Each year, we’re excited to support our recent high school grads in heading off to college. Attending university is a major life milestone, especially for Rainier Scholars, most of whom will be the first in their family to get a college education.
To help you get ready for the new year, we surveyed seven Rainier Scholars currently navigating college life to gather their best advice for incoming students:
- Cohort 14 includes Henok Assalif (University of Washington), Isabel Sanchez (Amherst College), and Sosna Biniam (Yale University), all seniors.
- Cohort 15 is represented by Sydney Goitia-Doran (Howard University) and Jayda Williams (University of San Diego), both juniors.
- From Cohort 16, we talked to Justus Gates, a sophomore at Seattle University.
- And from Cohort 17, Betsmona Alemshowa from Cohort 17 shared her very recent move-in experience at the University of Pennsylvania, where she just started as a freshman.
Together, these scholars represent a diverse range of college experiences—from small liberal arts colleges to large state universities, from East Coast to West Coast, and from first-year students still figuring things out to seniors preparing for post-graduation life. They all share a perspective that comes from successfully navigating the transition from high school to college, often while being far from home and family support systems.
Here are their top seven pieces of advice for making your college move-in and first year successful:
1. Make Your Space Comfortable, Not Perfect
While it can be appealing to go above and beyond to get the right vibe for your room, several scholars emphasized that your dorm should feel like home without breaking the bank. “Invest in making it feel like home and organizing it the way you want,” Sosna advised. Betsmona agreed, highlighting how emotional pieces can give you a connection to home. She recommended packing “memories from home—photos, small plush animals, and cards.” Jayda recommended bringing your own blank cards and stamps so that you can keep in touch the old-fashioned way with friends and family. More practically speaking, Betsmona said to, “be sure to pack lights like fairy lights and lamps because the dorm lighting is really bad.” Some dorm rooms don’t have a mirror, and several scholars suggested that as well.
2. Buy Smart, Not Early
Several scholars recommend waiting to make purchases until you know what you actually need. Sydney, who attends school far from home, has learned: “Since I live so far away, I buy most necessities and decorations once I get to school.” Isabel added: “Wait until AFTER you unpack to see if you need extra storage.” This approach prevents over-packing and ensures you’re buying items that fit your actual space and needs.
3. Master the Art of Roommate Communication
Living with others requires intentional communication from day one. Isabel stresses: “Talk to your roommate(s) early on and be realistic about expectations about the space and be honest.” Sydney adds that boundaries matter: “Don’t be afraid to speak up if you have disagreements or things that make you uncomfortable with your roommate. It’s your room too!” The payoff can be significant—Sydney notes that her roommate became her best friend and they’ve roomed together all three years.
4. Invest in the Right Technology Setup
Henok offers a game-changing recommendation that transformed his college experience: “A monitor is absolutely necessary as a college student. My life completely changed when I was able to visually have enough space in front of me to view multiple tabs at once. This helped me move away from the short-term retention that I subconsciously used when jumping between tabs to write papers, work on a coding assignment, or generally surfing the web.” Justus adds that you need “different types of LONG charging cords and bricks for them.”
5. Prepare for Illness (Because It’s Coming)
Unfortunately, you will get sick in college, so come prepared. As Isabel bluntly states: “Pack medicine of all kinds—you WILL get sick.” Justus adds specificity: “Bring a medicine box with every type of medicine you would take for a cold and pain meds. Something about your freshman year will have you sick once a month.” Sosna recommends including “disinfectant wipes” in your essentials to help prevent the spread of germs in shared spaces.
6. Don’t Live in Your Room (and Don’t Work in Your Bed)
Henok offers counterintuitive advice about space usage: “I suggest not spending a lot of time in your new space. Most campuses are very large and have designated areas for studying, hanging out with friends, or taking part in activities. I find it very rewarding to spend time outside of my living area.” Sosna echoes this with a crucial study habit: “Don’t do work in your bed!”
7. Embrace the Social Opportunities
College offers unprecedented opportunities to meet people, and our scholars encourage you to take advantage of them. Betsmona’s advice is simple but effective: “Everyone is new so don’t be afraid to knock on your neighbor’s door and say hi! It’s been super fun getting to know people that way walking through the hallways and through the communal spaces we share.” Betsmona would know – she only moved in a few weeks ago. For folks living off-campus, social opportunities abound too. Henok values the diversity he’s encountered: “Since I live in a house, I enjoy the ability to spark up a conversation with someone who is completely different than me. This helped me de-stress from the work college presents.”
Bonus Practical Tips
The scholars also shared specific items that proved essential. Be sure to audit your packing list with these must-have items:
- shower shoes and a shower caddy for communal bathrooms (Sydney)
- a mattress topper (multiple scholars)
- organization tools like closet shoe holders to save space (Betsmona)
- different types of batteries and a mini tool kit (Justus)
- thumb tacks, command hooks, and general-purpose tape (Isabel)
- get a backpack instead of a tote bag—totes are cute but start to hurt your shoulder (Justus)
- cleaning supplies (Sydney, who wrote this in ALL CAPS)
And even though many Pacific Northwesterners abhor using them, Justus also suggests bringing an umbrella. Rain is different in other parts of the country.
For move-in day itself, Justus offers this wisdom: “Make sure everyone you’re moving in with has their morning coffee or tea—you all have to be calm and do your best to make the experience good, because moving can be really stressful.”
Sydney leaves future scholars with this reassurance: “Move-in is one of the most stressful parts, but once it’s over and you’ve made your space how you want it, it is worth it! Good luck. I’m so excited for you!”
Jayda on her way to the University of San Diego