What to Pack for College: Part One
The excitement of college can be overwhelming, but there is also work to be done. If you’re headed to a college far away from home, knowing what to pack for college will give you a sense of peace as you put miles between you and your parents. So here is your first college class in how to pack for college.
Realizing that your room will not be as big as living at home can help you determine what to pack for college. You will also want to contact your roommates to see what they will be bringing. Much of the time, you’ll find that you won’t need to buy that mini-fridge or a television because someone else already has one. You also may want to consider bringing smaller versions of necessities. For example, for a more neat and organized living area, you may find that a laptop computer is easier to store than a desktop.
Other items that you may find useful to put on your list of what to pack for college should include shower necessities. As you will probably be sharing shower space with others, you will want to bring a pair of flip flop sandals and something to tote your toiletries in. The sandals will help you to avoid any bacteria on the shower floors. Although not everyone gets athlete’s foot, the chances go way up with all of the people who are sharing.
In terms of school supplies and what to pack for college, you want to make sure that you have a few calendars to keep track of deadlines, a box of pens and pencils, computer paper and printer cartridges (if you bring a printer), as well as extra notebooks and highlighters. Having everything that you could need will save you trips to the campus bookstore as well as get you started on the right foot to an organized living space that holds everything that you might need at the last minute.
When you’re deciding how to pack for college, you want to keep in mind that you won’t have mom or dad to remind you of things or to wake you up, so you will need to figure out how to do this for yourself. This can mean an alarm clock to a daily calendar of assignments. What you may find useful is a dry erase board that you and your roommate can share in order to remind each other of things. Having someone else watching out for you will help ease you into this new independent lifestyle.
In terms of clothing choices in what to pack for college, the climate will play a large role. You may want to consider bringing a jacket for colder days, but only bring a winter coat when you need it. Actually, for all of your clothing, here are some tips on how to pack for college. First, you may be able to rotate your clothing as you return home for visits. If you’re going abroad or far enough away that you won’t be visiting home much, then you can have your parents or relatives send you clothing as you need it. Or, you can bring a layer of thermal underwear to put underneath clothes if the weather should suddenly become chilly.
Once you’ve gathered the clothing that you want to bring and figured out what to pack for college, how to pack for college closets becomes the next issue. You want to start off your college life with an organized living space that allows you and your roommate space. You may want to invest in some creative hangers that allow you to hang more than one item at a time (Non-Slip 5-Tier Slack Rack, Belt/Scarf Hanger) or hang your clothes on the doors (Over the Door Hanger). There are many different kinds of hangers and storage accessories that can keep your clothes looking clean and neat, even when they barely fit into the closet. You really can make the most of a little space with a little planning and a little more creativity.
Although this isn’t an inclusive list of what to pack for college, you are certainly on the right track to making your own list of things that you want to bring. The key to this smaller, on-your-own space is to create an organized living space from the beginning. Your roommate will appreciate it too when he or she can find her books when running out to class instead of hunting through piles of clothes.