Decision day has officially passed, and most students are now in the full blown mindset of getting to college and all of the things that need to be done leading up to that. When I look around my room now, I see things that are completely being used, or I have used at some point. If you asked me if this was the case last year, I would have said absolutely not. Let’s face it, packing for college can be hard, and most likely you will over pack. Being away from home makes it seem as if you need every single little thing that you could possibly think of, even if you never used it at home.
I decided to look retrospectively into my packing list for my first year of college, as well as ask a few others about what they packed, but never ended up using or needing.
1. Heels
If you aren’t planning on rushing a sorority, or dating a fraternity guy, these are unnecessary. I brought one or two pairs of heels my first year, and ended up taking them home halfway through the year. Being in Santa Barbara means that flip flops are the footwear of choice, and not being in a sorority pretty much left me with no occasion that needed heels, which gave me added room in my closet for other shoes.
PRO TIP: If you plan on being in a sorority, or go to school in a big city where the nightlife attire is heels, definitely pack a pair or two.
2. Clothes you never wore at home
For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to pack basically my whole closet, including the stuff I never wore. Basically, if you don’t wear it at home, you won’t wear it at school. Trust me on this one. Additionally, if you wear ever single thing in your closet, don’t pack it all, you will not have room, and you will be able to swap things out when you go home for breaks.
3. Leisure Books
I know multiple people, including myself, that have brought books to read for fun, and pretty much no one touches them all year, especially if you are on the quarter system. I recommend bringing no more than two books for leisure reading, and also, if you never read for fun at home, you won’t be reading for fun in college. With that being said, if you have the time to read for fun, absolutely do it! It has helped me reduce my stress and feel a lot calmer when I get the chance to.
4. Mini Tool Kit
While this can really come in handy, most dorms have tools you can use at the front desk, and also, if you don’t know how to use any of the tools, it’s probably not a great idea to bring them. This is just a space waster.
5. Flat Iron
I never ever straighten my hair, so why did I think I needed to bring a flat iron with me to school? This can be applied to any hair appliance too. If you don’t blow dry or curl your hair at home, you won’t be doing so in college either. Know yourself and your habits, and then decide what to pack from there.