By Jalyn Bolyard, Distribution Manager

It’s that time of the year again! While some West Liberty students are already moved in, the rest of us will move in during the weekend.

Packing can always be a hectic time, from checklists to making sure everything will fit in the car. While your parents have always nagged you about not forgetting items when you leave the house before, college can be uncertain.

A lot of common items can kind of be forgotten about, especially if they’re small and seem to always be handy and convenient at home. Whether it’s your first time moving in or your last, here’s the top five items to not forget to bring for the new school year.

1. Scissors.

If you have any new dorm items still in packaging or boxes to open, scissors are a must on move-in day. Place them somewhere that you won’t forget and can access easily, that way when it comes time to use them, you’re not spending 30 minutes searching for them. They’re not only handy for move-in day, but a general must-have for the rest of the year. You’d be surprised by how many stray strings on shirts can show up in a year.

2. Band aids.

You’ll never realize you forgot band aids until the second you need one and the nurse’s office isn’t open. Or, you’re on the other side of campus and it’s raining. So, being a little cautious will be worth it in the long run. Bringing one box is more than enough to last you a whole year – unless you’re a little accident prone, then maybe bring two.

3. Rain shoes – and an umbrella.

College is different than high school in many ways and weather is certainly a part of it. Instead of spending all day inside and staying warm during rain and storms, you now have to walk through it and, most of the time, you have to do so more than once. So, don’t forget rain shoes before it is too late and the first downpour occurs. Unless you want to ruin those favorite tennis shoes you had from high school (trust me, you do not) – bring rain shoes. A small umbrella is also handy on these days, and do not worry that you will be the only one – a lot of students use umbrellas.

4. Planner.

 Remember those school-assigned planners from high school that you never used except for restroom passes, and it just sat at the bottom of your book-bag? Planners are now ten times more useful. There’s no one to remind you of when an assignment is due, and it can be handy to have to schedule out your week and look over for reminders. With multiple assignments in college, having a small planner is definitely helpful to remember with the workload.

5. Water bottle.

Once again, college isn’t like high school – in most scenarios, you’re not going to get yelled at for drinking water during class. A refillable water bottle can be a life-saver during long classes, especially if your throat dries fast. It is also easier to have a water bottle you can refill instead of worrying about running off the hill to get a new case of water. Although you can buy bottles of water from Jazzman’s, you might want to save the Sodexo dollars for something else.