Being Prepared While at College

You never know what can happen at college. You may have your list of things you want to bring and then things you need to bring such as snacks, but you also need to be prepared and try to anticipate other events that may happen.

I speak from experience…when I was staying in the college dorms and apartments, there were two separate occasions where bad weather happened and there were travel restrictions. And the college apartments lost electricity…and this happened in cold winter months. That meant no cooking in the college apartment, no light to do homework, uncharged phones and computers, and it was really, really cold. Remember the travel restrictions I mentioned? That meant that none of us could go home. Luckily there was minimal emergency power and lights in the apartments main hallway which meant a lot of people huddling to charge phones and laptops, but this went on for almost one miserable week.

Of course, my example was an extreme real life example and what may happen to you may just be a minor power outage. However, always have extra blankets, snacks and food that don’t need to be refrigerated, and extra batteries and flashlights/battery powered lanterns easily available. It is an even better idea to have flashlights around that don’t require batteries- they just need to be wound up to charge. Most importantly, don’t hide these things away in an area that you’re going to forget later where you put them! Maybe have a designated spot in your closet or under your bed for these items. You don’t want to have to hunt for them when you really need them only to finally find them on move out day at the end of the school year! Also, have a good attitude through it all- after all, it is happening to everyone in your dorms. Who knows- maybe you’ll make a new friend while you’re both huddling in the dorm hall doing homework while wrapped up blankets!

I hope this never happens to any of you, but it might and it’s always good to be prepared for it!