Are you an overpacker? Do you have little car space? Are you
stressing about what you actually need for college? If you answered yes to any
of these, then this is the blog post for you!
Knowing what you’ll
actually need for college is hard, and walking into Target without an idea of
what you want can be extremely overwhelming. If you are an overpacker like I
am, then making decisions on what not to buy or bring can be nearly impossible. So to help relive all these stresses, here are some tips and lists on what I think
is important to have and what isn’t worth taking up precious cargo space in your car.
Make the space for:
1 or 2 Mugs (tea, coffee and hot chocolate is basically
all I drank my freshman year)
Two or three sets of silverware
(any more than this is unnecessary)
Stapler, three whole punch,
scissors (these help keep binders and
papers organized)
One or two bowls and plates (Your really don’t use plates ever, and I
only really used one bowl the entire year so don’t bring too many)
Paper towels (You will make a mess at some point so these
are handy)
Dish soap and sponge (To clean your bowl or mug)
Storage containers for under
your bed (you WILL need extra
storage)
Power strip (We are in the age of technology so you will
have lots of plugs)
Desk lamp (useful for if your roommate goes to bed but
you’re still working)
More than one pillow (all the fluffiness)
Decorations (Better to over decorate then have your room
look like a prison cell)
Sweatpants (You will wear sweatpants… a lot)
Small hand broom+dust pan (for all those pesky crumbs that end up on
the floor)
Duct Tape (There is not a problem it can’t fix)
LOTS of command strips (sometimes they refuse to stick to the walls
so have backup ones)
You can do without:
Printer (you get 100 free prints per semester in the computer labs, and
honestly most teachers do everything online so there’s usually no need to print
anything out)
Can opener (what can of soup doesn’t already have a
pull tab?)
Iron (you most likely will never have to use an iron, believe me you don’t
need it!)
Other kitchen accessories (you’ll be in a dorm room, you will not have
the space or capability to make anything super fancy foodwise)
 |
| Elena and her organized car! |
Draw string bags (I ended up with a whole drawer full of free
drawstring bags, believe me you will not have to bring any)
Lots of Dresses and High heels (you may think you’ll need it, but really
you most likely never will. I brought so many dresses with me to college and I
think I ended up wearing only one of them once.)
Vaccum or Swiffer (the commons has a vacuum you can check out
and use if you actually need it)
Easy on the shoes (I know we’re girls, but trust me you do not
need all those shoes)
If you have room then sure:
Fan (it can get hot the first and last couple weeks of the school year, but
otherwise you won’t use it)
Carpet (it makes the room a little homier but again, not necessary)
Full length Mirror (but not an over the door mirror!! It
doesn’t fit on the door… my roommate and I ran into this problem, but nothing
that duct tape couldn’t fix)
Coffee maker/Keurig (I love my Keurig, but they do sell coffee
in the commons for really cheap with your meal plan so I guess it’s not a
necessity)
Winter gear (you can always bring it after thanksgiving
break because before that it doesn’t get terribly cold)
Tips and Tricks
-Make a list of things you cannot live without before heading to the
store. This way you have a good idea of what you need to buy so you are not
overwhelmed by all the things.
- Ask yourself, do I really need this?
-If you are having trouble making a list of things you need then during
the day, every time you use something write it down.
-Bring versatile clothes (can be
dressed up or down, worn in the hot or cold, etc) this way it will minimize the
amount to clothing you will have to pack
-Remember, you can always bring lots more stuff to school after
thanksgiving break if needed (I brought a huge suitcase back with lots of
sweaters and boots to prepare for the winter)
-Pack some stuff in a suitcase so you have something to visit home with
-Try to pack in containers that are stackable, this way you will have
more packing space in your car
-Worried if you bring a carpet you’ll need a vacuum? Well if you bring
a small enough carpet you can stick it in the dryer periodically to get the
debris off of it (the dryers are free, and this way it comes out warm and
fluffy)
-Try to be flexible. You will never be able pack every single thing you
will need, so take a deep breath, make a list, go shopping, and get excited for
your first year as a Nittany Lion!
Elena Gowdy is a sophomore majoring in Architectural Engineering, and is a Rover for WEPO'15!
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