Realizing you overpacked—by 6 suitcases.
REALIZING YOU OVERPACKED—BY 6 SUITCASES.
Follow for more Dorm Life Chronicles!
That first move-in day. The air thick with anticipation, nervous energy, and the faint scent of fresh paint. We arrived, not just with dreams, but with an arsenal of "essentials" for this new chapter. For many of us, that arsenal included an absurd number of bags. Six suitcases? Try eight, plus a bike, a guitar, and a complete set of everything you owned since childhood.
The horror of unzipping the fourth meticulously packed suitcase, only to realize you still had two more, plus boxes, and literally nowhere to put anything in that suddenly shrinking dorm room. The quiet panic. The shared, knowing glances with your new roommate, whose single duffel bag now seemed profoundly, annoyingly wise. It was a universal rite of passage, wasn't it? The belief that you needed every textbook ever published, every possible outfit for every conceivable social scenario, and enough snacks to last a semester.
We thought we needed to be prepared for every intellectual challenge, every formal event, every impromptu late-night study session. Our suitcases were not just filled with clothes and books; they were overflowing with ambition, a touch of naivety, and the sheer desire to conquer this new world.
Looking back, it’s not just a funny anecdote about youthful exuberance. It’s a subtle lesson learned right at the start. The excessive stuff quickly gave way to shared experiences, late-night debates over cheap pizza, and the unexpected friendships that actually filled your life, far more than any perfectly packed suitcase ever could. It’s a reminder that the real Ivy League experience fits into your mind and heart, not into an overhead bin.