So your dining room/spare bedroom/hallway is packed to the gills with everything for your dorm room-from bedding and towels to irons and trash cans.  Your mom is trying to get you to purge your closet before you move to HPU and your dad is asking pointed questions (at least to the girls) as to why a person needs nine decorative pillows on a single bed.  You’re counting down the days until move in (that would be fifteen) and trying to figure out if you can fit your entire stereo system, plus subwoofer into your dorm room.

Pretty soon you’re going to have to start packing your clothes and you’re not quite sure what you’ll need.  Perhaps you’re from Connecticut, where it gets cold-ish right after Labor Day.  That’s not quuuuite how things happen here, so allow me to help you out a bit.

North Carolina Weather Lessons:

1. You’ll hear that we have all four seasons in North Carolina. That’s true, but it’s more like buy 3, get the 4^th free. Because that 4^th one, winter, might only last for a month or so. The upside of this is that if it snows a teeny tiny bit, a lot of things close and school gets cancelled!

2. The average temperature for move-in day is 87 degrees. Add about 176% humidity and you’re left with frizzy hair and sweaty t-shirts. But don’t worry, everyone else will look like that too! Plus every building on campus is equipped with serious air conditioning systems. 

3. You can wear flip flops until November (especially if you’re coming to us from up north or anywhere that lacks humidity).

4. That down parka with a fuzzy hood? You definitely won’t need that until at least Thanksgiving, or maybe Valentine’s Day.

5. A couple of our Admissions Counselors grew up in Maine and they tell me you can always tell the difference between a Northerner and Southerner by a person’s walking speed. Northerners, I’m told, walk very fast with their heads down, because it’s COLD and they’re trying to protect their necks and faces while moving from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. We Southerners however, we like to take things sloooooow. Most of the time it’s warm, so we enjoy the scenery, stop to chat with whoever we might happen upon as we meander our way from Point A to Point B.

6. If you’re from out west, you might be used to carrying a light jacket or sweater for when the sun goes down. That won’t be necessary here. The humidity in the air is like a warm blanket from the moment you step outside, no matter what time of day!

SUMMER QUIZ: Exercise your mind!

What do the hat and sled in this picture have in common?

 In the South, we call them both “toboggans.”  This picture also illustrates what it might look like outside should you try to sled. So while you probably won’t have much need for either the hat or the sled, the Southern name for a knit ski hat is sure to cause some good banter.

I hope these tips will help you prepare for your move to North Carolina.  We’re looking forward to having you!

Well, my friends, I am here to help.  I moved to college six years ago and while working at High Point University, I have seen LOTS of other students move to college as well.  You might even call me a College Packing Expert! … Or something like that…

 I’ve divided this list into a few parts: Must Haves, Electronics, Things to Buy After Move-In (because your car will be WAY more jam-packed than you expect), and Some Extras.  I left out most clothes and the obvious hair/face/beauty products.  If you’ve thought of more goodies than I have, please feel free to leave suggestions in the Comments section!

 **Come back soon for some guidelines about seasons in North Carolina’s southern oasis that will help you know what to pack for when!

 Must Haves:

• Bedding: Mattress pad, pillows, sheets & pillowcases, comforter (sizes vary based on dorm)
• Bath towels & washcloths
• Hangers
• Cooking stuff: bowls, plates, cups, silver/plastic ware, microwavable dishes/containers (you’ll just want a couple of each because if you have too many they pile up all dirty and gross and smelly-just trust me on this; or maybe just get paper products!), can opener
• If you live in a dorm with a kitchen: Dish towels, pots & pans, cooking utensils
• Alarm clock (don’t just trust your cell phone!)
• Cell phone & charger
• Surge Protector or two
• First aid kit (most stores like Wal-Mart & Target carry basic first aid kits, but you might want to add: cold medicine, Vitamins, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc)
• Deodorant (This is the SOUTH. Make friends with the humidity- and other students- by wearing deodorant daily!)
• Toothbrush
• Toiletry Caddy-if you live in a dorm with a hall bath
• Garbage can or two (think one for the bathroom with garbage bags and one for paper etc to be near your desk)
• Laundry basket/bag
• Backpack, shoulder bag, large cute oversize purse, man bag-whichever you prefer!
• Insurance Card-if you’re still covered by your family’s insurance, make sure you have a copy of the card
• Umbrella & waterproof jacket
• Key Chain-Check out HPU’s Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore for the HPU keychain/cardholder. This thing will be your lifeline at school because your HPU Passport card gets you into your dorm, into buildings after hours, is swiped to pay for your meals, etc. You’ll want to have it with you at all times and of course you’ll want your key to get into your room!

 Things to Buy After Move-In: (Wal-Mart & Target are both located 5-10 minutes from campus!)

• Paper towels
• Batteries
• Dish soap
• Printer paper
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Bath soap
• Razors
• Face wash
• Laundry detergent (no quarters needed; at HPU, laundry is FREE!)
• Gentlemen: FEBREZE (C’mon, we know you won’t do laundry as often as you should, so Febreze is a staple!)
• Tide Stain Stick
• Toothpaste, floss, mouth wash
• Ziploc bags-SO multi-functional
• Cleaning supplies-All-purpose cleaner, Lysol/Clorox wipes (great for cleaning bathroom countertops!), garbage bags, etc
• School supplies: binders, notebooks or notebook paper, pens & pencils, dividers, tape, stapler & staples, highlighters, post-it notes, scissors, ruler, white out (Sometimes it’s helpful to wait for your class syllabus to see what you will need for each class. Stock up on the basics while your parents are around and purchase specifics later.)

Electronics:

• Computer (there are several computer labs on campus, so your own computer is not necessary, though many students find it rather helpful. You can have a Mac or PC and no matter where you buy your computer, our IT department is always there for tech support. You can also receive discounts when purchasing from HP or Apple.)
• Printer (but remember, you can always print in the computer labs for FREE!)
• Desk lamp
• Calculator-Remember how your high school math teacher told you not to lose that $100 graphing calculator? She was right.
• Flash/jump/thumb drive-especially useful for printing at the library or storing presentations for class
• Mini fridge & microwave-but check your dorm first; many HPU dorms come equipped with these already. You also might want to coordinate with your roommate so you don’t end up with two of each!

Some Extras (things you might want, but don’t necessarily need):

• Extra throw blanket
• Pool towel
• Bed risers
• Fan (all of our dorms are air conditioned and many have ceiling fans, but you might want it to block out noise or for a lovely breeze while you dream!)
• Flashlight
• Bulletin board
• Photos from home
• Small sewing kit (buttons fall off; trust me, it happens)
• Tool kit (mine was pink, and AWESOME)
• Extension cords
• Robe-especially for those with hall bathrooms!

 Again, if you have other suggestions, please leave them in the comments section!  Good luck packing!

Gavin DeGraw at HPU!

The end is near!  While you’re wrapping up your school year (or maybe even your high school career), I thought I’d give you a few highlights of the end of High Point University’s school year!

Classes officially ended on April 30th and we believe another successful year at High Point University is a great reason to celebrate!  So each year, we throw PANTHERPALOOZA, one very large celebration complete with inflatable games, hot air balloon rides and tons of food and ice cream from local restaurants.

Ohhhh, and not to mention the much-anticipated GAVIN DEGRAW concert!  As I mentioned in my previous post, Dulce Winders, an incoming freshman with the Class of 2013, was our ticket contest winner.  She brought a friend, made several more and was thoroughly convinced once again that HPU is the place to be!

Hot Air Balloon!

Dulce & Kelly getting ready to meet Gavin!

Joe Jones (of EPIC Leadership) & me ready to enjoy the show

Gavin rockin' the house from High Point University's stage

A few days later exams began and before we knew it, it was time for 2009 Commencement!  Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin was the featured speaker and Challenger the Bald Eagle flew over an awestruck crowd!

Buzz Aldrin

2009 Commencement view from the clock tower

Challenger -- AMAZING!

We’re getting closer each day to welcoming our next class to High Point University.  The Class of 2013 will be our largest class ever and we can’t wait for them to join us on our extraordinary journey!