A Weekend in London Town

The past week and a half have been pretty non-stop for me, but I think it is high time that I take a few moments out of my suddenly busy life to update you all! This post will focus on my time in London for my study abroad provider’s Orientation, and the next will fill you in on what my life is like in Oxford!

First of all, my mom wouldn't let me leave home without taking a million pictures to document every moment, so here I am with all my luggage, ready to go! Right about now I was thinking: wait, this weighs as much as me, how am I supposed to carry all this? Anyway, I flew out of Newark, New Jersey last Wednesday night, and I was nervous because I don’t fly much, but I flew with the group flight provided by my study abroad provider so it was really easy! I actually ran into the other student from Stonehill, Alana Landano, going to Worcester with me at the airport, and then also met about 28 other American students going to a couple different colleges at Oxford. So I really wasn’t alone at all! We sat in a big group and chatted, until it was time to board. I somehow ended up with a seat on the plane next to Alana, so it was nice for us to be together (and now she is living on the floor above me, so it is still nice to have someone familiar from home to freak out and complain and stress with!) Anyway, I was in the very middle of the place at the way back, in between Alana and my first British friend, Steve, an older man coming back from visiting family who moved to the US. He was friendly, chatty, and helpful! It was nice. Landing in London, arriving at the hotel and just being there for the first day was so crazy; it was still so surreal to me! It wasn’t until I took a moment to really take in my surroundings that I noticed that cars were being driven on the wrong side of the road! And as silly as this sounds, it was the one thing that made me realize I wasn’t in American anymore! Even now, after being here for a little over a week, it’s the little things that are different that are actually tough to get used to.

For our London Orientation we all stayed in the same hotel and actually had a lot of free time to go exploring! There was one day when we heard from all sorts of people about academics, safety, the political scene in Britain, etc. One night we also got to go to the theater as a group, I can now say I have been to the theater in London! All of that information was really helpful, but I was itching to see some iconic London tourist-y things! My new friends and I were able to set out on our own for the majority of Saturday and Sunday and we went everywhere! We saw: Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, walked along the Thames, enjoyed the Tate Modern for a couple hours, the Globe Theater, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and of course the coolest and most expensive department store ever: Harrod’s. The pictures throughout this blog post show all these tourist moments. I also already started on my adventure of trying new things and tried Japanese food and Indian food in one day!

Being in London was really exciting at times, but at others I was feeling pretty homesick. This is especially because with the exception of Alana I was surrounded by completely new people, and in a completely new place. I was also living out of two suitcases in a VERY small hotel room with an even smaller shower. I was getting very, very anxious to get settled in up at Oxford, and I was hoping the accommodations would be nicer and that the water would taste better!

Another difficult part of the London Orientation for me was that I was constantly questioning myself and my intelligence because the group of American students on the program with me are all so intelligent and I feel like they all have had more experience traveling, or living!, in Europe and/or the UK before. This is my first time overseas…EVER! I kept reminding myself though that these are the type of people that I would like to surround myself with, and I learned a lot from being around them for even just a couple days. What is also really cool is that the group of American students was so diverse. There are students who were born in Finland, China, Korea, Georgia the country, and Georgia the state, and they live everywhere from California to Texas to Arkansas and go to colleges such as Vassar, Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Wake Forest, Duke, Brandeis, Harvard, and Carleton. The picture below is of Alana and I and the girls I spent the most time with in London: Maria, Rebecca, and Tiina; with one of the street performers along the Thames.

In the end, I was really glad to have a couple days to overcome jet lag, settle into life in the UK, and just see a lot of the city of London before going up to Oxford. I am planning on going back to London for at least one more weekend organized by my study abroad provider for some more city fun! But at the end of the weekend, I was just really anxious to settle into my room at Oxford and FINALLY get the semester started!

Cheers!

P.S. I have learned that “cheers” can mean hello, goodbye, thank you, or be what you say before a toast, as we would use the term. But there may be more uses out there…

Hello from London!!!

Cheers!



I am sitting in an internet cafe in London, and just wanted to say a quick hello! Being in London is great so far; we are here for a general Orientation with my study abroad provider before going up to Oxford.. I am still working on getting completely over the jet lag, but it's not as bad as I would have thought. Last night we got to go to the theater, and this afternoon I am going sightseeing with a couple new friends to see all of the iconic London places!



I have to run, but I will write more and add pictures after Monday when I am settled in at Worcester College with my own computer!

One Week ‘til England!

Look out world, here I come! Well, at least that’s what I want the world to think. Deep down, I’m not sure that’s how I feel quite yet! I have done things all month to prepare to finally go study abroad at Oxford, and now I have a week left in which to pull it all together! I hate being disorganized, but right now, that’s exactly what I feel! :(

I have read through lots and lots of information, from Stonehill, from IFSA-Butler (my study abroad provider), and Worcester College, and it is all starting to mush together into one confusing mess, as maybe you can see from this picture of my desk! I can’t remember anymore what was on the list of “What to Bring” and what was on the list for “What Not to Bring!” Part of me is still procrastinating a bit, not wanting my extremely long summer to be over, and the other part knows it’s time for me to get my act together.

I have all my clothes (I think) and toiletries and such laid out in my sister’s room (since she’s not there right now). I measured suitcases to see what I can definitely use as a carry-on and what to check. If I do a good job of packing, it would be nice if I only need to check one suitcase! We’ll see about that though. The next step is to pack what I have laid out and weigh my suitcases to see if I meet the maximum. I’ll probably need to re-pack because something is telling me that my luggage is going to be too heavy. I was getting too frustrated and just plain exhausted, so tomorrow I will attempt to pack it all and continue with my organizing.

Today I also finished reading King Lear, my fifth Shakespeare play for this summer. In addition to all my packing, I would still like to read a little bit more Shakespeare and catch up on all my current events so I’m prepared intellectually as well as physically packed for my trip.

Yes, I have one more week (I leave next Wednesday!), but I also have three more shifts at West End Creamery, and I am going to Stonehill overnight on Thursday in order to attend the Board of Trustees dinner. This weekend my sister is coming home from college for the first time, so I will also get to see her and spend time with the family altogether one last time. This week will surely fly by!

Don’t get me wrong though, I am SO excited! It still almost seems surreal, but things like receiving my plane ticket in the mail and purchasing pounds is waking me up to reality. I was so excited earlier today when I opened up the packages the pounds were in! This picture is of my pounds, plane ticket and information from Worcester. This semester abroad is going to challenge me academically, and I am excited to see what I can do and pursue subjects in my tutorials that I am interested in. I am also so excited for the personal growth that I am sure is on the way for me as I will be traveling on my own for the first time, experiencing new cultures, and living independently. I think what I am most excited about are my hopes to travel and sightsee around Europe! I can’t wait to see my Stonehill friends abroad and hopefully go on some exciting trips…well, at least as many trips as a semester at Oxford will allow!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Work, work, work, and more work. Over the past two and a half weeks, I have worked all but three days! For those of you who may not remember, I work at West End Creamery, a family owned and run ice cream and mini golf place.

This photo of the Creamery was taken on a fall morning before opening. It really is a picturesque location.

This picture shows a majority of our pretty golf course. I love the landscaping out there!

And yes, we are located on a farm...well sort of. The family who owns the Creamery used to run a dairy farm. Now we just have some animals in the barn customers can visit. Here's what remains of the farm as seen from the mini golf course.

As far as jobs go, it’s an enjoyable one to have. I love the people I work with, and that really makes working more fun. Here my sister Lindsay and coworker Allie are having a little fun petting our mascot cows. Since it is a job, it does sometimes get stressful and I get annoyed with something or someone, but it’s all in a day’s work. Since it is an ice cream place, we do get lots of nice customers so excited about getting some ice cream! I love handing an ice cream cone to an excited young boy or girl who thinks that that ice cream is just about the best thing in the world. We’re a small place, so it’s also nice to see our regulars come in for their exact same frappes and sundaes week after week.

We have some good times and laughs along the way at work as well. On busy nights it gets kind of crazy and messy in our kitchen, and there’s been a couple times when I have slipped on some water or a little bit of melted ice cream and gone down hard, which of course always ends in laughter. We make things pretty much however customers would like them, so we’ll put sprinkles in frappes, or hot fudge on the bottom of a sundae, or four or five toppings on one ice cream at once. Since it’s mostly girls who work at West End Creamery, we share our stories about boys. My boss tends to just tune out those stories most of the time, but sometimes he hears parts and can’t help but give us his thoughts, which is amusing. Sometimes after work we just need to unwind, and we occassionally have dance parties in the parking lot. On one particular night, my sister and friend Jess had made up a routine that they are showing off in this picture. All the pictures in this blog capture the way we work and also the spirit of West End. For the pictures, I have to thank my coworkers (shhh...I stole them from them off of Facebook). :)

Don't worry, we do actually scoop ice cream at West End too! Here we are showing off some of our scooping skills:

While I have been really busy with so many tiring days of work, I’m glad I’ve had something to keep me busy. I have felt a little bit like a floater these past few weeks, since I am still living at home and just waiting for my time to go abroad. I went up to Stonehill for a couple meetings and the first of four Transitions classes with my Orientation group. (The Transitions classes are meant to help the freshmen learn more about Stonehill and how to transition to college life. In addition, it is the perfect opportunity for the incoming students to continue the bonds that they had made at summer Orientation and to use their Peer Mentors as a resource as they settle in at Stonehill.) I was very happy to have the opportunity to see my freshmen together again and also to see friends in my time on campus. However, it only made me realize that I don’t really fit in at Stonehill right now because my friends there are already busy with classes and all, while I don’t have any of those commitments yet. I have also already heard and seen pictures from my friends who are abroad, which makes me jealous that they are already there and enjoying it and I’m sad that I’m missing out. On the other hand, it is making me really anxious and excited to just get over to England! I leave on October 1^st…I have less than two and a half weeks!

So what have I been doing to get ready? Anything and everything I can think of! I have bought the new clothes I needed, including a rain coat, applied for an absentee ballot, ordered more contacts, purchased some pounds to start out with, applied for a debit card, and renewed my license (since I will be turning 21 while in England). I’ve started to lay out my clothes that I will be bringing with me, but it is still a little too early to pack everything. That’s exactly what I will be doing over the next two weeks! I have also been talking to a couple friends from Stonehill who have gone to Oxford over the past two years and they have been answering lots of my questions and offering advice. In addition to packing, one of my tutors at Oxford asked me to read and see some Shakespeare before arriving at Oxford for my Shakespeare tutorial. So I have also been doing that reading. Although, I must admit that it has been difficult to work when I am still in my summer mode.

I’ll have more updates next week about how my packing is going!

Everyone is Moved-In Except ME!

When I walked into the cafeteria two weeks ago and was pulled in six different directions at once by old and new friends smiling or waving or standing in my way with their arms open waiting for a hug, I was once again why I love being at Stonehill. I was amidst the buzz and excitement of move-in weekend and Fall Orientation for incoming students. The freshmen arrived on Saturday, the upper classmen on Sunday, and with them they brought the life back to the sleeping campus. Well, at least all the upper classmen except me and the other students studying abroad that is! I was happy and excited to still be on campus before leaving though. I got to welcome back all of the freshmen in my Orientation group, and reunite with old friends who I haven’t seen all summer.

Before the freshmen moved in, I was on campus for a couple days of training and prepping for Fall Orientation. The campus was pretty quiet, although it was far from deserted. Fall athletes, RAs, Crossings Ministers, and the Orientation Team were all back on campus. Training was pretty low-key since everyone is gearing up for the year to start. So I had plenty of time to visit with friends already back on campus. For example, in these pictures, Orientation Team members were taking a break from training on the sunny steps of Donahue.

Fall Orientation is a lot more laid back with more time for incoming students to spend time in their residence halls, meet more friends, go to the bookstore, finish organizing their room, and get ready for classes. Yet there is still a whole lot of work to get done and fun things too during the first few days. We had presentations about sexual assault awareness, academic honesty, Community Standards, IT information, diversity, and residence hall meetings with RAs. My two favorite parts of Fall Orientation though are the trip into Boston and Into the Streets.

On Sunday, the entire Class of 2012, of 600+ students, took a trip by bus and T into Boston for the afternoon. The trip is meant to show students how to use our shuttle service and T in order to get into Boston on their own during the year. But it’s also really nice to have fun and bond with each other outside of Stonehill’s campus. This year, I went with a couple girls from my group, and one adopted from my friend’s group, to the Prudential Center, Copley Square, and Newberry Street. I had a great time walking around, mostly window shopping, and getting a bite to eat. The girls did help me pick out a new dress that I am itching to wear, and the best part was we made out with a free tea and iced coffee from Starbucks! This picture is of the girls I was with outside of the Boston Public Library.

My other favorite event is Into the Streets, which is our community service program and largest organization on campus. They plan an afternoon on Monday for all of us to go to out into the streets in Brockton, Easton, and the surrounding areas to offer our services to over 40 locations. We go to homeless shelters, food pantries, schools, nursing homes, and much more. Half of my group this year went to the YMCA to help with mowing lawns, painting, and cleaning, and I went with the other half to Trinity Catholic elementary school where we helped put easels together, set up desks, and move a whole lot of boxes. This is yet another great way to grow closer with new friends, and the locations we go to are always so appreciative of our help. It is nice to see that we can make a difference in just a couple of hours for so many people. Almost all Stonehill students then continue to volunteer through Into the Streets during their four years here.

Fall Orientation ends with Academic Convocation, which is essentially the opening ceremony for the school year. All the professors process in wearing their full regalia with alumni representatives and other speakers. We present an excellence in teaching award and this year we also began a new tradition of the senior class presenting a shovel to the president of the college, which traces our history back to the Ames family who owned the land on which Stonehill is founded prior to the Brothers of the Holy Cross. The Ames family made their wealth from making shovels, we even have a “shovel museum,” the Stonehill Industrial History Center, on campus!

The end of Orientation meant it was time for me to leave Stonehill again for the time being. I came home to an eleven straight days of work at West End Creamery, and a whole lot of anxiety setting in as I began to get more serious about preparing for England. But I’ll be sharing more about my preparations in future blogs. Before I could really start to focus on Oxford, my parents and I needed to get my sister moved in to college!

My little sister, Lindsay, is now attending Endicott College and is in the hospitality program. As of now, she would like to get into event planning. This is another great thing about the fact that I don’t leave until October 1 and that I am not in classes at Stonehill right now…I was able to help move her in! I’d like to think that I was helpful and was able to give Lindsay, and her new roommate Lauren some good advice about room set-up and organization. I was also excited to take the official first roommate picture of the two and their cute new room! But I think they could have done it on their own. I was really happy nonetheless to be able to be there! And I think out of my sister, my parents, and I, I was the one that wasn’t ready to leave at the end of the day! It was the first time I had been to Endicott and I really enjoyed it. It is a beautiful campus, and it is located right on the water! What could be better?

While I was there, I also ran into Meghan Fitzgerald. Meghan was the Admissions Counselor at Stonehill who met with me and read my application. This summer she decided to take a position at Endicott as an Admissions Counselor and the lacrosse coach. I was sad to hear that she was leaving Stonehill, but I am happy to report that she is settling in at Endicott and is doing well!

Family Weekend in the Big Apple

This summer my family and I took a weekend vacation to New York City with my aunt and uncle and cousin and another family who are family friends. I was really excited to be going somewhere, even if it was just for a weekend, because each year my family always took a family vacation. That was always a special time for me and created memories that I will always look back on. This year, we stayed in Jersey City at a marina and campground (which was more like a parking lot for campers). What's even more amusing is that there is a nightclub right on the property! It's called The Sand Bar USA. But we did have full hook-ups for water and power, and even a couple TV stations! From where we were we could see the Statue of Liberty and also the financial district across the Hudon in NYC. This picture is the view of the city from the marina.

My favorite part of staying there though was that since we were at a marina, Friday and Saturday nights we just hung out by the dock and watched the people. We watched the nightclub, which on Saturday night was pretty happening! The place can fit 2,000 people, which we found out from some firefighters who swung by on their drive to check it all out. My father and uncle used to be/still are firemen, so they chatted with those from Jersey City. Saturday night there was also a boat party going on on the really nice yacht parked closest to "our" dock, so we also met some cute Coast Guard men who swung by to check out where the noise was coming from. They couldn't give us a lift to the party though because we didn't have life jackets.

:( Next time I'll go prepared!

I had a fabulous time in the city. We only went in for the full day on Saturday (since I needed to go home to work on Sunday night), but it was worth it. Unforunately, the day had a dreary start...literally, because it rained! We began our morning in Times Square, and got a quick Naked Cowboy siting! We decided to take a double decker bus tour for Uptown, and the plan was to hopefully get off at Central Park and spend a lot of time there because they were celebrating the 150th anniversary of Central Park. But just as we were beginning our trip we saw the dark clouds rolling in, and the tour guide quickly passed out cheap-o ponchos, but it was better than nothing! The next thing we know it was downpouring, and even with the ponchos we got soaked! I had water dripping now inside my poncho because my string fell out, and I was sitting next to my uncle whose poncho ripped! Then, by the end of the storm, we had a pond on the floor of the bus, so every time we stopped or accelerated there was a flood of water washing over your feet! It was best to just keep our feet up at all times! But somehow with the water running down my legs, my socks still got soaked! This picture is of my sister and my cousin on the double decker before the rain hit!

By the time we deemed it safe to get off the bus, because we could at least get under cover on the first level of the bus, we had made the complete loop and were back in Times Square. We split up a little, and my family and I headed over to Rockefeller Plaza. Then we all met up again in Hell's Kitchen (yes, the neighborhood of my fellow blogger Kevin!) and had an early dinner at an Italian restaurant. I was exhausted at this point, but I had finally pretty much dried off.

After that we hopped back on the bus, which I must say was much more enjoyable in the sun than in the rain! This time we got off at Central Park and walked around, and I loved it! It was more than I had ever been into Central Park before in my couple trips to the city. It was very classic New York I feel! Lastly, we headed to ground zero before heading back to Jersey City. This is where I haggled for a new, fake Coach purse! I had been to ground zero a couple years after 9/11, but it was pretty incredible to see the slow rebuilding process. They are planning to open the Freedom Towers in 2012, the year the incoming class will be graduating!

Speaking of Stonehill...each fall the Trip Committee of Student Government Association plans a trip to NYC, and I'd definitely recommend taking advantage of the trip, especially if you've never been before!

For me, it's now way past my bedtime, because tomorrow I am moving back in at Stonehill for a week for Fall Orientation. I will be filling you in soon on move in and such! Can't wait to see all my Stonehill loves this weekend!

How to Pack Your Life into a Dorm Room

So a lot of Orientation kids, members of this year's incoming class at Stonehill, have been asking me questions about what to bring to campus when they move in. I remember how daunting this task was when I moved away from home from the first time, so this blog is meant to help you out! I only hope this isn't coming too late, since move-in is less than two weeks away! (And, let me tell you, the Orientation Team is so excited to be going back and seeing you all again so soon!) Here's a look at all of my things packed and ready to go the night before I moved into Stonehill two years ago:

I was a mess the day I moved into college. I was a bundle of nerves, excitement, sadness, and happiness...so it kind of led me to be a little stressed that day. Parents...be patient with your kids as they decide how everything is going to be set up. And collegiates...don't worry, you can always move things around throughout the year! Here are a couple pictures of the mess in my room in O'Hara freshman year when I moved in:

Ok, so let's get started. I feel like there's always lots to bring, plus I always overpack ;), and I'm a girl, so I also bring things like lots of clothes, shoes, jewelry, make-up, etc. etc. But here's what you may want to keep in mind:

You definitely need linens, get the extra long linens, all the Residence Halls have those extra long dorm beds. You'll need a blanket and a comforter of course, and I've found one with a surface that's easy to clean is nice, cause you kind of end up living on your bed. An important investment is a comfortable mattress pad. With a comfortable mattress covering, dorm mattresses are pretty comfortable! Also, a husband pillow, or something like that, is great for reading and doing work on your bed, because sometimes there's just not enough extra room in a dorm room for a comfy chair. Bed risers are also really helpful, because then you can create more storage room under your bed. Here's a look at my room in O'Hara, plus my roommate Katrina and friend Emma (who lived across the hall).

Under the bed, and above the closets are two great storage spaces, so I would say to bring good storage cases for those spots. Having shelving and storage space in general is helpful. Having a hanging shoe rack for the closet is great. Think about storage for food, extra clothes, especially winter clothes before it gets cold, and extra whatevers (movies, books, extra notebooks and paper, all those whatnots - and I know from experience that girls tend to bring those to college more than guys do!) Depending on the dorm you are in you may want shelving for the books you have for classes. I know that Boland has lots of shelving space (and also the second floor of O'Hara for girls), but I'm not so sure that the rooms in any of the other freshman dorms do have that built in space. Shelving units that sit on a desk and go up are usually really great. In terms of garments, a pair of rain boots and an umbrella are important to remember too. When it rains on Stonehill the Quad tends to get pretty wet, so boots are great. I got a cute and cheap pair from Target!

Also, I'm not sure if guys would want this or not but I'm pretty sure girls will...if you like having a full length mirror, O'Hara and Boland do not have those (the other dorms do have them in the closets.) Curtains are also something to consider, but for extra things that aren't a necessity, you can always wait on those things and decide after you move in. That way you can check measurements for curtains too! It's always good just to have lots of sticky stuff to put up posters, pictures of family and friends from home, and things in general on the walls. Just make sure it's not duct tape, that's not allowed. Masking tape is fine, but it doesn't last long, so the special sticky stuff made just for walls is best. And those plastic hooks that have the sticky stuff built in are great for hanging things like towels and coats. I think it's the 3M brand that is really good and has those hooks. A hanger that goes over the door is also really convenient for those same things. Mostly everyone also gets those little whiteboards to put on their doors so friends can leave messages when they stop by and you're not around.

You'll probably want a desk lamp, especially if you think you'll be the kind of person doing a lot of work in your room rather than the library. It's also nice to have a standing lamp or something like that so you don't have to have your big overhead lights on all the time. All of the dorms have carpets, so you don't need to worry about bringing a carpet for a tile floor or anything like that. I'd say definitely bring a fan. A small, compact one is fine. I really liked having a fan, and I actually put it on every night, even in the winter! I actually just really liked the fan for it's sound factor. It was perfect for blocking out noisy hallways on weekend nights. Here's a picture of Katrina (yup, the same one from freshman year!) and I moving into our triple one year ago. Last year I lived in Villa Theresa. The rooms there are big enough to accomodate even a voluntary triple like us! The last couple pictures here are more pictures of my room in Villa, so you can get an idea of one of those rooms.

Think about the little things, like a trash can, and clothes hangers. Something to carry your soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. in that you can carry to the bathroom and shower is very important. You also NEED flip flops or something for the shower...you don't want any foot fungus. :) Remember, you are going to Stonehill for classes, so you still need notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, stapler, etc. - whatever you like using. Also, a planner is key! Also, a calendar is nice, but what I've been doing is just printing free monthly calendars from online and using that to keep track of long term assignments and events. But I really like having an agenda to go by day to day.

An alarm clock is key! Don't want to miss those 8:30s! I have my iHome, which is nice to wake me up in the morning, but we also listen to music on it at night. A computer is very important - the key to modern college life! This is something that I wish I had known before...the internet cable I got with my laptop didn't work! I need an ethernet cord in order to get on the internet, and on the day of move-in the bookstore was selling them, but it was packed there because everyone was there buying ethernet cords! It is also important to have extension cords, and one of those power strips, we are a world of electricity! Mostly everyone brings a laptop rather than a desktop. I would also suggest having a printer. I just like the convenience of it, but printing is free on campus, so you don't really NEED it if you don't want it. (I just wanted it.) I'd say bring a TV too, that way you can watch the shows you like without having to bum off your friends, but it's been done. A DVD player and movies are great for quiet nights in. I'd say my friends and I used it a lot more for gatherings my freshman year than we did this past year. You can have a fridge as well. You can have as many fridges in a room as there are roommates. But one fridge is plenty for two people. This past year I was in a triple and we had two, and that was pretty nice for us. I'd suggest getting a Brita filter to keep filled with water in your fridge. The past two years I kept stocking up on water bottles for my room, but I finally got a Brita, and in the long run it will save you a lot of money! And it helps the environment!

The things you can't have are a microwave, but there's a kitchen (or two or three) in every Res Hall with one that you can use. You can't bring pets...but you can bring fish! You also need to make sure that heating things, if you choose to bring them (and this is more so with girls with curling irons and straighteners), are automatic shut off! Some RAs will check to make sure that they are, to keep everyone safe.

I'd say don't bother with things like a vacuum cleaner or an iron. I have a dust buster that I sometimes use, if you want to get anything like that I'd say that a dust buster is plenty. But I know my hallway this past year had a common vacuum cleaner that we all shared. And invest in perhaps some of that Febreeze anti-wrinkle spray, I haven't tried it...but I kind of want to, rather than an iron. Which reminds me...having Lysol is great, especially for cold and flu season. And keep some Purell on your desk too! Febreeze freshener spray is nice, but it doesn't have antibacterial power. As for dishes, it's good to have a couple knives, forks, and spoons, and a bowl and a plate. Having maybe two cups and a mug for hot chocolate and tea is good too. In that case, dish soap and a sponge are needed to clean that. But plastic cups and paper plates work too. Paper towels are important, we do still spill in college! A hamper for laundry you need of course...and I'd say get one that you can carry up and down stairs easily in case you aren't on the same floor as your laundry room. For laundry detergent, I like the ALL Small and Mighty ones, cause they are smaller, which means less weight and less space. One thing that I didn't think about until the first time I did laundry is a drying rack. I have certain shirts and sweaters that I don't like to put in the dryer, so that's helpful.

One more piece of advice...contact your roommate and then you can split up the big ticket items, like TV and fridge and then you can share.

Whew! That may have been more than you thought you would get from reading this blog, but once I get started I tend to not be able to stop! I hope this helped! But if you have any questions still, or any specific question about a dorm in particular, feel free to ask me!