Packing for First Year
It’s mid frosh-week, and as I’ve become settled into the dorm life style, I thought I could share what I have learned over the past few days.
When I packed I made a list on google sheets with multiple categories (clothing, toiletries, utilities, dishes, school supplies, weather gear, etc.) and I found that laying out exactly what I needed to bring before I began packing helped me think of things I may have forgotten otherwise. Despite my best efforts, there were areas in which I did not pack accordingly. Keeping in mind that all schools vary in their structure, this is my top 5 list of things to consider if you are moving into residence:
1. Bring a small card holder or flexible wallet and lanyard. Many residence buildings require key cards, student cards as ID, and physical keys to open your room. You will not want to have to carry a wallet/backpack/purse everywhere you go, so invest in a way to store these items compactly.
2. Bring slippers and a bathrobe. Sometimes you may just want to travel down the hall or the lobby, and putting on sneakers or boots will be unnecessary. Slippers or crocs are a great multi-purpose piece of footwear, and a bathrobe is great for wearing on your way to the showers and for when you are cold in the mornings.
3. Bring reusable water bottles. These are key for when you’re travelling around campus, and they prevent you from having to pay the ridiculous cafeteria prices.
4. Have a small backpack/purse that is easy to carry around. You don’t want to bring your whole knapsack every time you need to pick something up from the campus store or bring a jacket with you.
5. When packing a snack bin, don’t forget liquids! Juice boxes, juice, iced tea, sparkling water, etc. will all be your best friends (especially during the hotter weather).
I’m sure as the semester goes on I will have more packing insight, but as of right now I have determined the most useful things are what helps you travel around campus with minimal bulk and maximum convenience. Just something to keep in mind!
JM
