Take it from someone who did all of her dorm shopping the week before she moved in during her freshman year: dorm shopping, though it can be fun, can also be extremely stressful. It can be tempting to hit Home Goods like a hurricane and buy every cute strand of string lights and set of decorative pillows you can find, but taking a moment to plan out your shopping trip can be much easier on your psyche (and your wallet)! Below, I give you the dos and don'ts of shopping for school. 

DO 

• Make a list. Shopping without a list can be your ultimate downfall. Some schools have suggested packing lists for students, but if you are going in blind, there are tons of compiled lists online that can give you some guidance for what will be essential in your room. 
• Ship the big stuff to school. Most universities will allow you to send some of your bigger items to your campus mailbox before your move in. This can be a lifesaver when you are trying to fit all of your dorm supplies into your sedan. Ship as much as you can to school beforehand to save yourself time and space on move-in day. 
• Invest in things that will last. You may think that three hundred dollars on a Tempur-pedic mattress topper seems excessive, but I promise you will not regret that investment. College mattresses do not have to be part of your transformative experience. Your freshman year can be expensive because you are making big purchases for the rest of your college career. Though it may be difficult to face spending a lot of money up front, making smart investments will save you expenses down the road.
• Find space-saving organizers. Under-bed storage is a blessing. Dorm rooms can be quite small, so finding smart ways to organize can make or break your space. Look for solutions like under-bed boxes, hutches for above your bed or desk, and drawer organizers. Making the most of your closet space is also essential. Look for hanging sweater and pants organizers, shoe racks, and cloth hangers. 
• Bring cleaning supplies. Some schools offer students vacuums or brooms to rent for their rooms, but you may be better off owning them. Make sure to bring some kind of duster, a broom (or vacuum if your dorm is carpeted), and bathroom cleaner if you have an in suite restroom. Also, stock up on laundry detergent before you go because you will be doing laundry (eventually). 
• Think about a dorm concept. Do you want your space to be rustic? Zen? Coastal? Coming up with a design for your dorm before you shop can give your purchases more direction, saving you money and stress! If you have roommates, it may be a good idea to coordinate decorating styles. 
• Bring entertainment options. I relied on my vinyl and massive speakers to get me through stressful times at school. Binge-watching the Office never hurt either. Whether its a television, some speakers, or anything else, be sure to have some entertainment options in your dorm to give you outlets for relaxation. Rooms that are all work and no play...well, anyone who has seen The Shining knows that they can drive you crazy. 
• Invest in a mini fridge. Leftover pizza? Mini fridge. Late night ice cream runs? Mini fridge. Dining hall food that you took because you are on an unlimited meal plan and want to test the limits of just how unlimited you really are? Mini fridge. My parents forced me to get one, even though I swore I wouldn't need it, and I could not be more grateful to them.
• Create a space that reflects you. Making your dorm feel like yours can make college feel a little more like home. Fill it with pictures of friends and family. Decorate in your favorite colors. Bring that ratty old stuffed animal you've had since you were seven (no one will judge you, I promise). 

DON'T

• Feel like you need to buy everything at once. Amazon exists for a reason. Don't be afraid to go to school without  every single decoration you think you need. You can always order more for your room. As long as you have a bed and some pens, you are all set for your first week. 
• Overestimate the size of your dorm. Dorms are very, very small. Of course, you want to get that futon, the matching beanbag chair, and the ottoman. It's unlikely that all of those lovely decorations will fit though. If your school does not give you a floor plan or dimensions, err on the side of caution. It is a lot easier to get more things than to send things back after hours of trying to rework your furniture to make them fit. 
• Go in blind. While having a list makes shopping efficient and productive, not knowing what you want or need can make what should be a fun experience very hectic. Break your shopping sessions up across several days, assigning a specific goal to each day, to make sure that you don't get overwhelmed. 
• Split big purchases with your roommates. It can be so tempting to split the price of the common room TV among the four of you, but what are you going to do at the end of the year when only one person can take it home? You will be better off splitting up big purchases to one per person. For example, instead of each person paying a portion of the cost of the fridge, the couch, and the TV, have one person buy one item in full. That way there are no heated debates over who has the right to the furniture at the end of the year. 
• Buy "college safe" decorations to hang on your walls. Cue me, hanging up my adorable Pottery Barn "dorm safe" pin board on the wall above my bed on move-in day. Cut to five minutes later, where you will find me trying to recenter said board, only to leave four holes in the plaster of my dorm room wall. Stick to poster gum and double sided tape if you want to be extra safe. As for Command strips...use at your own risk. 
• Expect everything to fit perfectly. No matter how much planning you do in advance, it is almost inconceivable that your room is going to look exactly as you imagined it. On move-in day, you are going to have to roll with the punches. Be prepared to leave some things behind. 
• Get caught up in Pinterest. Along the same vein, don't expect your dorm to look like a Pinterest board. Don't get me wrong: you can create a beautiful dorm room. But getting lost in trying to make your room look perfect  can cause unnecessary stress. Instead, create a space that makes you feel comfortable. The aesthetics will come. 
• Worry. Shopping for your first college dorm should be fun. It's a special occasion, and even though it can be stressful at times, you want to have predominately good memories.

The day I moved into my freshman dorm, I left four holes on my bedroom wall, but I also bought an amazing Pulp Fiction poster to cover them up. I realized that the cheap hanging door mirror my roommates and I had purchased made us look huge, but we also laughed like crazy about it. My roommate and I had to un-loft the bunk beds and left a nick in the wall, but it also showed us that we could handle living on our own. Everything will not be perfect when you move into your first college dorm. That does not mean it won't be one of the most fun, significant days of your life. 

​-Alexis Mealey

I firmly believe that being well-read is one of the greatest assets a person can possess. Reading widely allows us to connect with cultures that are not our own, create a sense of mutual understanding based on shared humanity, and learn things about ourselves in the process. 
I personally abide by the code that all books are worth reading, but there are some books that are life changing. These are the books that stop you in your tracks and force you to pay attention. The books that leave you turning the final page over again and again because you cannot bear the thought of the story being over. The books that make you laugh out loud, or fall to your knees and weep. The fourteen books I have listed below changed my life, and I hope that one of them may do the same for you. 

1.  Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This is one of the most underappreciated books in the global literary canon, and one of the most influential pieces of American literature ever written. Invisible Man follows the story of a black, unnamed narrator who escapes the oppression of the South in the early 20th century, only to find that the idyllic world of the North presents a set of obstacles all its own. In a stunning display of symbolism coupled with unparalleled prose, the Invisible Man struggles with identity, individuality, and political pressures  in a way that will leave you breathless.  
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is the first book I can remember that made me weep. Following the story of hero-lawyer Atticus Finch and his two children, To Kill a Mockingbird conveys a story of racial injustice, pressures of gender conformity, and the dangers of prejudgment under the guise of  a playful bildungsroman filled with characters with which you will fall in love.
3. Ulysses by James Joyce. One of the most fantastic works in the English language, James Joyce's magnum opus is set over the course of a single day in Dublin, following Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. It is impossible to list all of the issues tackled in Ulysses. A piece you have to read more than once to appreciate, Ulysses combines the real and the fantastic to create a narrative that runs the gamut of literary themes, from the dangers of religious hypocrisy to symbolic use of the kidney.
4. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude tackles the story of the Buendia family, set over 100 years in the town of Macondo. The novel presents a commentary on issues ranging from the dangers of colonialism to the importance of tradition to the role of matriarchs within a family. Garcia Marquez creates a novel laden with symbolism in phenomenal prose. 
5. My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass. The first nonfiction piece on this list, My Bondage and My Freedom is the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, dealing with his life in slavery, his escape, and his experiences with freedom. This heart-wrenching piece is a testament to human resilience, and also the human capacity for cruelty, that every American should read before graduating high school. 
6. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Yet another novel that follows a family, To the Lighthouse follows the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye between 1910 and 1920. The modernist novel deals with gender roles, family structures, and love within the plot, while also exploring the philosophical nature of storytelling itself.
7. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.  In a book that blends fact and fiction, Tim O'Brien catalogs the story of a platoon of American soldiers fighting a ground war in Vietnam. In a narrative that presents a commentary on truth, humanity in times of crisis, and the damage done by war, O'Brien creates a war story that will make you weep, laugh, and discover elements of your own nature.
8. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Set in apartheid South Africa, Cry, the Beloved Country follows two father-son pairs: the Kumalos, an African family struggling for survival in a valley, and the Jarvises, a wealthy white family living on the hill who support apartheid. When Stephen Kumalo discovers that his son, Absalom, murdered the son of James Jarvis, the fathers meet. What follows presents a moving political commentary on the state of South Africa in the 1960s, but also a look into human nature. 
9. Night by Elie Wiesel. The second nonfiction piece on this list, Night is Elie Wiesel's harrowing autobiography on his experience with his father in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. You must be the proper head-space to handle this piece of nonfiction, as Wiesel spares no detail in describing the crimes against humanity committed in the camp. This book is difficult to get through without becoming sick to your stomach, but it is necessary all the while.  
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A modern classic in the making, Hosseini's Kite Runner shines a light on both the human capacity for goodness and that for evil. Set in Kabul, Afghanistan, the novel follows the growth of a boy named Amir and his closest friend Hassan through Soviet military occupation, the rise of the Taliban, and American intervention. The Kite Runner presents a moving narrative of love, sacrifice, and a quest for redemption that is guaranteed to leave you speechless. 
11. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.  Of Mice and Men is barely more than one hundred pages, but it presents one of the greatest  platonic love stories of all time. Follow quick-witted George and gentle giant Lennie, two migrant workers travelling during the Great Depression, as they experience hope and despair that provide the ultimate test of the boundaries of brotherly love. 
12. Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Following the story of a group of British boys stranded on a desert island, Lord of the Flies presents a harrowing allegory for the global governance as the boys attempt to establish a system of government on the island. Golding's prose presents an easy-read on the surface of the novel, but be prepared to encounter complicated philosophical questions and implications once you venture below it. 

Your first college semester can set the tone for your entire year, and maybe even your college experience. During your first semester, you create first impressions of your campus, professors, and peers. These impressions can stick with you until you graduate, so you want to make sure that they are the best they can possibly be! Here are ten tips to make your first semester great: 

1. Go to all of your classes. This is probably the first time in your life that you can skip class "without consequences." Resist the allure of rolling back over when your alarm goes off for that pesky 8:30am section because I promise, there will be consequences. You are in class significantly less in college than you were in high school which means that every hour matters. You never know when there will be a pop quiz that you'll have to take a zero on because you overslept.  Be strong. Go to class (unless of course you are sick). 
2. Sit with new people in the dining hall...eat in the dining hall. No matter how awful the food may be, your campus dining hall is a great place to meet new people, especially during your first few weeks of school. Whether you know no one at your new school or it feels like your entire high school class went to the same university, make an effort to sit with new people. You never know when you could bond with your future best friend over under cooked chicken.
3. Get involved with some clubs. Don't overwhelm yourself with extracurricular activities in your first semester of college, but make an effort to join at least one student organization. Student groups are a great way to meet new people, especially those who share your interests. They can provide a sense of community and belonging on an unfamiliar campus.
4. Attend social events. It can be easy to just hole up with a bag of Doritos and your favorite Netflix series to binge.  Make an effort to go out every once in a while to feel a sense of community and connect with new people. Go to a party, attend a sporting event, or gather some people to go to a local concert. 
5. Get to know your professors. My professors were the highlight of my first semester. Introduce yourself to your professors in your first week of classes. Attend office hours for classes in which you are interested. Building relationships with professors will help you to not only understand and enjoy the material, but also to get to know someone at the top of your desired field. These relationships are extremely rewarding, and extremely useful when you need a letter of recommendation for graduate school or internships.
6. Try new things. Your first semester of school is a great time to step outside your comfort zone. Do you have a secret love for ultimate Frisbee? Find an intramural team! Are you passionate about singing? Join an a capella group! College is the perfect time to explore your interests. Trying something new can lead you to something you will pursue for the rest of your life.
7. Focus on doing your best, not someone else's. Everyone becomes a small fish in a big pond in college. It can be so easy to compare yourself to others and begin to experience self-doubt, wondering if your accomplishments are good enough. This mentality will only paralyze you and prevent you from reaching your fullest potential. Focus on doing your best, and being the best version of yourself, instead of comparing yourself to other people. 
8.  Spend time outside. College dorms can be pretty dreary (no matter how Pinterest-worthy). Be sure to get some fresh air for at least half an hour every day. Being outdoors can help you feel less cooped up, and it can help you escape the stresses of your dorm room (i.e. that pile of unfinished problem sets due tomorrow). 
9.  Explore your area. Whether you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere or you're living in the heart of an urban area, use your first semester to explore your college town.  Scope out the best local restaurants, find the best shopping in your area, and explore some historical landmarks. Better yet, do it all with a new college friend!
10. Make self-care a priority. One of my best freshman year memories was spending an afternoon at the spa, followed by a five course Italian meal with one of my good friends after one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I'm not saying you have to go all out on spa treatments and fancy food every time you feel stressed, but make self care a priority. Exercise every day. Take walks. Extend your shower by a few minutes once a week (the Earth will forgive you). Take care of your mind and body. As important as school may be, your personal health is much more permanent.