Preparing for College by Hala K. '29

As a pre-frosh, excited and stressed for my first year at MIT, I often looked to the blogs for advice. Every question I had seemed to have an answer, thanks to the sheer number of blogs out there and the diverse group of bloggers writing them – diverse in experiences, class years, majors, dorms, clubs, etc.

But there was one thing I couldn’t seem to find anyone writing about: how stressful the last few weeks before moving in for your first year are. The only group of students completely unrepresented on the blogs is pre-frosh, which means there is no one to write in real time about all the decisions you make and forms you fill out.

I was reminded of this last weekend when a close friend of mine from home was ranting to me about how worried she is about starting her first semester: “Should I take government or a writing seminar?” ⁠01 as you may guess, she isn't attending MIT , “How easy is move in?”, and most importantly, “Am I the only one that feels like this?”

I remembered that about a year ago today, I actually wrote a blog about exactly this. So, if you’re feeling frustrated or worried, hear directly from pre-frosh Hala about her experience with it all:

I have a month two weeks until I leave for college. And while the average incoming freshman might tell you they’re stressed out about everything they still need to do – I’m not.

And that’s exactly the problem.

I do have a lot to do, I’m just not stressed about it. I’ve entered this emotional purgatory, where I’m fully aware that time is flying, and yet, I’m acting like I have years to prepare. It’s a special kind of self-delusion.

So I’m here to highlight all of the things I’ve yet to do and who knows, maybe writing this blog will finally drag me back to reality.

Let’s start with housing. I’ve recently received the ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING⁠02 ended up in a double the SIZE of a triple, so life was great! news that I’ve been placed in a triple. Only 2% of McCormick rooms are triples, so what are the chances I’d be that unlucky? Well… 2%, but you know what I mean.⁠03 this math is actually incorrect looking back but whatever

Though aside from knowing the number of roommates I’ll have, I know almost nothing about my future home. What does the room look like? No clue. What size are the beds?⁠04 twin XL Couldn’t tell you. Do I need to bring my own trash can?⁠05 Not in McCormick anyways Probably, but I have yet to Google it.

What I do know is that I have big plans for my room: fairy lights, color coordination, Pinterest-board-level vibes.⁠06 this most definitely did not happen, but THIS YEAR... watch out

Have I bought anything to meet that goal? You should know by now that the answer is no.

Though I have spent hours debating between two color schemes:

• Blue and white (minimalist, peaceful, probably smells like the sea)
• Or sage green and pink (artsy, cozy, definitely owns a record player even if I don’t)

At this rate, I’ll decide by the time I’m halfway moved in. Don’t we get a whole week⁠07 YES! REX! for that anyways?

Then there’s spending time with people at home before I leave. I keep saying I need to hang out with my friends – my best friends since childhood, people who know me better than anyone. But somehow, I keep choosing to stay home and dive into the next Throne of Glass book instead. 

I even try to blame it on not having a license, but then someone offers to pick me up or make plans… and I still hesitate.

I think it’s because every hangout now feels like a last. The last time we rap Hamilton in Noor’s car. The last time I watch Maryan down a Big Gulp. The last time we yell at Jana for trying to hit high notes she is definitely incapable of hitting. The last time we go to Oyaki Sushi and order way too much off the menu. The last time we live just two minutes apart.⁠08 home for the summer as I read this and it still hits hard 🥲

So it’s not that I don’t want to see them, I do. The problem is how much more time I wish I had with them… and how bad I am at saying goodbye.

Finally, there’s the to-do list full of small but important things I keep putting off:

• Buying new clothes (because my wardrobe is still stuck in 10th grade)
• Applying for TSA PreCheck⁠09 BEST DECISION EVER.
• Getting a required vaccine I may or may not have forgotten about

Every day, I think, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” But tomorrow shows up too quickly, and the cycle repeats. My Notes app is crammed with unopened reminders, and my calendar only looks free because I stopped updating it.

Though I’ve realized that all of this is not procrastination, it’s denial. I want to be ready and I should be ready… but some part of me keeps dragging my feet.

So yes, I’m frustrated. Not with the decor, the errands, or the people I haven’t seen yet, but with the part of me that’s clinging to the comfort of avoidance. 

Because once the duvet color is picked, the bags are packed, and the goodbyes are said – then it’s real.