The last day of freshman year finally came and it was time to start packing my whole dorm room into my car. As I packed up my belongings I began to stumble upon items that I forgot I brought in the first place. Half of the things I was told to pack I never used. So this is for you, incoming college freshman, to know what you actually do not need to bring to college.
1. Cable TV
You may think that you will have enough time to watch tv every day, just like you would at home, but you're wrong. Sorry to break this news to you but you will have no time in college to leisurely watch tv. I never had the time to just turn on the tv in our room because I was busy with school work, meetings, and spending any free time with friends. Plus you have Netflix and online streaming if you must watch something.
2. High School T-shirts
Lugging all of the t-shirts you accumulated in high school is completely useless. You will get so many free t-shirts your welcome week, and from other organizations, that you won't want to touch your high school shirts. You also will not want to wear them around campus because there is no easier way to say that you are new on campus. You're in college now so leave the past behind you and keep all of that old stuff at home. Trust me, don't be a high school hero and bring all of those with you.
3. Iron/Steamer
I admit, I brought two steamers to school. TWO. Did I ever steam an article of clothing? No. In college you are too lazy to get the wrinkles out of anything and you rarely wear anything but t-shirts and athletic shorts. If you don't use an iron/steamer on your own now, don't bring one to school.
4. Tupperware
I thought I was so smart for purchasing a starter pack of containers to store all of the leftovers I would have in college. News flash: you never have leftovers and if you do they come in boxes already. This goes for plastic bags as well. Do not spend money on these things because they will consume half of your shelf space and you won't touch them all year.
5. Cups/Plates/Bowls
If you can't throw it away then you won't use it. Invest in plastic utensils, solo cups, paper plates, and paper bowls. You will be too lazy to walk to the bathroom and wash out your bowl from your morning cereal, because why do that when you can just throw it away in your room? Just don't worry about bringing anything that isn't disposable.
6. Office Supplies
You do not need to go to Office Depot and buy a new stapler, thousands of binder clips, and four packs of paper. Do not buy anything office related till you need it, because I did not use my stapler once. Spend money on that stuff when you actually need it.
7. Off-Season Clothes
As you pack up clothes leave behind anything with a long sleeve. Put that winter coat back in your closet because you will not need it till after thanksgiving, maybe not at all. All you need for the first few months of school is one sweatshirt and one light jacket. Wait till you come home for thanksgiving to get anything else.
8. Luggage
You do not need huge rolling suitcases to consume half of your under bed storage. Instead just bring duffel bags that fold and fit in smaller areas. Also do not pack in luggage or duffel bags because you don't need more than one duffel at school with you. Pack in the plastic drawers you are actually using at school. But seriously, do not bring luggage because you do not have the space for that.
9. Keurig
Don't lug a Keurig to school when you don't drink coffee everyday already. I brought one to school because I drink a cup every morning, and even then I didn't use it everyday. I know some people that brought one thinking they would just start drinking coffee when they got to college. If you don't make a cup every morning now then the odds are you won't make one in college. They take up a ton of space so only bring one if you need it.
10. Excessive Decorations
I ended up taking a lot of my decorations, pillows, and throw blankets home halfway through the year because I just didn't need. You don't need two blankets to put at the end of your bed just to make it look cozy, because they end up underneath your bed rather than on it. You also don't need framed pictures and paintings covering your desk because you will need that space to put items that you actually use.
I hope that this list gives you some insight into what items you don't need to pack for college. You don't want to be moving out and uncover a Keurig you never used, blankets you didn't know you brought, and kitchen supplies you never needed. Happy packing and good luck!
