Pack for College the Easy Way

When it comes time to leave for college, it will be very tempting to pack up your whole room and take it all with you. But remember, you will most likely be sharing your dorm with other roommates and only a fraction of the storage space available will be yours. Even if you have a single, your space is still limited.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you begin packing for college:

1. What will the weather be like? Will I be coming home to get my winter coat before the weather gets really bad? Will my parents be willing to mail me items I leave behind?

2. How many roommates do I have? Can we share items or each bring one of the communal items such as the trash can, microwave, mini-fridge, rug, etc.?

3. Will I be eating in my dorm often or will I eat a majority of my meals in the dining hall? Do I have what I need to cook and clean up after myself?

Once you cover dressing yourself, sharing the common areas and nutrition, the rest is fun. Get a bright comforter and a fun pillow. Bring along a mini speaker for your music. Buy some new décor for your walls or pack your favorite piece from your bedroom at home.

All that matters is that you have the basics to get by day-to-day. There will always be group trips to the grocery store or Target that you can get in on if you forget something (don’t forget your toothbrush!), or you can text Mom & Dad and beg for them to send you that favorite comfy sweatshirt you accidentally left in the back of your closet.

As you head off to the store this summer, bring along our handy Dorm Gear Checklist to mark off the necessities that we feel most freshmen should have on move-in day.