SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Move-in day is always exciting, and not a little bit stressful, for first-year college students. As they prepare for their new adventure at Wofford College, students have received some tips for making their move in – scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 27 – a little more fun and a lot less nerve-wracking.

“Plan, plan … and plan some more,” says Roberta Bigger, dean of students. “We suggest our first-year students – and probably upperclassmen, too – make lists before their move. They should make note of their daily routines, maybe using the ‘notes’ app on their phones, to keep up with what they use every day, so they can be sure to pack it and bring it along to campus.” 

Wofford begins fall semester classes on Monday, Sept. 1. 

Bigger and her staff in Student Affairs have some other advice for moving in for the Class of 2018: 

• Don’t over pack. Space will be limited. For clothes, for example, students should determine when they’ll make their first trek home and only bring what they’ll need before then. They can switch out things for the next season when they visit. 
• Chat with their future roommates, deciding on the needed items – TVs and small appliances, for example – and who will bring what. They don’t need duplicates. 

• Bring a clearly marked “survival kit” of items they’ll need for the first night or two, in case they’re just too tired to unpack everything. Include a change of clothes, PJs, toothbrush and paste, makeup and deodorant. Also, remember needed medications. (The staff also suggests students either make sure they have a large supply of their prescriptions or transfer them to a pharmacy near campus.)
• Energize their phones and laptops, and make sure the chargers are easily accessible, along with a small power strip or multi-plug.
• Hammer it out with a simple tool kit, including a screwdriver, removable adhesive strips and a multi-tool.
• Label it, name it and claim it, or maybe lose it. Students are reminded to label their boxes with not only what’s in them, but also with their names and their residence hall and room numbers. At Wofford, the Orientation Staff and other campus groups – such as athletics teams and teams of faculty and staff – help unload cars, vans and trailers and take boxes and furniture to the rooms, so having everything labeled makes things easier for everybody. (The staff also suggests using a unique color for markers or labels to more easily identify your items.)
• A small stash of cleaning supplies will help. While the housekeeping staff has cleaned the rooms, some students want to do their own touch-ups as well.
• Checking orientation materials for the schedule and map is essential for students to know where to go and when.
• Finally, students are advised to “eat, drink (water) and be happy,” Bigger says. “There will be lots of activities and students will enjoy them more if they’re not tired or hungry or thirsty.”

Orientation week will be filled with activities, she notes. Wednesday, Aug. 27, students will check in, move into their residence halls, attend the opening orientation session and meet with advisers.

Thursday, Aug. 28, the real orientation adventure begins when members of the class participate in The Summit at Camp Greystone in Tuxedo, N.C. There, they will swim, canoe and have all sorts of other outdoor fun while getting acquainted with each other.

Friday morning (Aug. 29) has more academic adviser meetings, followed at 2 p.m. with a Field Day Competition on the lawn of Main Building, pitting classmates against each other in everything from tug-of-war to water balloon fights.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, from 9 a.m. to noon, Summit Adventures will provide first-year students with fun, focused activities to acquaint them with their surroundings and their classmates.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, as has become tradition, the first-year class will prepare 25,000 packaged meals for families in Honduras during the Stop the Hunger Now service project. The event will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in Benjamin Johnson Arena.

In Wofford’s town-and-gown tradition, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the first-year class will meet at 6 p.m. in Leonard Auditorium in Main Building for a restaurant selection game for The Novel Experience Program, the college’s summer reading program. The students read the same book over the summer – this year, “Night Talk” by Elizabeth Cox, novelist and retired Wofford professor – then meet with their Humanities Sections in downtown restaurants to discuss the work. The exercise also gives the students an opportunity to get to know the community better and to illustrate the impact Wofford has on the surrounding area. Later in the semester, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 11 a.m., Cox will be on campus for The Novel Experience Convocation and select student essays about the novel will be published in a book given out at the event, which is free and open to the public.

Opening Convocation, the official first gathering of the campus community for the academic year, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in Leonard Auditorium. President Nayef H. Samhat will address students, faculty and staff. The event is free and open to the public.

Here is a schedule of major events for the beginning of the fall semester:

Wednesday, Aug. 27:
8:30-11 a.m. – New resident students check in and begin moving into their residence halls. (Note that Campus Drive will be one-way from North Church Street to Memorial Drive.)

Thursday, Aug. 28:
11:30 a.m. – First-year students load buses for The Summit at Camp Greystone in Tuxedo, N.C.

Friday, Aug. 29:
2 p.m. – Field Day Competition, front lawn of Main Building

Saturday, Aug. 30:
9 a.m. – First-year students participate in The Summit Adventures

Sunday, Aug. 31:
1:30-4:15 p.m. – Stop Hunger Now service project. First-year students will prepare 25,000 packaged meals for families in Honduras and other locations. Benjamin Johnson Arena.

Monday, Sept. 1:
8:30 a.m. – Fall classes begin

Tuesday, Sept. 2:
6 p.m. – The Novel Experience restaurant selection, Leonard Auditorium, Main Building

Thursday, Sept. 4:
11 a.m. – Opening Convocation, Leonard Auditorium, Main Building

Tuesday, Sept. 23:
11 a.m. – Class of 2018 Convocation: The Novel Experience, Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Novelist Elizabeth Cox will be the featured speaker. The program is free and open to the public.