I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest recently, finding new ideas to make my college dorm room even better than my one last year. However, these packing ideas are much more useful before even arriving on campus. These tips will help you make fewer mistakes than I did as far as fitting everything and making sure you come home with everything you brought are concerned.
1. Label all of your chargers
At the end of last year, somehow, it was very confusing and stressful to sort out chargers. It was much easier because I lived with my best friend, and so we eventually sorted them all out. This year, however, I am living with three other girls who all own iPhones and all have Mac computers. With so many people using the same chargers, I put duct tape around all of my cords and adaptors before packing them so that it's clear which phone chargers, computer charger, and headphones are mine.
2. Pack things where they fit, not where you want them packed
This sounds dumb, but it's actually extremely important. I'm the queenN of packing and organizing, and so naturally, my freshman year, I packed everything by category, and only put alike items together in boxes. However, alike items do not always pack as well together as not similar items. For instance, my pillows and sheets pack quite well with my guitar stand, who would have guessed? I would never have packed textbooks and mugs together, however, they fit best that way, and utilize the most space in the boxes.
3. Make a list of last minute items to pack
It's very easy to get caught up in packing, and get finished with the majority of your packing a full week ahead of when you leave. However, I find it very easy to leave items that are intentionally not packed far in advance, at home by accident. I have a running list of items that I need to keep out until the night before I leave, that way, the night before departure, I can make sure I packed that last load of laundry, my computer, my phone charger by my bed, and those shoes I just couldn't bare to pack away so soon.
4. Pack two outfits for move-in day
My freshman year, I wore the most ridiculous outfit for move-in day. I moved in in the middle of August and yet insisted on wearing leggings, tall brown boots, a cute tank top and a sweater. By the end of moving in, I had thrown my boots in my still-empty closet, rolled my leggings up to my knees and shrugged off the sweater. Wear athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Wear the comfiest clothing you own, and clothing that you will not be overheated in. Unpacking is not fun, it's stressful, and most colleges give you limited time to unpack on the first day. If you really care about looking cute for all of the new student activities or for seeing your friends for the first time in months, pack a second, cuter outfit to change into after the stressful, sweaty, hot unpacking is done.
5. Label all of your stuff
When my parents and I pulled up to the doors of my dorm building to unload all of my things, we were informed that all of the items coming out of my car had to be labeled with my name and room number, and it was stressful to do last minute. Now, at my school, only freshmen are given assistance when moving in; all upperclassmen have to move themselves in. Still, even if strange people aren't moving your stuff from your car to your room, I would recommend labeling all of your items with your name, and room number, that way when you're unpacking, you and your roommate(s) can tell your stuff apart from each other. The room number is helpful to have on also, just in case there isn't enough space in the room for all of the boxes and so multiple people in multiple rooms have boxes sitting in the hallways.
6. Pack a bag or box of cleaning and "right away" items
This box, for me, had dust clothes, trash bags, tissues, sheets for my bed, a mattress pad, Clorox wipes, etc. Maybe you want to have a speaker like I did, so you can play music and get pumped up while unpacking. Maybe you want your coffee maker or deodorant. Anything that you're going to want or be searching frantically for in the first hour of unpacking, put in that box.
