We've seen plenty of lists encouraging us to buy plenty of storage savers and other nifty tools, but how about of list of things I can assure you will be a waste of some extra cash that you may appreciate having later.
1. A printer
This may depend on your major, but I don't find myself printing a significant amount of paper. Not nearly enough to mind spending a couple cents to print out in the library.
2. An iron
If anything, get yourself a steamer. HOWEVER, most of the time college students are all walking around collectively looking like one large hot mess... so you'll fit in with your wrinkles.
3. Books
I am not telling you that you don't need your books, but I like to wait until the first week of classes. Some professors will tell you it isn't mandatory or will give you tips to get better deals. ALWAYS buy used or rent when you can, you will not look at the book when the class is over.
4. A bike
This may not apply to everyone, but speaking from personal experience, biking on campus wasn't worth it. I dropped $500 on a cute bike to bring with me freshman year, and I rode it twice. Man is it hard to bike through a crowd of slow walkers.
5. Wall decor
I am a huge advocate for tapestries, but apart from that, I love myself some personalized wall decorations. Pictures from home and other unique pieces make decorating a lot more fun.
6. Hundreds of storage bins
I expected to have to squeeze my belongings into every corner of my shoebox-sized dorm room, but I ended up having an incredibly excessive amount of space. Bring seasonal items home over breaks and I promise you won't need to cram stuff underneath your bed.
7. Good dishes/silverware
If you're going to get yourself some real person plates, don't spend more than a dollar. As long as it's microwave safe and can fit a slice of pizza, it's perfect. Even if you do get real plates, still bring paper. Washing dishes in a communal bathroom SUCKS.
8. A TV
Unless you have one lying around your house, I wouldn't consider bringing a TV to school worth it. We used it for the Super Bowl and the Bachelor Finale. Just get yourself a friends Netflix username and password and call it a day.
9. Lots of clothes
I thought I was doing myself a favor by splurging on cute outfits to wear to class, but I really wore the same T-shirt every single day. If you're going to spend your money on clothes, get good leggings for all occasions and cheap crop tops that you wouldn't mind ruining at a frat party.
