Welcome to one of the most eagerly anticipated, exciting, and anxiety producing days of your college experience. The car, or in some cases, van and trailer, are packed. Final good-byes have been said. Now it is time to head to your new home on campus.

Before you tape up that last box or decide that a few more items really won't take up that much more room, let us offer you a few insights as to how you can best prepare yourself for move-in day.

The most important thing new students need to do is talk to their roommate(s) before starting to pack. Our rooms, nice though they are, are not big enough for two people to fit the entire contents of their rooms at home and expect to have any space left to move around in. You will only need one stereo, one refrigerator, one coffee maker, etc. You may, however, bring as many lamps and alarm clocks as you want.

In order to provide as safe an environment as possible, College policy states that certain items are not permitted in students' rooms. These include microwaves, toaster ovens, hot plates, candles, incense, futons, bean bag chairs, seven-foot tall stuffed animals, etc. Students will be required to remove them and will be put on notice that they may lose their on-campus housing assignment should they be found in violation of this policy again.

The only pets allowed in residence halls are those that live underwater 100 percent of the time and can fit into a small aquarium. Please understand that we really love pets - dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, snakes (well, maybe not snakes) - but experience tells us they'll be much happier back home.

All the information you'll need to prepare for your arrival can be found in your copy of The Terms and Condition of the Residence Hall Contract. Be sure you have read this document prior to signing it and refer to it often while you're packing.

An unfortunate fact of life is that on opening day, there is no time to arrive when you can avoid traffic congestion. The halls open at 9 a.m. Arriving at 8 a.m. will not get you checked in any earlier. Our heaviest traffic times are usually from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Remember: the less you bring, the faster your check-in will be.

Residential Life staff will be available to direct traffic, check you in, and provide any assistance you may need. Staff from other campus offices will also be available to answer questions and help make your arrival as smooth as possible.

You may want to coordinate your arrival time with your roommate. This will give you the opportunity to help each other move in and have someone to hang out with until the other members of your floor arrive.

If you cannot get to campus on Saturday, August 23, you may check in on Sunday, August 24, starting at 9 a.m.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. We look forward to making your move an easy and enjoyable experience.