College invites so many awesome opportunities, how in the world are you supposed to pack for them all? From theme parties to networking events to department dinners to dates to comfy class clothes, just trying to fit your wardrobe into the family SUV is going to be difficult. Add on top of that your bedding, workout or sports equipment, and everything you need to decorate your dorm, and you’ll be lucky if both parents can fit in to drop you off. And beside gipping your mom of a goodbye hug, you don’t want to look a massive tool pulling up to the dorm with twice as much stuff as everyone else, but you also don’t want to be the only kid who didn’t bring speakers, do you?
Here’s a tip: you don’t need speakers in a dorm room. And you don’t need to bring everything at once, either. If you’re starting to stress about what to pack for college, take a deep breath and shoot your future roommate an e-mail. Your school probably already sent you his or her contact information, and it wasn’t just so you could say "hi." Ask them what kinds of stuff they’re planning on bringing, and share what you have, too, so that you don’t end up with doubles. Mini fridges, radios, TVs, drying racks and full-length mirrors all take up a lot of space, and you don’t need duplicates.
Depending on where you live and where you go to school, you probably don’t have to pack your entire wardrobe either. If you can make it home during Thanksgiving and the weather in your school’s city won’t have gotten too cold yet, don’t worry about packing all of your sweaters and coats in August. You can bring home your summer and early fall clothes during the holidays, and then return home for them during Spring Break or Easter break.
If you still need to weed out a few of the items you were planning on taking, honestly look at your list and cross off any things that you haven’t actually used in the last few months. Are you convinced that you’re going to take up tennis in college but haven’t played since 8th grade? Do you plan on meeting girls by playing your guitar, which you haven’t picked up in years? Be realistic about your extracurriculars and the supplies you think you need. Also find out what the campus loans out, or just consider buying used items once you move, and if you decide you really need them.
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