The Things that Go Missing (and Ways to Recover Them)

In light of my recently missing wallet, which had, of course, the most sentimental of all things in it, I have decided to make a post about the things that go missing quite often in our blundering college lives… and hopefully tips that tell you how not to lose these very important things.

1)      Attach it

I’ve managed to retain my OneCard and keys (and other somewhat essential items) for the past three months that I’ve been at Mount Holyoke, which, for me, is quite astounding and more than a little bit out of the norm.  I haven’t put them together, or on a lanyard, or anything of the sort, which probably foreshadows impending fees (knock on wood) in my next few years here. For all you forgetful peeps out there, it might be a good idea to always have these assorted little things on your body at all times (pockets, preferably with zippers, are ideal), or otherwise attached to your backpack and/or other essential items (it doesn’t have to be on a lanyard, or even visible!). Should you happen to lose it, ask around and go to the info desk (because chances are, people around here are not very likely to keep your OneCard).

image credit to CileSuns92 on flickr.com

2)      Clean your room

For most of my things that supposedly go missing and irrevocably gone forever, they inevitably turn up at the end of my “clutter-period” when I finally can’t stand the state of my third of the room and have to clean up. In the past I’ve discovered month-lost iPods, old headphones, lip balm, shirts, and various other items that I have “temporarily placed” on my bed, forgot about, and therefore dumped under my bed unknowingly in my sleep. Check under that pile of clothes on the ground. Maybe it’s in that box of things you could care less about at the moment. Should you lose something, it might be a good idea to scour your room first. No guarantees, but you might be surprised at what you dig up. (Or you could just become a neat person, though that is much harder to accomplish.)

image credit to puukibeach on flickr.com

3)      Always look back

On the bus? Subway? Leaving a classroom? It’s a good idea to always have that one last scan of the area you were just occupying for items you might have taken out and forgotten to pick back up. This seems especially true for hats, as I’ve been seeing an assortments of toques and beanies on the floors of classrooms. It might be relatively safe on campus compared to the exterior of the Mount Holyoke bubble, but it’s very unlikely to find anything, ever, should you happen to leave it on public transit.

There you have it, folks! Though I can’t vouch for the validity of these tips since I can’t find my wallet with a Very Important Thing in it (that I can’t specify in fear of outing myself should my parents see this post, but I suspect some of you get the gist, hmm?), I hope these tips become habits that will save you some stress and time and money in the long run!