How To Pack for College: Do's and Don'ts

Good day, everyone!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm packing up to go back to school to start the year as a college sophomore.

I thought I'd show you guys that are leaving for the first time what to and what not to bring to college!

Daily Dorm Living

• DO: Pack extra bed sheets. You'll need to wash your bed sheets every so often. By washing one set and putting the extra set on your bed, you'll have a set of clean sheets ready when the extras need to be washed.

• DO: Check the approved appliance list of your college. Check and see if mini fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers, etc. are allowed in your dorms. These things can be lifesavers for when you don't feel like going to the cafeteria. It would be awful if you bought an awesome mini fridge and weren't allowed to use it.

• DO: Pack two sets of dishware and silverware items. Once you start your meal plan you'll get a better idea of what you do and don't need. Bring two bowls, plates, knives, forks, cups, mugs, etc. You'll have less dishes to wash and it should be enough to get you through.

• DON'T: Forget these other essentials. 
• Laundry detergent/fabric softener
• Pillows
• Quarters (if your college has coin-operated machines)
• Laundry basket/hamper
• Shower caddy
• Robe
• First Aid Kit
• Hangers
• Towels
• Extensions cords
• Batteries
• Printer, printer paper, and ink (most campuses have access to printers, but having your own comes in handy)
• Extra-long sheets
• Wet wipes and other small items for cleaning up
• Tissues
• Flash Drive
• Air Freshener/Febreze (dorm rooms can smell)
• Laptop Lock
• Office supplies like staplers, tape, highlighters, etc.
• Stereo system (optional, but you may be a target for theft, so be cautious)

Clothing

• DO: Bring weather-appropriate clothing. Whether you're going to college in your home state or out of state (or even in another country), make sure you have a good amount of clothing for your uni's locational weather changes. It'll help you narrow down what you need.
• Tip: Bring home all your summer-y clothes that you wore in August/early September back home for Christmas break to free up room in your closet for heavier winter clothing. 
• DO: Include basics. You're entering a new chapter in your life, and your style could change and evolve. Packing basics that are easy to mix, match, and style will make picking out clothes for class simpler and leave you room to change up your personal style as you go. 
• Tip: Depending on your college, you might get a lot of free/cheap t-shirts, so pack lightly on those.

• DON'T: Pack your whole closet. I made this mistake my first year. You will not need everything in your closet at home, trust me. More likely than not, your room is much bigger than your dorm will be. If you really need something, and have some awesome parents, there are flat-rate boxes that can transport your clothes from home (if you really need them, anyway).

• DO: Bring a lot of underwear and socks. The more you bring, the less laundry you have to do. The less laundry, the more free time you have and the happier you are.

• DO: Pack slippers/flip flops. Two words: shared restrooms. They're disgusting. You never know what's on the shower floor, so bring a pair of slippers (or what you guys call flip flops) when you shower.

Mementos

• DO: Pack photos of friends & family. You'll make new friends at school, but occasionally you'll get homesick. Having pictures of your loved ones on your bulletin board can help you feel like they're there with you. 

• DON'T: Bring yearbooks and notes from high school. Like I said, you won't have a lot of room in your dorm. Maybe one year book is okay, but it'll still take up precious space. Same goes for notes and textbooks from high school. If there's something you need to look up from a past class, there are plenty of references online that could help.

• DON'T: Bring EVERYTHING (even though you want to). You might be inclined to pack all your favorite things that remind you of home, but you'll soon find out you'll be overloaded with stuff you don't need. Especially if it's very valuable, like heirloom jewelry or anything else you treasure. The last thing you want is, God forbid, it to be stolen.

The main point of this post is this: PACK LIGHTLY. You'll need stuff, but not NEARLY as much stuff as you think. If there are things you need as you go along, you can either buy them (campus stores tend to have a lot of essentials) or have them sent to you in the ever-glorious care package.

A great source for checking off what you need is CollegePackingList.com.

And last but not least, I know you might be nervous and this whole packing thing may be overwhelming. However, you'll be just fine, I promise. 

Hope this helped!

Till next time xx,

Sierra