What to Pack and Where You're Going to Unpack It!

Do's and Dont's of Packing

One of my rules for packing clothes is: if you don’t wear it at home, you won’t wear it at school! You may want to bring a ton of summer clothes when packing for fall semester, but it gets chilly quicker than you think. Normally after the first or second week of September, you’ll want to bring a sweatshirt with you everywhere. I would also recommend bringing a couple of extra hangers for clothing, in case you buy something or if you want to air dry some clothes.

You’ll want to bring good shoes for walking- I personally wear my sneakers almost every day because they are comfortable for the whole day walking across campus. The last thing you want is your feet to hurt when you’re on the other side of campus or rushing to class.

Another thing you’ll need is power strips and extension cords! I personally used two power strips for all of my chargers, printer, speaker, and lamp, and one extension cord, to move the fridge to a spot with no outlet. I also brought a lamp which was nice if you didn’t want the harsh overhead light on. Since it had multiple lights, you could pick how bright you wanted it. I also had a desk lamp, which was nice for direct light over my homework.

I also had a printer in my dorm- but this is definitely a convenience thing and up to you. I purchased a cheap printer to have in my dorm, which came in handy when I wanted to print notes late at night and didn’t want to leave my room. It is also nice now, as you have to pay (a small price) to print things out at the printers on campus. This is definitely an investment, I’ll be using until I graduate & even after that!

~Mia Wanyo, Team G Mentor, WEPO ‘21 

Despite all of the warnings, I still managed to pack too much stuff! But there are two extra items I brought after experiencing dorm life in the fall that I would never leave behind again.

Imagine yourself in your small dorm room. You’re studying and sleeping--all with your smelly trash can beside you! You take out the trash constantly, but it still reeks of last night’s burrito or this morning’s banana. It seems like a funny complaint right now, but this was seriously one of my least favorite things about dorm life. These two things helped me tackle the problem.

First, a lidded trash can is a must! I know housing provides trash cans, but they are so small and have no lid. I brought a lidded trash can 2nd semester and it helped with the smell tremendously! Housing doesn’t provide recycle bins, so how about using the extra trash can for recycling?

Second, freshen up with a wallflower! I dislike most fragrances, but I was able to find milder scents like vanilla and cherry from Bath and Body that plugged into the outlet and released some nice scents. Waking up to fresh peach is much better than leftover pizza!

~Kaylie, Team G Envoy, WEPO ‘21

Residence Halls

One of the biggest decisions you had to make after committing to Penn State was where to live. Each dorm area on campus has its special perks to take advantage of while living there.

East Halls is the all-freshman area of campus, so it is a great chance to meet classmates and experience living on your own together. One of the biggest perks is its proximity to many of the sports arenas (football, hockey, baseball, etc). It is also right next to the IM building, so it is not a hassle to work out and enjoy the fitness classes offered (my favorite is power remix)! Also, treat yourself after an exam by stopping at the creamery on your way back to the dorms!

West Halls is a quieter area of campus with large rooms, which is where I lived the past two years. It is right next to the library, rec hall, and the Nittany Lion Shrine. Also, make sure to grab a west cookie at the dining hall!

West Residental Halls

South and Pollock are right next to each other, which gives you more than one option for choosing a dining hall. They are also close to the HUB and downtown State College. South is home to the Honors College.

South Halls in the winter

North is mainly suite-style living and is central to most of the campus. If you live here, make sure to take the short walk over to the arboretum on a nice day.

~Kayla Brown, Team G Mentor, WEPO ‘21