With college move in dates approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to share ten items that are in my opinion absolutely essential for moving in and staying at school, and ten that I think you should leave behind. Right at the start, I'll let you know that these recommendations are just my opinions based off of what I found to be most helpful in my college experience. Some of these items on this list may or may not be essential for your unique college experience, but for the most part I think the list gives compelling reasons both for and against certain items that you may be considering packing up for college. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get into the top ten things you absolutely must bring to college and what I think you should leave behind!
Bring: a Brita
If you're not bringing a Brita filter to college, you're definitely missing out. I used my Brita filter every single day and it made my life so much easier. I'm a person who needs to have water first thing in the morning and with me throughout the day, but making the trek down to my dorm basement for ice and back up for water from a water fountain before my 9 am class just wasn't worth it. With a water filter, you can use the water right from your sink and save the trips for ice and to the water fountain. Add to that the opportunity for five extra minutes of sleep, and I'm all in for the Brita. Bring this!
Don’t Bring: a TV
There were times when I was glad I had a TV in my dorm room, but those times were few and far between. In today's age, pretty much everything can be streamed online or on an app on your phone, so unfortunately my TV didn't receive as much use as I thought it would initially. The necessity of this dorm item varies from person to person, so if watching TV is a part of your daily routine that you simply can't go without, you might bite the bullet and bring one anyway. Based on my experience though, this is a bulky item that you can leave at home.
Bring: a laptop
Especially this semester, it's going to be extra important to have a laptop with you at school. Your laptop doesn't have to be super expensive or fancy, (I use an Acer Chromebook and have never run into any issues with it) as long as it can connect to your school's internet and access school websites like canvas and your school email, you'll be fine! With many classes resuming online this year, having a personal laptop will allow you to take classes where it is most convenient for you and let you work on online assignments whenever you want, regardless of whether or not the library is overcrowded or closed for cleaning.
Don’t Bring: dorm-illegals
This sort of goes without saying, but don't bring anything to college that your dorm doesn't allow. For me, some dorm-illegals were toaster ovens, mini fridges, and candles so I didn't bother taking the time to bring these things with me to school. There are a lot of alternatives to these items that I do recommend bringing with you to school like a scent diffuser or air freshener that don't violate dorm rules. Before you pack your car for college, double check the rules of your specific college about what is and isn't allowed. Don't waste space on things that could end up confiscated!
Bring: all the kits
I know some people who say that you shouldn't bother bringing kits to college, but I disagree. If I had a dime for every time someone from my dorm asked to borrow something from my tool kit during my first semester at college, I'd have about $0.60 which isn't a lot, but it's weird that six people didn't have a screwdriver when they needed one. I used my tool kit to put together furniture when I first moved in, to fix things that broke throughout the semester, and even to craft different activities for events put on by the honors student association. A first aid kit is another essential, especially now in the midst of a pandemic. Having a digital thermometer at your disposal could help you monitor your health, and protect the health of others if you find you have a fever or other coronavirus symptoms. Finally, having a few things in case of a sudden storm or power outage can also be helpful in case of a weather emergency. Battery powered portable phone chargers and flashlights or lanterns will help make sure that you have what you need to weather any storm. These kits often take up very little space and can be stored on a high shelf or under the bed making them an absolute essential for college.
Don’t Bring: a separate alarm clock
This is another item that I packed initially thinking it would be an absolute essential in college. Ultimately, I just didn't use it that much! Having an alarm set on my phone was a lot less hassle and took up one less plug on my power strip, so I would recommend leaving your alarm clock at home and saving on some desk and outlet space.
Bring: a microwave
While most dorm kitchens are stocked with a microwave, this semester many colleges are limiting the use of these shared appliances. Having a microwave in your dorm room is also way more convenient than having to move your meal, mug of hot chocolate, or heat pack to the dorm kitchen and back for only a minute or two of cook time. In terms of bulky items that are worth the splurge and space, a microwave is at the top of my list of dorm room essentials.
Don’t Get: a meal plan
This is a controversial one, but it's something I'll stand by. You absolutely do not need a meal plan in college. Almost everyone I know who got a meal plan freshman year ended up losing money because they didn't eat in the dining hall frequently enough. Towards the end of fall semester, my friends would end up going to the dining hall to get food five or six times per day in an attempt to eat enough to make up for the amount of money they spent on a meal plan. My advice is to just avoid it altogether! At the end of the day, it'll be cheaper for you to buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and jelly and eat sandwiches for the week, and you're guaranteed to not take a hit to the wallet at the end of the semester because you ate at Chick-fil-A too many times instead of in the dining hall. If I could give incoming college students one piece of advice, it would be to skip the meal plan! Definitely leave this in the dust.
Bring: something fun that’s not school related
I think something that a lot of people forget about when packing for school is packing for things that aren't school related. It's important to find a healthy school-fun balance, and packing items that are geared towards fun and not school can help establish that balance from the start. Personally, I brought a picnic blanket so I could eat outside with friends, lots of recipe books and cookware to make dinners for me and my friends to de-stress, and art supplies so I could draw and paint in my free time. Bringing activities that you will enjoy in your free time and that allow you to connect with friends on campus is an absolute must when you head off to school.
Don’t Bring: a car
This doesn't necessarily come from personal experience since I don't have a car myself, but everyone who I've talked to who lives on campus regrets bringing a car with them to school. Most college campuses are designed to be walkable, and with the scarcity of open parking spaces, trying to drive to classes when you already live on campus is way more hassle than it's worth. Like the TV, this is a highly personal item that varies in necessity from person to person. If you're living off campus too far away to walk, or if you're taking classes on a satellite campus, a car might be useful for you. Even then though, most colleges offer some sort of public transportation like a university bus that will drive off campus to local apartments and satellite campuses. Having a car on a college campus is a hassle either way, and if you're living on campus and taking classes within walking distance, I would leave the car at home.
Bring: bug spray
This is one that I didn't realize I would need as badly as I did. Halfway through living on the ground floor of my dorm building, fire ants invaded my room. Every time it rained (which happens a lot in Florida), ants would come pouring in from the exterior walls. We tried everything to keep them out, even resorting to putting tape on our floorboards to try to block them out, but they persisted. We managed to get by without any actual bug spray for a few weeks using everything from Lysol spray to watered down bleach, but once the ants got into my bedsheets one night we had to make an emergency Instacart order for some Raid and ant traps. If I could pick one thing on this list to tell people to bring with them to college, bug spray would be that thing. Please don't forget it!
Don’t Bring: a printer
This is an item that I initially bought thinking it would be used every week to print out assignments and projects, only to find out that honors students at FSU can print for free in the honors building. Even if you're not an honors student at FSU or you don't have access to free printing at your college or university, usually the prices for printing in the libraries is low and reasonable. Another thing to note is that very few of my professors wanted any assignments printed out. Usually essays for English classes were requested in hard copy form so that they could be marked and written on by the professor, but most professors are more than happy to read your essays in a virtual format. With many classes switching to a hybrid or completely online format this semester as well, it is even less likely that you'll need to hand in hard copies to your professors. Make sure you have printer paper with you at school just in case, but you can leave the bulky, heavy, space wasting printer at home.
Bring: extension cords and a power strip
This dorm essential is something that I originally overlooked when packing for school. I was surprised to find out upon arriving to my dorm room that there were absolutely no outlets on the wall that my bed was on. I wound up having to use extension cords and a power strip for all of my electronics and ended up having to purchase longer cords at the nearest Target on the day I moved in because the one I originally packed wasn't long enough. Just in case your dorm room is designed the same as mine was, make sure you pack an extension cord or two and a surge protected power strip so you don't end up having to charge your phone at your roommates desk!
Don’t Bring: your entire wardrobe
This is a mistake that many college students make, and one that I'm glad I avoided. When you're packing for college, I think a good rule of thumb is to pack seasonally. You probably don't need to pack a bunch of bulky sweaters in August. Just pick them up over Thanksgiving break or on a long weekend trip home. Another tip is to pack items of clothing that are similar to what you wore in the past year or two. Personally, I'm a t shirt and sweatpants kind of girl, so I packed a lot of comfy tees, leggings, athletic shorts and a few pairs of jeans in case I was feeling extra put together and felt like wearing real pants. Everyone has a different sense of style, and while college does present a unique opportunity to experiment with fashion and clothing, I found myself wearing the clothes that kept me at my most comfortable which is exactly what I wore in high school. Don't waste space on clothes you're not going to wear!
Bring: a mattress topper and blanket
If there's one thing I learned from staying on a dorm bed during my college orientation, it's that a mattress topper is a must have for any incoming college student. Without a mattress topper, you can feel every spring and plasticky crinkle of the dorm mattress and that's not what anybody wants to sleep on after a long day or the night before a final exam. Along with a mattress topper, make sure you pick up a blanket that you can keep at your desk or on your bed. My dorm room was kept at a chilly temperature almost always, so having a blanket at the ready was helpful for keeping me comfortable in my room. I highly recommend both of these bedding must haves.
Don’t Bring: any shared items your roommate is already bringing
Before you go out and get a vacuum, area rug, microwave, or shower curtain, make sure that your roommate isn't planning on bringing those things too. Not only will this save space in your car when you're packing for move in, it will also save you money and time shopping. Double check with your roommate about who is bringing what shared items and don't pack anything that they're already bringing!
Bring: vertical storage
Vertical storage solutions are incredibly helpful for making sure you can display all of your pictures and decorations without taking up valuable space on areas like your desk or dresser. I used a TV stand from ikea on top of my desk in order to create more space for books, pictures, decorations and other trinkets which allowed me to keep the top of my desk clear for my class work and laptop. Another great vertical storage solution that I found was hanging shelves for my closet. These shelves hung from a clothes hanger and let me stack my shoes and athletic wear leaving more room to hang my Marching Chiefs uniform and the few formal items I brought for various events. Make sure you take advantage of vertical storage in your room!
Don’t Bring: excessive or bulky dorm decorations
Decorating a dorm room is one way to make sure that your space feels authentic to you and is a comfortable place where you can relax and unwind. However, going overboard with too many decorations or super bulky items can quickly turn a dorm room into a cluttered mess. One mistake people make is bringing too many pillows for their dorm bed. Most dorm room beds are sized Twin XL meaning that all those pillows are likely to end up sitting on the floor instead of next to you in bed. Another decorating mistake some people make is bringing a lot of seasonal decor. Having a few small seasonal decorations can help get you into the holiday spirit, but going overboard can be more trouble than it's worth for a week or two of enjoyment. Make your dorm comfortable, but try not to go overboard! You'll save space, time and money by keeping your decorating to a reasonable limit.
Bring: a good laundry bag
Since laundry is on the bottom floor of many dorm buildings, it's important to get a laundry bag that you can use effectively, but also doesn't take up too much room. I think laundry bags that have an exterior pocket are great for always making sure you have a detergent pod or dryer sheet with you when you go to do laundry. Laundry bags with a solid plastic base and with canvas or fabric sides are also great because they can be folded down or collapsed so they don't take up too much room. Finally, make sure your laundry bag has a comfortable handle or strap to carry it full of clothes up and down stairs. These little details can make your laundry day a lot more convenient and a lot less of a hassle. Definitely make sure you bring this essential item!
Don’t Bring: ceramic dishes
I totally get the desire to bring these kinds of dishes to college, but realistically, bringing ceramic dishes to college is a mistake. If you're worried about your carbon footprint using paper plates and plastic utensils for every meal, I suggest getting some quality plastic plates like these from Target. These are lightweight, reusable, microwaveable, and easy to clean. Finding a happy medium between paper plates and ceramic dishes can help make your college experience more comfortable and encourage you to start getting into productive adulting routines like washing plates and utensils.
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