Thank goodnesss. Finally, it’s time to go home and celebrate the holidays! But…first you have to conquer the end of semester and get all of your shit together so you can so have a smooth transition from college to home without leaving behind a huge mess. Here’s exactly how you can do that.
1. Check expiration dates of your food.
If it expires while you’re gone either throw it away or take it home with you. Try to do this as far in advance as possible so you can eat what you need to and waste as little food as you can.
It’s also handy to bring a small cooler or refrigerated bag so you can bring home some of the perishable items instead of throwing them away.
2. Hide contraband and remove rule breaking decor.
Let’s be real–most college students have something they definitely shouldn’t whether it be a bottle of Fireball or a tapestry hanging too close to the ceiling. Hide these items and take them down if they’re a safety issue. During the winter break, most colleges allow RAs to do room checks and you definitely don’t want to ruin your holiday vibes by getting written up.
3. Clean, clean, clean!
Clean your room, the bathroom the kitchen, etc. It seems dumb to clean somewhere even though you won’t even be there for a month, but it’ll be a nice thing to come back to a clean house. Plus, you don’t want to get bugs.
4. Bring home your first semester notebooks and textbooks.
If you’re not going to or able to reuse the notebooks for next semester, bring them home or throw them out. If you rented textbooks, bring them home so you can return them and if you own the textbook but know you won’t need it next semester, bring that home as well.
5. Take down your holiday decor.
It seems weird to take down the holiday decorations in your dorm when the holidays are just beginning, but by the time you come back it’ll be January and the holidays will be over. You definitely don’t want to kick off the new year and semester by having to take down all of your holiday decorations. This is also good because you can bring all of your holiday decorations home so they’re not taking up space in your dorm.
6. Make an extensive packing list.
Remember, you’re going to be home for a month or longer so be sure to take home anything that’s essential. This includes clothes, toiletries, accessories, etc. It’s also helpful to check your schedule and see what particular events you have going on that month so you know whether or not to bring home your heels or ugly holiday sweaters.
7. Ensure all of your final assignments have been handed in.
Don’t leave campus until you’ve double-checked this! Whether they’re handed in digitally or in person, ensure all of your ends are tied in terms of assignments.
8. Write down a list of what you’ll need when you come back.
Keep the list in your Google Drive or Notes app! It’s easier to write down what you need now than it is to try to remember the things you need a month from now. This might include things ranging from dish soap to toilet paper to coffee creamer.
What do you do to prepare for winter break?
