Ya girl’s back with Part 2 of “University Year One”! I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how I packed for college, so hopefully this helps!
If your school provides a packing list, use that and one other one that you should find online to make a personal packing list. If there is a Bed Bath and Beyond near your school, USE THAT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. BBB has a great system called Pack and Hold where you can go to your local store, scan the items you want, and pick them up at your school’s BBB. This will save you tons of space and energy. Compare the sales tax between your hometown and your university’s area - for example, taxes are much higher where my college is, so I decided to buy a lot of necessities at home to save money.
Collect all the suitcases you can, or buy a set at Costco. Packing for college for me was kind of like playing Tetris - I just fit everything I could in the suitcases, then shoved everything else in the spaces.
Rule of thumb for clothes: if you haven’t worn it in the last 3-4 months, don’t bring it. I had to send so many clothes back home because I never wore them and they were taking up space. Your dorm room is TINY, so don’t be sentimental about anything. Bring only the necessities. That being said, the only thing I indulged in taking to university was a huge stuffed animal. It’s good to bring at least one or two items of comfort to school, in case you get homesick.
Don’t worry about “forgetting to pack anything”; there will always be a store to pick up items, and if anything, as a broke college student, you can always borrow things from others or improvise. The weather may also be drastically different from what you’re used to, so you could be looking at an entire wardrobe change.
If it’s possible, see what your room layout is like and what furniture you’re provided with before buying anything. I found out that my room had both a closet and dresser, so I had no need for any storage space except a flatbed container that I just store under my bed for extra crap.
Stock up at Costco and keep a drawer for extra supplies- I have one in my desk that just has toothbrushes, tissues, Ziploc bags, paper, contact solution, Tide pods, etc. It’s SO useful because I never have to make time-consuming trips to the store.
Keep your desk area neat. A lot of people say that they can’t focus and be productive in their rooms, and most of the time, it’s because their rooms are messy and create an environment of laziness and procrastination. Clean your desk every night before bed, and I guarantee that you will be able to work well in your room.
Do your laundry every week. I’m serious - laundry can definitely pile up, and it’s good to keep a weekly habit and to also always have available clothes. Pick a day and time that others won’t be doing laundry - so not Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I typically do my laundry Tuesdays mid-morning because most people are in class, and it motivates me to not sleep in and waste time. You should also be washing your sheets every other week.
Chances are, your freshman roommate will not be your best friend. But as long as you can get along with them, count yourself lucky. People will most likely form a “Roommate Search” Facebook group, so use that to post an introduction to yourself and find potential roommates. Talk to 3-5 people before deciding on who to room with.
BEFORE you move in, establish ground rules with your roommate. For example, my roommate and I have agreed that if one of us is asleep, the other can’t work in the room, and we can’t bring boys back if the other is in the room.
If you have roommate conflicts, talk to your roommate first about it. Don’t complain to other people, because that usually comes back to your roommate and will make things even more awkward. If all else fails, go to your RA.
Download Venmo; it’s the easiest way to transfer money between college students. Don’t spend all your money on food!! Just don’t do it!! Those small purchases of boba or coffee can add up so quickly, and before you know it, you’re broke. I keep track of all my purchases in a Microsoft Excel sheet; that way, I can see where I spend my money the most, and I can determine where to cut back on spending. I also use Unidays and Likeacoupon for discounts; always look for and ask about student discounts. This and this are good guides.
Dorm sickness is a real thing; once your roommate gets sick, it’s pretty much over. Stock up on Emergen-C or Airborne, and use one when you see/hear that someone’s sick.
Take advantage of your school’s medical center, too. If you’re sick before an exam, make an appointment the day before in case. Most professors will need a doctor’s note in order to drop or allow a retake of the exam.
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titsay
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