Coordination is key.

Be sure to coordinate what you bring with your roommate. We don’t mean that you need to have matching bedspreads that also go with the curtains (although I don’t know, I guess that could be nice). What we mean is this: nobody needs two fridges in their room, so why take up that space with two?

Tip #4: Dress for all occasions.

Bring some formal-wear. Kenyon is classy, and there will always be opportunities to wear it. We really mean it when we say to dress for all occasions– Middle Path turns into a mudslide when it rains, and it gets pretty darn cold by late Halloween. People rarely wear heels because when you do, you sink into Middle Path like a garden flamingo. In other words, leave your extra 2 pairs at home, and pick them up over Thanksgiving if you decide you can’t live without them. Which brings me to rain gear: Peirce is not next door, you will have to walk in the rain at some point. Last year when it was -22, classes were still in session. Also it’s Ohio: it snows. Plan accordingly.

Tip #5: Ship it.

Something to keep in mind while you’re preparing: pretty much anything you can order online can be delivered to the Bookstore for you to pick up once classes have started.

Tip #6: Actually pack.

I get that it might be easier at the time to throw your socks into the back of your mom’s Minivan one by one, but trust me when I say that you’ll regret it as soon as you pull into the hellscape that is Kenyon on Move-In day (We’re talking 450 students and parents moving into unknown territory. It’s managed chaos, but still chaos). Put everything in boxes or suitcases if you can, especially if you don’t live on the first floor.  The fewer trips you have to make to the car during move-in, the easier the day will be.