What was the most important thing you brought to move-in?
As a new school year starts on Grounds, we asked you: What was the most important thing you brought to move-in? And what did you bring and end up not needing at all?
By far the most-mentioned item, from the 1960s to the 2000s, was a fan.
Kristin Powell (Col class of ’92) wrote: “A big fan! (Not my mom, though she helped me move in; an actual fan.) Fans were a must when I moved into the top floor of Watson at the end of the hot East Coast summer of 1988. Didn’t need my own sheets, since the laundry service was super convenient! ”
Taylor Lillard (Col class of ’04) wrote: “Most important thing: A FAN. (There were no air conditioners in old dorms.) Ended up not needing so many snacks (not enough space in my single room, and my mom packed WAY too many)!”
“Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning salt. As a homesick girl from Louisiana/Texas, I couldn’t have survived first year without it.”—Michelle Jones Coles (Col class of ’02)
“An air conditioner was our most important item in married housing; totally didn’t need the sofa.” —Anna Burnley (Grad class of ’89)
“The most important things that I moved in with were an air purifier and a dehumidifier. The dorms could be so dusty and humid, and those two machines were absolute lifesavers.” —Jordyn Anthony (Engr class of ’24)
“Arriving from the West Coast, I didn’t come to UVA with a great deal of personal items. I certainly needed shorts and T-shirts for that hot and humid weather! I didn’t need all the books from undergrad that I shipped by train to Charlottesville.” —Pete Fontaine (Grad class of ’90)
“The most important thing I brought was a storage block for my roommate’s and my mini fridge. It held so much stuff and made breakfast in the dorm really easy! I brought but never wore rain boots for rainy days.” —Abigail Gruener (Col class of ’25)
“I brought a basic tool set: hammer, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, wrench, measuring tape, etc. It came in a pink case and was a graduation gift from a family friend. Before the end of move-in weekend, every single one of my New Dorms suitemates had used it to set up their rooms! (I did not need all the clothes I brought with me—I definitely overpacked.)” —Sarah Morrow Cerniglia (Col class of ’03)
“A mesh shower caddy was so important. Needed a desk lamp too.”—Kimberly Liu (Col class of ’26)
“I packed the morning of move-in (not recommended), so I had less than I needed. But the most important thing I brought was definitely a mattress topper.” —Halle Barredo (Col class of ’25)
Several alumni from the 1960s and early 1970s mentioned bringing coats and ties. Charlie Lorber (Com class of ’66) wrote: “My most important items were ties and jackets, something I never wore until coming to UVA in 1962.” (On the flip side, Lorber noted that he did not need his bowling ball.)
When John F. Cushman Jr. (Col class of ’72) arrived in September 1968, he said, “My parents and I had the coats and ties but not the dress shirts. Fortunately, my roommate (best friend in high school) had not arrived. His father, a respected local Baptist minister, and my next-door neighbor, a retired Marine major, broke into the family house, secured the shirts, and brought them to me.” However, “after the semester break, I returned with long hair, Levis, and boots. I also de-pledged my fraternity. I am happy to report that this sudden change had no adverse implications for my years at UVA.”
“A Smith Corona electric typewriter. I came from South Florida by plane—I needed everything I brought. My roommate from Northern Virginia brought the stereo.” —Cobie Whitten (Col class of ’80)
“My record player and records. I didn’t need all the records because I bought new ones.” —Sandy Lee-Muzik (Educ class of ’75)
“Most important was a stereo and good speakers.” —Carolyn Schoen Predmore (Col class of ’74)
“Not needed: In the words of the Yellow Journal that year, I brought my R.E.M. tapes since no one else would have them.” —Tim Jarrett (Col class of ’94)
“Cinder blocks to raise my bed for underneath storage! I ended up not needing that water-boiling thing to cook noodles in and such. The first-year meal plan and Bonnycastle basement were more than enough!” —Brooke Van Rensselaer (Educ class of ’02)
“I brought a footlocker and a suitcase. That’s it. There was nothing I didn’t need. It was a different time.” —Ken Lambert (Col class of ’73)
