Set your student up for a successful and sustainable move-in with a few tips from the Office of Sustainability:
Coordinate with roommates. For items that can be shared (couches, rugs, TVs, etc.), work together to determine who will bring what so you don’t end up with duplicate items.
Plan your wardrobe with longevity in mind. Certain styles–and fabrics–are timeless. Fill your closet with clothes that have staying power and avoid the temptation to fall into the fast fashion trap.
Bins over boxes. When packing, try to use reusable bins, bags, and suitcases that you already own in order to minimize cardboard waste, and make sure to fold and recycle any cardboard that you end up using.
Bring that bottle. With hundreds of refill stations providing chilled, filtered water throughout campus, make sure you and your family come prepared with your reusable water bottles. Deacs don’t do disposable!
Get to know your green tote. One of the first things new students will receive on Move-In Day is a green recycling tote. This is yours to keep and use in your room to help sort bottles, cans, and paper from your non-recyclable waste.
When in doubt, wait. If you’re not sure if you’ll need an item that you don’t already own, hold off on that purchase. Once you start moving things in, you’ll quickly learn what’s needed versus what will simply take up precious precious space. Plus, there are plenty of stores, including Target, just minutes from campus.
My best advice for students – particularly our new ’28s – is to put the bare minimum you think you need on your bed, and then pack half of that. And you will get a billion t-shirts while in college, so you don’t need every t-shirt you own, particularly ones that are from your high school (you might be unlikely to wear a high school shirt at college).
