Bethany Perry and Myla Laws
With the Missouri Scholars Academy spanning over a three week period in which you can’t go home, knowing what to pack is essential. Many scholars find themselves having to order from Amazon or request things from their parents. While a packing list can be found on the Missouri Scholars website this can be hard to find and lacking some key items. To further prepare future scholars, we interviewed students, RA’s, and returning facility to see what items are a must and what items are often forgotten.
When talking to RA’s Sofia and Jordyn, both of them thought some of the most important things to bring were your own shampoo, conditioner and a towel. While MSA provides towels, these are small, scratchy and overall ineffective. Sara also talked about the importance of bringing a good backpack or bag to carry the necessary school supplies. Kayla and Caeley, scholars at MSA, thought the most important thing to bring was a watch. Due to the strict phone policy, you can not have phones off your assigned floor and during classes and activities the only way to constantly know the time is a watch. Another common answer was a water bottle, as the camp takes place in the middle of June and can be very hot. On top of the hot weather, scholars and faculty have to walk long distances multiple times daily. Water is necessary to stay healthy and safe. Kayla also said comfortable walking shoes, the long walks to and from classes and activities are constant, and the wrong shoes can make them seem five times as long.
After a week in, scholars and faculty are now knowing what they wished they brought. Jordyn wished as a scholar she had brought a journal to write down everything she did . She also recommends bringing your own bedding and pillow even though they are provided. She says that the bedding can just make you more comfortable and feel more at home. Kayla already is wishing for more snacks. The Mark is open three times a day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a nightly snack at 9, but any other time you are hungry you have to fend for yourself. A common thing that many scholars forgot was hangers.
Packing is also very crucial. When we asked Sara, she said to think hard about your daily routine and pack everything you use. Jordyn said to not worry about over packing because there is plenty of space in the dorm for everything! Caeley mentioned that you should bring your own towel and lots of soap such as shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Overall, you probably will not overpack so bring everything you need to feel comfortable.
The academy schedule is busy but there is some downtime and our personal favorite way to spend that time is to play games. The packing list does have bringing games as optional, but we think you should definitely bring games. It is a great way to bond and get to know other scholars. While interviewing we collected a list of everyone's favorite games to play- the list includes a simple deck of cards, these can be used for so many games including BS, slap jack, poker, go fish, spoons and many more. Apples to Apples is a huge hit here, there is a box from 2006 in the lobby but if you want a more recent game where you actually know the people then I’d suggest bringing your own. Cards against Humanity, Skip Bo, Phase 10, pretty much any card game is a safe bet to bring.
The laundry system is not pleasant at Mark Twain so we recommend bringing plenty of clothes. Jordyn and Caeley wished they brought nicer clothes instead of primarily athleisure. Sara said to bring open toed shoes as well as shoes that can get dirty during community service. Kayla added that you should bring tennis shoes because there is a lot of walking and MSA has morning runs you may want to go on. We suggest bringing all kinds of clothing because you will need it all!
-a look into the dorm set up in Mark Twain
Last but not least, we talked to Doc Holiday, the campus therapist. He said that a major part of attending MSA is your mental state. According to him you should bring openness- to be open in your heart and mind but also to new experiences and maybe even feeling a bit inept. MSA is a place where you need to bring a positive attitude. But there are things that you should not bring here as well he said, these include preconceived ideas, judgements, prejudices, and a fear of failure.
All together pack everything you feel you need and then some.
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