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Bringing the EssentialsJun 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Pack smart and remember the little things. Don't bring it if you're not going to use it. Quarters and plastic hooks are a must! Packing to go off to college is a daunting task. Not only are you trying to move yourself quite possibly many hours from home, you're also trying to make your new home-away-from-home into a home, and still fit into the dorm room! College and dorm life is all about taking advantage of what you have available to use. This is, actually, much easier than you think it is. Clothes Naturally, you'll want to bring clothes. what I always did was pack everything but the heaviest sweaters (since I figured I would come home for holidays and could pick them up then) that I was going to bring. Of course, this all depends on knowing the weather where you're going to be in school. However, keep in mind that your closet isn't likely to be any wider than twice the width of a standard door -- that's not a lot of room, when you consider it has to hold all your stuff! Be ruthless. Are you really going to wear that mint-green shirt with the star cut-outs? If it's something you probably will have little use for, don't bring it. You can always get it mailed to you later if you find you want it anyway. Bring comfortable clothes as well as a few nicer and fun things for going out in. My college wardrobe was t-shirts, jeans, and a few favorite button-down shirts and favorite long skirts and sundresses. Electronics TV, stereo, alarm clock and phone with answering machine. Save space! Try to get a telephone-answering machine combo if your school doesn't have voice mail. A TV is nice although, for me, not a must. Still, having one is nice. Stereo -- same explanation as the TV. The alarm clock (one that works well) is a self-explanatory, though, isn't it? You'll probably want to call your roommate and arrange to split up what you'll bring, but trust me -- take your own alarm clock. You'll be happier if you have only yourself to blame for oversleeping. Appliances Refrigerator, hot plate and microwave. But check with your school on regulations, first. Many schools don't allow microwaves, so you should make sure they do before you haul it with you. If they do, though, bring a small one and it will keep you in quick snacks. Miniature refrigerators are wonderful for those leftovers -- or for your secret stash of Kool Aid. You can often rent one of these from the school, but it might be more cost effective to just buy one outright. The Trivialities And these aren't so trivial as you might think! But, they're easily overlooked. Quarters: Quarters are your lifeblood in college. Seriously. I still have the habit of saving quarters and using them last, even though I own my own washer and dryer -- and that's what you'll use quarters for. they do your laundry. They pay for snacks. They'll even work in the drive-through if you're short on cash. You can never have enough of them -- in fact when I'm asked what to give a new college Freshman, I invariably answer quarters. Self-stick Hooks: You can pick these up at your college bookstore, or Target (or any other big place like that.) Since you usually can't put holes in your walls, removable hooks are great. My favorites for small items were the ones that had wax on the back. Very clean and easy to remove. Hang your keys next to the door so you don't forget them. Hang your robe. Hang anything and everything, if it will make a good space-saving thing! Spiral Notebooks: This is personal preference, but I would strongly recommend using either nice spiral notebooks with pockets, or legal pads in a cover. They'll keep your notes neat and together without the risk of accidentally tearing out like loose-leaf, and if they have clean perforations you can turn your homework in that way, too! I'd only recommend using traditional three-ring binders if you're going to have to be moving pages around a lot. Cinder blocks: Yes, cinder blocks. If your school allows you to put your bed up on blocks (or even better yet, to loft your bed), do it. This creates extra storage space. With your bed up, you'll have more room for your books, boxes, all sorts of things. Take advantage of that space. You should be able to buy these at the beginning of the year at any garden place -- or even Kmart. Utensils: A plastic plate or two, big plastic cups, and a small set of silverware. You'll be amazed at how often you might find yourself eating in your room -- from cooking small meals, to making coffee, to bringing dinner back when you're in the midst of studying. Don't Bring: Anything you really, really care about or anything that is just too cumbersome to bring home easily. If you do that, you'll find yourself using storage space at the end of the year to stow your stuff over the summer. Don't bring extra furniture, either, unless you're positive it will fit. Your best bet is to wait and buy any of that stuff after you're there in collaboration with your roommate. Try to assess what you need and don't need, talk to people, and read other opinions. You'll refine as you grow more experienced, but it's easy to overpack. Good luck!  |
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