Preparing for the storm: Erie, PA
The start of the semester, as we know, comes with plenty of preparation: scheduling classes, buying books, saying goodbye to summer, and for many students living at Behrend, cramming everything into an 11-by-15-foot area. Not only is moving in stressful, but figuring out which items are necessary for the school year and which ones can be left at home is also a headache. Combine this with the daunting Erie weather, and move-in day can become dreadful. After experiencing the start of this fall semester, some Behrend students shared their experiences with moving in on campus.
​
One concern students have deals with the seemingly temperamental weather in Erie, Pennsylvania. Alex Dana, a freshman Business and Finance major, said before he came to Erie from Allentown, he was told “there’s going to be tons of snow, and it’s a lot colder.” Similarly, another freshman, Abhilasha Gajbhiye, an international student from India majoring in Mathematics, said, “Everyone warned me it would be cold.”
​
Two senior Psychology majors, Amanda Green and Austin Harris, weighed in on their experiences from freshman year. Green, who is from Erie, had some advice for incoming students. “Bring snow boots because the snow will be up to your ankles,” he stated. Harris also advised bring boots at the start of the semester, saying, “You’re not going to want to spend time finding shoes that fit during the middle of the semester, and you don’t want to wear Crocs in the middle of winter. That’s what happened to me my freshman year, and I ended up slipping in the mud on my way back to my dorm.” The best advice for the upcoming winter season is keep warm by bringing a winter coat and boots that can be worn when walking from class to class.
​
Besides finding the gear needed to get ready for winter, those living on campus are also required to think months ahead to figure out which items will be essential during the school year. While objects such as sewing kits and umbrellas are often forgotten, there are many other items that get left at home, but are found to be needed when it is too late. In fact, Dana said, “This is going to sound a little weird, but I forgot salt for my ramen noodles.” Gajbhiye was regretful about not remembering her scissors, saying, “I already realized I needed them, but forgot them at home.”
​
Though many belongings are forgotten at home, it is best to purposely leave some things there. Green commented, “I think every freshman overpacks.” Reflecting back to her first year, she also said, “I brought a lot of snacks my freshman year, but I never used them because I spent time on campus.” Also expecting to spend more time in his dorm room, Harris said, “I brought this huge collage photo frame my freshman year…but I spent a lot of time taking it back and forth to my house four hours away, and it got really scratched up.”
​
So, how do we combat the issue of forgotten and overpacked items? One piece of advice is to go online and find a premade packing list. These lists are typically made by students who have already been through their first year of college and have experienced a semester with missing belongings. However, to personalize the list and only pack necessities, find a highlighter to choose items that will actually be used throughout the semester. Even with this advice, packing for the school year is a learning event, and the best way to learn is to live and experience (even if it means going without something like a salt shaker for sixteen weeks).
