Know before you go: Some NJ advice for freshmen move-in day

📦Advice on when to arrive on move-in day, regardless of school

📦Must-haves items often forgotten

📦Freshmen move-in dates for various NJ schools

EWING — A resurgence of pumpkin spice drinks, the sun is setting a little sooner and teases of fall-like weather — all signs for students to head back to the classroom.

The College of New Jersey is welcoming a little over 1,300 freshmen before the week is through, according to Director of Residential Education & Housing Tina Tormey. The pandemic introduced what's now the new normal for their move-in day: the drop-and-go format with an assigned three-hour slot.

"The nice thing is that you don't have a building with 500 students and then their family or their support team who's helping them move in on a 90-degree day fighting over elevator space," Tormey said.

Schools across the country used this method during the pandemic-era, but Tormey's uncertain how many schools use it to this day.

Her golden rule for a seamless move-in process, regardless of where you or your child go to school, is to be strategic about what you're packing and how you're unloading everything. If the bulky stuff gets situated first, it's easier to figure out smaller product placement with the remaining floor plan.

Don’t deviate from the school’s email or posted instructions when it comes to the unpacking process. Usually showing up earlier than the recommended time only increases wait times.

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Less is often better for the initial room setup, and don’t overprepare for day one. "Students don't know yet how to anticipate how they're going to use their room or their space. They may still be in conversations with their roommate about how they want to set up their room," Tormey said.

Must-have things often overlooked:

• first-aid kit
• pain relief medicine
• cold medicine
• chargers
• cleaning products
• shower flip flops

Some New Jersey freshmen move-in dates:

• TCNJ through August 21
• Rutgers University August 27, 28
• Rider University early arrival move-in is August 28, new student move-in is August 31
• Princeton University August 23
• Montclair State University August 26 to August 28
• Stockton University website says to check Stockton email account

"I always joke that sharing a room in college is kind of like preparation for marriage. You have to negotiate shared spaces and expectations and communication. At least now you can do it with someone that you're not creating a life commitment for. This can be a practice round,” Tormey said.

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