Packing for college can be tricky. On one hand, you want to make sure you bring everything you’ll need, but on the other hand, you don’t want to end up with too much stuff. As a recent college grad I can tell you that the following 20 items will make your transition to the college life much smoother.
1. STORAGE BINS!- I really cannot stress enough how essential these are. You will arrive in your freshman dorm, it will be small, and you’ll have a lot of stuff. Get a couple of good quality, clear plastic storage bins (best found at Target). These are simply hidden, readily accessible, and see-through, so you’ll know exactly where everything is. Plus, if you get the kind with wheels at the bottom, they can be easily transported and can serve as no-unpacking-needed suitcases– pack your stuff in them at home, bring them to college, and slide them under your dorm bed or stick them in your closet– Viola! It is better to avoid taller bins, however, and purchase several low-lying ones as to avoid rummaging through layers of clothing.
2. Shower Caddy- You’ll keep all your soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, etc. in your dorm room, so you’ll want a shower caddy to be able to easily grab your stuff and get a quick shower.
3. Flip-flops/ bathroom shoes- ok, so this concept may be foreign to you if you’ve lived your life up to this point with clean bathrooms and spotless showers. Allow me to inform you that in college (or any other place for that matter) if you have to use a communal bathroom, you can kiss anti-bacterial washing environments goodbye. People do all kinds of weird stuff in the showers and you don’t want your feet to learn first hand.
4. Febreze/ Air Fresheners- combine you, your roommate, a potential crowd of friends, dirty clothes, and lots of food, and what do you get? A whole lot of stink. But never fear, this potentially noxious smell can easily be eliminated by the use of spray febreze or a couple of air fresheners. If you don’t bring them with you, you’re going to want to buy them, fast.
5. Tool kit- There will be times where you will be scouring the halls in pursuit of a hammer or certain type of screw-driver to fix this or to hang that, unless, of course, you already have these tools! In order to save space, you could even purchase a screwdriver with interchangeable heads. Not only does having these tools on hand make your life easier, but it might just make you one of the most sought-after kids in the building!
6. Duct Tape- if at this stage in your life, you cannot name at least 10 different times when duct tape has been invaluable, then you haven’t lived - enough said.
7. Microwave/ Toaster/ George Forman grill/ Hot pot- one or more of these kitchen utility items will make the food selection in your room leagues better. Many colleges, however, will not allow a microwave, toaster, or grill. If you’re in that boat, go for a hot pot water heater or just be smart about it. If you don’t celebrate the fact that you’re illegally using a grill or micro, its unlikely anyone will find out or caref after a few weeks.
8. Mini Fridge- I think it is widely agreed upon that this is a no-brainer when it comes to college.
9. Power Strips- in the days of technology, our use of plug-in electronics can easily out do the number of outlets available in our dorms. Save yourself the trouble of arguing with your roommate about who gets to charge their cell phone first, and bring a power strip or two.
10. Cinder blocks- a lot of the time, dorm room beds are so low to the ground, you wonder why they didn’t just throw a mattress on the floor and call it a day. By raising the bed on cinder blocks, you can place your bed at a more comfortable height, and create storage space underneath. Many colleges don’t allow cinder blocks though, and when this happens, I have been advised to go for bed risers (also called bed elevators) which can commonly be found at Wal-Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Target.
11. Cleaning Supplies- no matter how much of a slob you are, your dorm room will get filthy to a point where you find yourself holding your breath as you quickly dash in and out of the door. At the very least you may want to tidy up if you think you may be bringing a guy/girl back to the dorm room. Here’s where cleaning supplies come in. Invest in a hand-held vacuum which makes for a quick clean-up of those pizza crumbs found all over your bed. Another great purchase would be wet Swiffer cloths or Clorox wipes, as they clean the mess up faster than damp paper towel or toilet paper.
12. 3M Command Strips- as most schools will not allow you to nail holes in the walls for hanging things, a simple solution lies in 3M Command strips (found in most drugstores). You can find them as “hooks, hangars, organizers, clips, and strips.” By making use of these handy items, you can save yourself the worry of whether or not the “toothpaste covering the nail hole” tactic will fool anybody.
13. Tide To Go- this item has saved me countless times. It can not only rescue you if some of that spaghetti sauce from lunch ends up on your shirt, but also if you are out of clothes and need a quick-clean, it will do the job.
14. Umbrella- it is easily taken for granted, but it can be easily miserable without one.
15. Fan- if your dorm doesn’t have air conditioning, you’re going to want a fan. If your dorm does have air conditioning, you might still want a fan.
16. Bottle Opener/ Can Opener- people get so psyched about college and drinking, but when you have a bottle in hand, are you going to be able to open it? As for the can opener, what use is a water heater or a microwave, if you can’t get the can open to make soup?
17. Mini Stapler- Save yourself the effort of asking everyone you pass as you make your way to class, if they have a stapler for that paper you’re expected to turn in. Just carry a little one in your bag.
18. Quarters- needed for laundry, parking meters, and of course drinking. I’d also recommend bringing ping pong balls for obvious reasons.
19. Medicine- Tylenol, Advil cold and sinus, Pepto Bismol, Nyquil- bring it all. If you don’t need it someone else will, and it can save you time and energy going to the nurse. Also, you might really want to consider a daily vitamin just to keep you healthy while everyone else starts to get sick.
20. Collapsible Laundry Hamper with Carrying Strap- by keeping your clothes in a hamper, you reduce mess and save time searching for that one shirt that you think may have snuck under your bed that you really want to wash. If you get one that is collapsible, it can be easily stored away, and a carrying strap makes it easy to sling over one shoulder as you are moving. Laundry bags work well too.
You might be thinking to yourself, “This seems like a ton of stuff,” but you can limit the stuff you need to bring by getting in touch with your roommate before hand to figure out who’s bringing what. That way you won’t have two microwaves or two vacuums. Another thing to do would be to locate the Target, Wal-mart, Costco, or Sam’s Club closest to your dorm, making it easier to run a few quick errands for items you may have forgotten.
(dorm photo courtesy of sdsparks on Flickr)
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