The first school day is fast approaching. High school graduates are busy preparing for the things they need on campus. They have visited various web pages to check the list of the supplies they might need on campus. Are you one of them? Let me tell you a little secret.
What Not to Bring to College
Preparing for college comes with a little confusion. You are aware college dorm rooms are small, and you need to share, On the other hand, you were handed an unending list of things you need to carry. Worry not, there are some items that you may never use in college, no matter how bloggers have convinced you to take them.
The space within the tiny shared dorm room is so precious; utilize it wisely. Do not clutter it with items that you will need daily- or things that will disturb other people’s peace.
The list below highlights what NOT to bring to college.
Your Library
You love books, that is why you worked so hard to secure a place in college. You love novels, history or scientific publications. You have an extensive collection of them. Time to time, you go through favorite Mary McGarry novel. But do you know they will occupy a vast space?
You can carry a few books with you; the school library has all genre of books. You will get all you need at the school library. Save up that precious space by leaving the books at home.
High School T-shirts
You collected a lot of Tees back in high school. Some are souvenirs from friends. They are so cute and soft. But do you need to carry them to college? I think not.
You will only need the t-shirts on a few occasions; probably sleeping, working out, evening walks or relaxing.
During the first weeks in college, there will be plenty of promotions and sales drive by local stores. You will receive plenty of T-shirts. You will end up having so many of them; you will need to dispose of others. Your favorite high school t-shirt becomes useless. It will lie at the base of your suitcase, eating up the much-needed space.
Furniture
It is cute and fun having a well-designed sofa, but where will you place it?
Leave those sofas, desk chairs, extra desks or any other piece of furniture at home. Colleges provide all the furniture that is necessary for studies.
Adding furniture to that tiny room will eat up at the space you need for other useful items.
Too Many Formal Dresses
Dresses are cute. You need formal dresses for those special occasions.
You are aware that college students hold various events. A few, maybe three, formal dresses will serve the purpose. Save up your closet space by leaving your formal dresses at home.
You will likely spend the first year in college finding out the clubs and fraternities you want to join. Most of them hold events at the end of the year. However, most students attend in casual wear for comfort. Sometimes, the schools do not allow first-year students into such events. You will find that you do not need more than three dresses in the entire year.
Out of Season Clothes
Let the clothes you carry align with the seasons that will find you in school. You can always have a wardrobe swap when you go home for breaks.
It is unnecessary filling your wardrobe with winter jackets during summer. Do not carry them to school.
Impractical Shoes
College activities entail a lot of walking and standing. Wearing bulky or heeled shoes is uncomfortable and tiresome.
You can carry one or two heeled shoes for those photo moments. Having plenty of them will clutter your tiny room.
It is only reasonable to have more pairs of sneakers in college- they allow you to run errands without getting exhausted.
A better Mattress
You would be fortunate if you found a new mattress in college. In most cases, the mattress has been in use for years. It is thin and uncomfortable, but you are not allowed to replace it.
You can have a pillow of your choice. The beddings and the comforter are of the quality you want. However, you have to use that old mattress.
The only thing you can do to make it comfy is to purchase a Classic Memory Foam Twin XL Mattress Topper. It will give you extra comfort, and you will sleep better than your peers.
You can find our recommended mattress topper here on Amazon!
Appliances
It is tempting to carry a few electrical tools for your convenience.
It’s true, you might need that coffee in the middle of the night, or warm your food at odd hours.
Several colleges offer the services of the appliances all around the clock. They are placed strategically for all to access them. You, therefore, need not clutter your room with items that are already available in the college.
A blender
All the life you advocate healthy living and a healthy lifestyle. You love taking a glass of fresh smoothie every morning. Therefore, having a blender sounds like an excellent idea.
Once you are a resident of the campus, you will realize morning hours are quiet and peaceful. You do not want to be the one disturbing peace for everyone.
The walls of the dorm rooms are thin; therefore, you will disturb students across walls who may have slept late due to various circumstances.
There are various DIY beverages that you can prepare in college dorms without using a blender. Go for those alternatives to maintain peace with other students.
Unless you are to live in an apartment off-campus, do not bring a noisy blender.
A Cable TV and DVD
You are accustomed to having a TV in your room. You go attached to several shows, and you can’t imagine missing an episode. The idea of buying a TV is tempting, but you might end up returning it home after the first semester.
Be smart, stream your show online and watch the episodes without advert interruptions.
Netflix has faced out DVDs; no one needs them in this era.
Fairy Lights
These lights make your room cozy. You love them because they help you relax after a long stressful day. However, colleges have strict rules against them.
Fairy lights are potential fire hazards. A simple electric malfunction and the entire building is up in flames.
Spare that luggage space by leaving your favorite fairy lights at home. Chances are, you will not be allowed to hang them.
Full Dishware set
You need plates and cup to take your meals. Having a couple of them is essential. However, it is impractical carrying complete dishware set to that tiny dorm room.
During mealtime, all you need is to fill your plate and jump onto your bed.
A dishware set has items enough for four people. In college, you only need items for one person. The extra dishware items will occupy unnecessary space in your room.
Sometimes, this dishware is not useful at all. If you are going to be taking your meals at the school dining hall, they will provide all the dishware, rendering your dishware set useless.
Wall Calendar
In this digital era, who needs a physical calendar?
Many young people use google calendar. It’s so reliable since you access it through your phone; hence, you have it everywhere.
Some people like to keep their weekly plan on a visible wall. You can, therefore, have a whiteboard calendar. As days pass by, you will find that it is tedious to keep on updating analogue schedules.
Alternatively, have a portable planner that you will be carrying in your backpack
High school Drama
There’s a lot that happened in high school. You developed several grudges in the process. However, that was just a stage of growth; it was necessary for your emotional growth.
As you step into adulthood, train yourself to handle situations in a more mature manner. Let go of all the old grudges; you need to start a new chapter in life.
Anything Your College Provides
Before you purchase anything, reach out to your college to find out what they provide.
It will be unnecessary to duplicate the items that the college provides.
Life in college should be as easy as possible. Try to save as much space as you can. The only way to ensure you do not duplicate things is by getting in touch with the school administration. They will give you full information on what they provide, allow and forbid in dorm rooms.
Conclusion
Space is so precious in college. Everything you purchase should be essential and occupy the least possible space.
If you found yourself with items you do not use for more than two weeks, send them home and declutter your room.
You can wait to get to school and discuss with your roommate on what items you can buy to avoid duplicate items.
Don’t miss our ultimate summer bucket list for college students. Read more here!