Nowadays, you can go on YouTube and search “What to Bring to College” and 3,000 videos will show up, all telling you to bring the same basic items. Every once in a while, however, a video will show someone telling their viewers to bring the most obscure items to college. I don’t know what school they go to, but they are obviously not dorming in an SDSU room. My freshman year I lived in a double in Olmeca, and while it was much more spacious than a triple, it was still tight. I cannot imagine how little room I would have if I had taken the advice of these YouTubers recommending I bring my entire closet and a thousand other trinkets. As I was going through my room in May packing up after my first year, I realized that I brought way too much stuff to college. That being said, here is what I found useful bringing to my dorm.

1. The basics. Your comforter, sheets, blankets and towels. There are the first things you should think about buying because they sell out the quickest.

2. An extra set of sheets. I will forever stand by having multiple sets of sheets, because when it's midterms week and you need to wash your sheets, you can just throw the backup sheets on your bed until you have time to do laundry.

3. A sturdy laundry bag. When I left for college I bought one of those backpack type laundry bags from Target, and halfway through the semester it was ripped and I had no place to put my laundry.

4. Toiletries in bulk. There is nothing worse than walking all the way to the shower (in your cheap shower flip-flops which I HIGHLY recommend) only to find that your shampoo is empty. It is such a hassle to buy toiletries in college as opposed to at home, because in most cases, you don’t have your car to drive to Target. So save yourself time and the hassle and just buy your shampoo and everything else in the largest container possible.

5. School supplies. Everyone always forgets that they’re actually going to college for class and not just to hang out. It is so much better to pack school supplies and have them ready on move in day than to be scrambling the night before classes to find notebooks, or paying way too much for the supplies in the bookstore.

6. You do not need your whole closet. I learned this the hard way when I showed up on move-in day with a full closet of clothes. About a month into school I realized that I hadn’t worn any of my winter clothes yet. I would suggest bringing your clothes seasonally, if this is possible. For those who can drive back and forth to home easily, this is much simpler, but if that is not the case for you, bring all of your winter clothes to school after winter break. It’s never cold enough for winter clothes in San Diego until January anyway.

7. Pictures of your family and friends. These are all of the decorations you really need for your room, especially if you plan on joining a sorority. Your walls will fill so quickly with crafts or ticket stubs and other miscellaneous things that bringing decorations galore will only crowd your already cramped room.

8. A desk lamp. If you prefer to study in your room, this can come in handy when you’re up working late and your roommate wants to go to sleep early. It is also a good source of light for your room, because usually dorms have low quality lighting.

9. A full-length mirror. If your dorm is anything like mine, the mirror is placed in the most awkward part of the room, and is not full sized. I would recommend getting a cheap full sized mirror from target and putting it on the back of your door or any other free part of your wall. This makes it so much easier to get dressed in the morning, and it will be in a much more accessible location.

10. An open mind. This one is obviously something you cannot pack up in a box, but it is so important, especially in college. You will meet people so different from yourself, and honestly, that is the most exciting part of college. Having an open mind about everything is the most important thing to bring with you. You may go into a class thinking you will hate it, and leaving at the semester loving the subject. You might meet someone who you would have never been friends with in high school and become best friends with them. Never be afraid to leave your comfort zone and go out of your way, especially during the first week, so you make a bunch of friends in your dorm, classes, and just around campus. These are the people you’ll spend the next (hopefully) four years with, so they will be very important. Most importantly, come into college ready for the best four years of your life!