College Packing 101

Packing for college can be intimidating and stressful with no sense of direction on where to go. You may be moving away for the first time and have no idea what to bring with you let alone what not to bring with you. However, Team B will help you navigate your way on what to pack for college!

 

General Consensus:

You have to be honest with yourself about what items you are planning to bring. If you don’t use it, don’t bring it. Don’t go with the “what ifs”. It will not happen, unfortunately.

 

Starting planning for packing

Packing all the things you’ll need in your dorm can seem like a huge daunting task, but creating lists can save you!!

●      Make lists of the things for what you have bought, what you need to buy, what you’ve packed etc.

●      Start looking at the space you have in your room for storage and decide to pack things accordingly.

●      Divide all the things you need in terms of categories (this blog already gives you the categories you need to have!). This will make your list much more organized.

●      Most of the stuff you need, you already know and use. College is very different, but you’re still you. You’ll still have that one favorite pair of jeans (bring them!), and you’ll likely organize your schoolwork in a similar way so buy similar things to what you have.

●      Don’t overstress packing. It’s not like you’re going out in the middle of nowhere where no one can reach you. State College has a ton of stores downtown where you could find things if you forget them, or you could also get things mailed from home.

 

Bathroom

●      As a first-year student, you will use communal bathrooms, and they are not bad at all. Anyway, the necessities are two sets of towels, a robe/shower wrap, a shower caddy, and a set of flip-flops because you don’t want to put your bare feet in the shower.

●      Shower essentials include body wash/bar soap, shampoo & conditioner, razor, and shaving cream. You don’t have to follow this list exactly and do what works for you.

●      Bathroom essentials include a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, and a facial cleanser. Once again, you don’t have to follow this list exactly but you should have an idea of what you use to get ready and un-ready.

 

Kitchen & Cleaning Supplies:

●      To start, have a plate, bowl, set of utensils, cup, sponge & dish soap, and a water bottle. It’s essential that whatever plates/bowls/cups (at the very least a mug) that you plan to bring are microwave safe because there’s a chance that a microwave will be the only thing you have access to in order to cook meals.

○      Other items aren’t necessary but will make your life easier such as a Brita pitcher, so you have water on you rather than going downstairs to get some, a Keurig machine to not only make coffee but to have a source of hot water for making tea, oatmeal, or ramen, and a storage cart to store all of food and kitchen items in one place.

●      In terms of food, I can give a couple of suggestions to have; for example, goldfish/cheez-it crackers, granola bars, oatmeal, fruit, and chips.

○      Keep in mind with fruit that it is important to eat it within a week otherwise, your dorm will smell unusual.

●      In terms of cleaning supplies, having paper towels, Clorex wipes, duster, and a swiffer sweeper are key in having a clean dorm!

○      Vacuums are provided by commons desk

○      Having air freshener will keep your dorm smelling nice and clean.

○      Some items I found to be super helpful are a steamer, lint roller, and a mini hand-held vacuum.

 

Clothing/Accessories/Shoes:

●      Wear items that you use the most and feel confident in. No one honestly cares what you wear to class and bring enough clothes and undergarments for about two weeks.

●      For shoes, have a pair of running shoes, slippers, and sandals

○      Have a comfortable pair of shoes for everyday use because Penn State is a big campus and your feet will thank you later.

●      It gets cold in late September so pack a jacket, a couple of sweatshirts, and other clothing that you typically wear for autumn.

●      For career fairs and interviews, have a nice shirt e.g. a button down, pair of slacks, a blazer and dress shoes (flats or heels)

 

Things used for move-in and packing:

●      Whenever you are packing your clothes and bedding items, use space bags! You can pack a lot and they easily fold up when you’re done with them.

○      Feel free to use a suitcase/traveling bag as well so you have something to transport your clothes with whenever you leave for break.

●       Use plastic storage boxes and assign each one to various categories e.g. one box is dedicated to kitchen and cleaning supplies and another is for household items and decorations

○      Wrap fragile items in newspaper so they don’t break

●      If you’re bringing bigger appliances e.g. a coffee machine or fan, just bring it in its original packaging.

 

Bedding

Bedding is the easiest category for you to manage! I did all my shopping for this category from Walmart and got affordable prices for all my things. The essential items for this category are - single bed bedsheets, a pillow, a mattress pad (not necessary, but helpful!), and a comforter or blanket. 

 

Storing things over the summer

In case you don’t want to take all the things you specifically bought for your dorm back home, there is an option to store your things for the summer. Penn State has a tie-up with Storage Squad that stores your things over the summer. You will be able to schedule a pickup day and time for your things during the end of the spring semester. You are also provided with free boxes and tape to store all the essentials.

 

Conclusion:

If you have any questions about how moving in works, don’t be afraid to ask. All of us on the leadership team have gone through this process at one point or another and we’d always be happy to help if you’re confused about how anything might work.