This guide actually came as a request from one of my best friends' mom who is having some trouble helping her pack for her first year of college. As summer has winded down I figured I would write the guide to pack for college that I really wish I would've had a year ago, especially since my mom and I went a little overboard when it came to packing.
1. Do pack in bulk when it comes to toiletries
Lucky for me my freshman year I had my own bathroom and didn't have to deal with a community shower. This year that's not the case, unfortunately. However, I learned that you can never have too many packs of makeup wipes, bars of soap, razors or sticks of deodorant. It's going to save you trips to the store at school and save you some money throughout the year.
2. Don't pack an abundance of towels
I made the HUGE mistake of bringing like six towels and about eight washcloths. Just bring two or three towels that you can rewash over and over again and two or three washcloths. Having too many towels took up way too much space that I could've used for anything else.
3. Do bring a Keurig
If you love coffee but hate waking up early, this is going to be your Lord and Savior! Most dorms won't allow you to have coffee pots in your room since they're a fire hazard, so this is the perfect solution. I'd suggest stocking up on K-Cups and buying the Wal-Mart brand because they are MUCH cheaper than any of the other brands you will find.
4. Don't pack a ton of cups and mugs
I brought like six mugs and ten plastic cups with me to school this past year when in reality I used one or two mugs and my water bottle. You might find it hard to part ways with all of your cute mugs, but in reality, you really don't need them. Just bring one really good one and a few plastic cups. Most of the time you're drinking water in your room and drinking pop and other stuff in the dining halls so you don't need a plethora of cups.
5. Do bring a Brita Filter
I cannot stress this enough! When you're in your dorm all you have to drink is water from the faucet, so you're going to want to purify it and keep it in your fridge. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
6. Don't bring clothes that you barely wear now
I hate to break it to you, but your closet just about shrunk twice its size. I know that you're going to want to pack every piece of clothing in case you really need it. Well, the truth is if you don't wear it now you're not going to wear it once you get to school. So take your absolute favorites and staples, things you know that you can't live without and leave the rest at home.
7. Do bring decorations for your dorm
This definitely needs to be done in moderation as well. Chances are your dorm room is not going to be huge so too many decorations will make it look crowded. With that being said though you're going to want to bring them. You're going to want to make it homey and comfy and decorations are the answer to that!
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