Move in day is crazy. You’re super excited (and maybe a little bit terrified, which is okay too!). You have to get everything you own from your car and possibly up several flights of stairs, without getting in the way of the hundreds of other students also moving in. You want to do everything as quickly and efficiently as possible, because it’s going to be a long, hot day.

I’ve got several move in days under my belt now, and I’ve learned a lot of things that I wish I had known on my first move in day as a freshman. Here they are.

1) Get there early.

Move in day is crazy. You’ve got hundreds of kids and their families all trying to move everything all at the same time. The parking lot fills up fast, and a bad spot will mean that you have to carry all of your stuff that much farther. Plus, it will be a little bit cooler in the morning. Make it a little easier on yourself, and plan to get there early.

2) Or, instead, think about when you really need to move in.

If your school offers multiple days to move in, think about when you really need to be there. A lot of students like to get to their dorm as soon as possible so that they have time to unpack and adjust. Other students like to wait until the weekend before school starts to move in. If you have the option to move in on a day that isn’t the first day possible or the weekend right before school starts, it’s likely to be a little bit less busy then.

3) Make sure that you have everything you need on you.

At my dorm, you needed your school ID to check in. You don’t want to pack the documents you need under everything else and then have to try to dig them out. Be sure that you know what you need and have it on hand.

4) Bring reinforcements.

If you can, bring along your family. It’s not embarrassing to bring your parents along–on the contrary, most everyone will. You’ll be grateful for the help because moving is a lot of work. Consider bringing your siblings or a friend if your parents can’t come. You don’t want to bring a ton of people, but an extra pair of hands or two will make unpacking easier.

5) On the other hand, don’t bring small children.

Small kids can’t be much help and end up being a nuisance. You don’t want them to be in your way or, worse, the way of other people moving in. If you have to bring small kids and you can spare an adult, have them stay away from the actual moving and go to a park or explore campus instead. They can come and see the dorm and say goodbye when you’re done moving in.

6) Use a dolly.

A lot of dorms will have these available to check out. Ask and see! If you have access to a dolly of some sort, bring it with you. It will seriously save you so much time because you can load a lot of boxes at once. Even if you have to go up stairs, a dolly will allow you to move everything from the car to the stairwell much easier.

7) Bring plenty of food and water.

If you can, put the water in a cooler so it’s nice and cold. Make sure these are easy to reach and not buried under the rest of the stuff you need to unpack. Moving is a lot of work, and you will get hot, thirsty, and hungry. Plan ahead for this and you’ll thank yourself.

8) Let your parents help you unpack.

Let’s be honest, moms are way better at making the bed than we’ll ever be. If your mom (or someone else you’ve brought with you) offers to make your bed, hang up your clothes, or anything else, let her! She wants to spoil you for the last time in a long time, and it’ll save you work. You can always move things later if you don’t like where they were put.

9) Don’t rush your parents out.

You might want to dive right into your new college life, but let your parents hang out as long as they want. If they offer to take you to dinner, do it! You’ll have time to meet your hall later, but your parents are only here for a little while. Plus, they’re going to miss you, and whether you think so or not, you’ll probably miss them. Take advantage of the time you have together on move in day.

10) Unpack your essentials first.

If you’ve read my packing post, you know to set these aside. Unpack the things you’re going to need right away, like hygiene items. You can unpack the rest of your things over the next several days if you need to, but you’re going to want your toothbrush that night.

11) Save the decorating for later.

I know you want your dorm to look as cute as possible (and, let’s face it, decorating is way more fun than unpacking boxes), but hold off on decorating until you’ve gotten everything unpacked. You may not have as much room for decor as you thought, or you may end up rearranging your room once you see how everything fits. It’s best to hold off on decorating until you’ve done everything else.

12) Make sure you do everything you need to check in.

At my dorm, you had to fill out a damage report of the condition of your dorm before you moved in. You can’t get your mail or bedroom keys until you did this. Yet, it often falls to the wayside. Make sure you’re completely checked in before the day is over so that you don’t forget about it later.

13) Go grocery shopping.

If you didn’t bring any food with you, make sure that you do some grocery shopping as soon as possible. Even if you have a meal plan, you’re going to want some snacks. Plus, sometimes the cafeteria doesn’t open until school officially starts. Make sure you get yourself some food before the hustle and bustle of orientation or other activities start. This also gives you a chance to pick up anything else that you might have forgotten.