When it rains on the Hill, it pours. (At least today it did.) If you’ve ever wanted to own a pair of rain boots, I’d have to say that college is the best time of your life to do so. Unlike at a typical high school, you’ll have to do a lot of walking outside to get from place to place and class to class, and rain boots can be a very fun way to dress for the weather and stay dry.

Of course, rain boots aren’t the only fun things you should think about bringing to college. A big part of being successful in college is being able to find a balance between work and play. There are plenty of things you can bring to help you meet new people and make McDaniel seem more like home.

Board games are an obvious thing you might want to bring. They’re perfect for when you have free time on a rainy day like today or for when you want to have some low-key fun on the weekends. I highly recommend bringing Apples to Apples or finding someone who has it. Not only is it a lot of fun and full of laughs, but it’s a great way to help you get to know people. I was also recently introduced to a really silly and quick card game called We Didn’t Playtest This at All.

You’ll probably also want to bring some of your favorite movies, be they DVDs or your copy of The Lion King that you still have on videocassette. (Don’t forget to bring your VCR if you go that route though.) Watching movies by yourself can be a great way to unwind, but consider adding to the fun by inviting your friends to watch with you!

Likewise, some of your favorite books are also a great thing to take with you to college. Don’t be shy to bring some favorite picture books along too. You’d be surprised by how much fun it can be to do a reading of a picture book in a college dorm. Though not actually a children’s book, I did a read-aloud of the hilarious and illustrated All My Friends Are Dead at the beginning of my freshman year last year. Ironically enough, reading this book helped me make friends.

If you’re into crafts, bring your craft supplies and invite your friends to craft with you! Construction paper, for example, is not only great for class projects but you can use it to make signs, posters, cards, and even paper chains. It’s actually something I use all the time, and last week, I made paper snowflake-type things to decorate the area next to my suite’s common room. Also, one of my favorite ways to exercise my creative side is to get magazines from the Free Stuff Shelf by our campus post office and make collages for my dorm room. Don’t forget to bring markers or colored pencils—they’ll also come in handy. You might even want to consider bringing a coloring book or two. Believe it or not, there are plenty of college students who enjoy coloring.

You may not want to do this when it rains, but if you like being outdoors, bring a beach ball, a football, or a Frisbee to toss around. You’ll definitely want friends for these activities! Also, picnic blankets are a must for lounging around outside or even doing homework outdoors. They’re also great to have for the outdoor movie screenings we have on campus a couple times a year.

Bring pretty much whatever you think is fun, so long as it’s easy to fit in a shared space, harmless, and is not against the rules of course! For example, I added some fun to my freezer this year by buying a fish-shaped ice cube tray from IKEA and getting some popsicle molds, which makes it fun to get some fruit juice into my system. (I also want to try making iced coffee popsicles at some point.) However, this year’s award for the most random fun thing I brought to college with me this year goes to my disco ball, which hangs proudly in my suite’s common room.

It will be your college experience. Make it fun!