‘Twas the night before move-in day, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring- except for you, frantically running around and throwing every article of clothing and bath product you own, a picture of your second grade class and your dog into your already oversized suitcase because you procrastinated packing until today.

Move-in day is a rite of passage for every college student. It’s a frantic, chaotic mess of rowdy upperclassmen running you over with carts out of excitement, nervous and sweaty freshmen lugging 90 pound suitcases around in 95% humidity and dads becoming instant BFFs due to their mutual love of saying, “Hi hungry, I’m dad!”

You’re probably a little overwhelmed/excited/hysterical about the year to come, and move-in day is a fitting test for your ability to juggle a million things at once. You’ll be tasked with meeting your roommate, meeting your roommate’s extended family as they harshly judge you and deem you unworthy of their precious offspring, unpacking your endless belongings in a tiny rectangular room while 5 other people in the same tiny rectangle are attempting to do the same thing and preparing to say goodbye to your parents. We know this process can be a little overwhelming, so we’ve prepared you a handy list of Dos and Don’ts to help you navigate what’s sure to be a herculean task:

DO: If your mom wants to make your bed, fold your underwear, or otherwise profoundly embarrass you, let her. No one will notice, and you will be wishing you had your mom to make your bed in about 3 months when you’re sleeping atop a pile of dirty clothes and Epi water bottles.

DON’T: Let your dad bring a giant, unnecessary supply of school supplies into your room, especially pencil sharpeners. He will open the pencil sharpener all over your floor, and you will still be finding pencil shavings embedded in your carpet when you wake up face-down at 4pm on Georgetown Day.

DO: Be nice to your roommate and your roommate’s family, and be considerate during the unpacking process. Nothing says “I’m going to be a generally terrible person to live with!” like taking up the entire room with your 5 suitcases while your roommate has to awkwardly stand in the hallway.

DON’T: Worry too much about impressing anyone on the first day. Everyone is just as stressed out as you are, and no one is paying too much attention to what you or your parents are doing. You’ll have trouble recalling who you met on move-in day and who you met at your first Brown House party by the end of October.

DO: Give your family a huge hug, don’t be afraid to be yourself in your new environment, and get ready for an amazing first year at Georgetown. We can’t wait to meet you!

Photos/GIFs: tumblr.com, buzzfeed.com