College Packing 101
Moving into college can be a very exciting time, but it can also be stressful. I remember struggling with deciding what I needed to bring and what I should just leave at home. Here are a few tips on what to do and what not to do when you are deciding what to include during your college packing.
1. Pack the essentials
Think about the things that you use on a daily basis, these are your essential items. I recommend getting ready in the morning as usual but putting everything you use aside and writing it on your list. Careful, you don’t want to forget your tooth brush!
2. Go through your closet
Since you’re already going through things to decide what to pack, why not take the opportunity to decide what you want to keep and what to give away? If you haven’t worn something in the last year odds are you won’t wear it again so give it to someone who might actually wear it! You could donate your clothes, give them to a consignment shop, or sell them to a store like Plato’s Closet!
3. Communicate with your roommate
Once you find out who your roommate is start talking about who is bringing what. Try and divide up the big purchases, like the TV and mini fridge, to cut down costs. If you end up with two TVs, two mini fridges, and two futons you won’t have room for everything and you will have wasted money that you could have spent elsewhere.
4. Make a list
How do you make sure you remember everything you need? Make a list! This should include everything from what clothes you want to bring to what snacks you want to stock your dorm with. The more organized you are, the easier move in day will be.
5. Only pack what you need
This is a problem that I ran into my freshman year. I packed almost my entire closet without going through it to see what I would actually wear. Three months into school I hadn’t worn at least half of what I brought. It took up a lot of space in an already small room and made the area feel cluttered! Think about what you have worn in the last year, and what your favorite items are. Those are the clothing items that you will end up wearing in college.
6. Don’t over decorate
College gives you the opportunity to completely change what your room will look like. You will be buying bedding, a futon, and maybe a rug to make your dorm room feel like home, but don’t go overboard! In a small space less is more. Pick a couple things that you want to put up on your walls like string lights or pictures, pick a fun throw pillow, and buy a chair or futon for relaxing. Having too much décor in a room can make it look messy and cluttered even when it’s clean.
7. Find out what is already provided
This one may seem obvious, but I see it all the time. Almost all dorm rooms provide a bed, desk, chair, and dresser. These items are required to stay in your room so don’t buy your own desk or chair thinking you can replace the one they give you. It will just take up space, and you will regret it in the long run. If you don’t know what your college provides in their dorm rooms visit their website to find out!
8. Don’t bring things that you “might” use
This is another mistake I made as a freshman. I brought everything that I thought I might use, like a curling iron, multiple hair products, and almost all of my shoes. I didn’t end up using them and again they just took up space! If you aren’t sure if you will use something, you probably won’t so leave it at home.
There you have it, eight tips for college packing that I wish I had when I was a freshman. I hope that these tips will help you on your packing journey and keep you from making the same mistakes I did when I moved in. Happy packing!
