College Life Future Students

What to Bring to College

At the end of last semester, I packed up all of my belongings, lugged crates and suitcases down six flights of stairs, and made my way home for the summer. Since arriving on campus two years ago, I have definitely accumulated quite a bit of stuff. As I cleaned out my closet, I thought of a few simple ideas to keep in mind while packing for the fall.

1.) Be a minimalist.

This is your chance, so take it as a challenge! Ask yourself what you use every single day—this is what you need to pack. Things like clothes, toiletries, and linens are given. You will be going to class, possibly working, and doing homework most of the time. Although you can time-manage to play sports, have fun with friends, and do all sorts of extracurricular activities, you won't be spending much dead time in your room. College life is busy, and you will use only what you need.

You’re probably asking yourself, “Ok but what if I pack so lightly that I end up needing something I didn’t bring?” I have found that buying something when I need it is much better than storing stuff I never use. So when you’ve been at college for two years, you won’t have to take quite as many loads down six flights of stairs as I did. 🙂

2.) Maximize space.

And here we have another challenge! You will be living with up to three other people, some of whom will be upperclassmen (remember what I said about accumulating stuff?). After you have minimized what you need to bring, brainstorm about how to fit it in your future room. The residence hall rooms are designed to have lots of storage space. From under the bed space to closet shelves, desk cubbies, and dresser drawers, you will be allotted around a fourth of everything. Storage items like shoe hangers, under the bed bins, and plastic storage drawers provide a place for everything and fit well in the room.

3.) Keep Calm...and pack light.

Emphasis on the keep calm. Seriously though, I've given some basic tips to help you in your packing, but if you’re anything like me, you’re a little anxious about having to move all of your stuff. Although there’s an aspect of packing that will always be stressful, remember the best part is unpacking! After you get on campus and find a place for everything on a shelf, in a cubby, or in a drawer, you can breathe a sigh of relief! So happy packing and feel free to comment if you have any packing questions.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.
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