About the Author:
Prachi Joshi is a rising senior at Fairfax High School located in Fairfax, VA. Among her interests in tennis, dance, and writing, Prachi also loves to keep up with the latest new technologies via blogs. Her love for all things biology helps her stay driven to update herself on the newest achievements and helps her to understand certain topics too technical for the general public. Being part of both a scientific community and general public, she is able to explain to others advanced ideas that are often considered too complex.
7 Things you Wish you Would’ve Brought to Governor’s School
It’s June 23, the night before you leave for Governor’s School, and, of course, your suitcase is empty. In fact, it’s not even open. While the checklist in the handbook lists items such as clothes, shoes, and toiletries, it omits many small, yet important items that can either make or break your month-long stay at Virginia Tech. It’s the small things, the forgotten bobby pins, the overlooked pens, the unremembered, essential pack of gum. It’s the small things that make us agonize over our predicted absent-mindedness and forgetful nature.
That being said, there are many resources that can help a future Governor’s School-goer remember to pack all the small items that go unnoticed. But instead of roaming aimlessly around the internet for hours, looking for a comprehensive list that will fulfill your every need, just read this one. It’s short, it’s simple, and best of all, it’s written by a person who is currently at Governor’s School and who has most definitely lived through the agony of forgotten items.
Remember to bring:
1. More Hangers
Unlike ordinary, mundane college campuses, Virginia Tech does not house multiple drawers for students to place their neatly folded outfits. Instead, a daunting 3-foot rod made for hangers is located in the closet, accompanied by a set of three drawers that hold daily essentials. To avoid the catastrophe that I experienced when I realized that my clothes would not fit in said drawers, bring plenty of hangers, probably around 10-15.
2. Extension Cord
Most dorms have a layout for furniture that is well-thought out, with a consideration of where the outlets are placed. However, if you end up with a room like mine, that has an outlet squished in the 3-inch area in between the wall and my bed, an extension cord might come in handy. One that has 3-4 outlets will be enough to plug in phone chargers, laptop chargers, fairy lights, and whatever else your heart may desire.
3. Closed Toe Shoes
One forgotten, but crucial rule at Governor’s School is the one that requires all students to be wearing closed-toed shoes at all times. Being a flip-flop lover myself, I found this rule to be disheartening, but I eventually found my way around it by donning flats, sneakers, and sandals that have good soles.
4. Multiple Pairs of Business Casual/Professional Clothes
The chart in the handbook lists the different occasions that you will need to be dressed
professionally or in business casual. In total, 5 outfits need to be professional, and 1 outfit must be business casual. To make sure that you are not dress coded, make sure to strictly follow the guidelines the handbook suggests for these categories.
5. Anything that Helps your Hair not get Frizzy
Having long, curly hair is usually okay, but not in the summer, and definitely not in Virginia’s summer. I speak from experience when I say, if you have hair that has any sort of volume, it will become frizzy. Simple solutions to this problem include anti-frizz serum, oils, or any other elaborate hair care routine that works for you.
6. Board Games & Cards
Although us Governor’s school students are subjected to an exhausting 8 hours of eating and learning, the extra 16 hours are left for free time. In that time, many students partake in outside activities like bowling, volleyball, badminton, walking, and more. But if you enjoy AC more than bugs, make sure to bring in a sufficient amount of board games to play with your suitemates.
7. Speaker
In the slight chance that you did not follow my advice and bring a sufficient amount of board games, or just that you would rather have a party, make sure to bring quality speakers that can resonate throughout a room. With it, be ready to feel at the beach when you’re playing volleyball, and get ready to have a ridiculously fun dance party with your friends.
This list provides the seven most important items that you will need during your stay at Virginia Tech. Many will argue that the weekly trips to Walmart should be sufficient in obtaining all of these items, but I encourage you to remember, that you are not yet an independent individual who has their own banking account. Remembering to bring these items will help avoid that long lecture awaiting you back at home, concerning the $100 bill you racked up from Walmart. This list, of course, does not include all items that
are essential yet forgotten, but instead serves as an account of what a Governor’s School-goer misses from her home.
Governor's School for Agriculture 