With the first week of classes quickly approaching, UC Berkeley students start to trickle back to campus in the hopes of adjusting to a new year at UC Berkeley. Moving in can be stressful: After all, forgetting your favorite crop top at home could tank your social status for an entire semester. Trust us, we know. But never fear — we at the Clog have got your back. These five necessities are all you need to find your groove this semester.
1. Shower shoes
While some people find this completely unnecessary, we can guarantee that nobody else on this planet wants a piece of that nasty foot fungus that has been festering in your toes for the past six months. Shower shoes are like a mattress protector for your feet — just do it.
2. Sleeping bag
You might think you’re OK now, but just wait until your roommate sexiles you for all eternity and you need to crash on the floor of whichever floormate hates you the least. If this isn’t convincing enough, think about your buddies from home who will need a place to crash when they come visit you, and let’s be real: They sure as hell aren’t getting your bed.
3. Rain jacket
While it may not rain often here in Berkeley, on the rare occasion that it does, let it be known that the campus will not be canceling classes. This ain’t no snow day, so you better be willing and able to go about your day rain or shine. That means a rain jacket might come in handy, as might an umbrella, poncho, pair of shiny rain boots, water-repelling backpack sleeve or whatever else you have.
4. Tea kettle
Pro tip: Tea kettles heat water like no other. It doesn’t matter if you’re going for a steamy cup of tea or perhaps even want to speed up the boiling process for that pot of spaghetti you plan to make for dinner. Heat water to throw in the faces of your enemies, heat water for a soothing steam bath, heat water to soak your feet in after another exhausting run-in with the campus police — the options are endless!
5. Duct tape 
While the utility of duct tape is hardly unknown, most people completely fail at taking full advantage of its insane handiness. Pop a hole in your pants while popping and locking it during Welcome Week? Tear the cover off your physics book amid a first-day-of-class panic? Need a makeshift coffee carafe for those pesky 8 a.m. classes? Duct tape is here to help.
Image sources: Arya Aliabadi/file, jespahjoy, Ark PP, dalioPhoto, Vélocia, Clint Lalonde under Creative Commons.
