She received a $500 scholarship form the Northside PTA which she dedicated to be her budget for dorm supplies…”As soon as I found out which residence hall I would be in at Platteville, I went to my school’s website and printed their official resident hall packing list, crossing off what I already had and adding anything that I still needed or wanted.”
She and her roommate made a shared Pinterest board full of decoration ideas and layout designs they liked which she said was “super helpful for planning what we could share, what we each needed our own of, and as a fun icebreaker to get to know each other better. Some of the best places I’ve found to shop for dorm supplies are Target, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Amazon.”
The soon-to-be college freshman admits that clothes have been the most difficult part of packing for college, and she said, “I really enjoy dressing up and styling outfits, so it’s been hard to avoid overpacking. To help, I made a list of each type of clothing – the sweatshirts, jeans, dresses, and so on – and decided how many of each would be appropriate to take. Then I went through my closet, narrowing down what I really wanted to take and what needed to stay home. I also kept the seasons in mind so I wouldn’t end up packing heavy winter clothes for the fall. After finishing my college packing, I sorted through what was left at home that I wanted to keep and gave the rest to Goodwill or to my little sister.”
Christian Haney said he plans to wear more formal clothing at college…”Probably a lot of collar-neck shirts in my future.”
In regard to sororities or fraternities, Haney said he didn’t think he would ever join a fraternity if he went to a college away from home. “From what I know, it can be expensive, and they don’t necessarily have the best stereotypes to be associate with,” he added.
Roodhouse said, “I’m probably interested in joining a sorority. My school is Division III, so rushing isn’t as much of a deal as it is at larger schools, but it’s still very much alive and a part of campus culture. My plan is to get to campus first, explore the different sororities available, and then decide when and how I want to start the joining process.”
Haney did not have to make any decisions about a dorm roommate as he will be commuting, but Roodhouse said even she has not personally met her roommate, they have chatted many times over testing and the phone…”We first connected through our school’s incoming freshman Instagram page where she messaged me asking if I already had a roommate. From both of our posts, it seemed like we had a lot in common – we booth have older siblings who attend or attended Platteville, and we both ran cross country and track in high school. It was a little awkward messaging at first while trying to figure out if our living habits would be compatible, but talking on the phone instead of just texting helped break the ice a lot.”
When asked what they think they will miss most about high school, Roodhouse said, “I think I’ll really miss having the chance to sit with my friends at lunch every day, and those fun walks to and from class and the parking lot where we talk about whatever wild or funny thing that just happened in class. It’s the little moments and opportunities high school gives you to hang out with friends that I’ll definitely miss !”
Haney said what he will miss is the “feeling of familiarity. Especially since many of my friends are going to be hours away, and I won’t know everyone.
Another questions I had for the two college-bound students – What is the most frightening about leaving about leaving for college and what is the most exciting. Haney replied that the most frightening think is “the people and making new connections,” and added that the most exciting is “new experiences that I get to be part of.”
Roodhouse said she thinks the most frightening aspect of college is “all the what ifs’ – what if I don’t find friends? What if the classes are too hard? What if this isn’t the right educational or career path for me. But on the flip side, the most exciting part is the unknown. Who am I going to meet? What new clubs and opportunities are waiting for me?”
My comment is that both young people are ready for their next step in higher education!
