6 Things You Don’t Need to Bring to College with You
Heading off to college for the first time this fall?
We know you're probably excited to start packing up your entire bedroom to begin moving into your dorm, but there are some high school essentials that are basically a no-no at a university. Not sure what to leave off your packing list? Here are a few things that you should definitely keep at home while you stay on campus.
A Speaker
Bringing your favorite portable speaker to school to jam out with your roommates might seem like an amazing idea, in theory, but that isn't always the case. In reality, the walls in most dorm rooms are very thin, so, make your neighbors happy and opt out of bringing loud music equipment. Don't worry—there are always going to be student events on campus where you can dance and sing your heart out, and a great pair of headphones is a lot more important.
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Junk Food
Please do not go to the grocery store and stock up on all of your favorite greasy snacks and sugary sodas. We mean it. The Freshman 15 is very real and can sneak up on you. Take advantage of all of the healthy food options that your campus has to offer and use this opportunity to change your unhealthy eating habits. Trust us, Cheetos will still be there for you when you head back home!
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Your Entire Wardrobe
When you're moving to campus in the fall, it simply doesn't make sense to bring your entire wardrobe for all four seasons. Dorms typically don't have much space to organize all of your clothing (you'll usually have a small closet and drawer), and too many options will make it harder to create your perfect daily outfits. Instead, focus on the clothes you know you'll need for the first semester, packing clothes with the intention of creating cute outfits and pairing tops and bottoms. Then, you can swap out your ensemble for the second semester when you go home for the holidays.
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An Alarm Clock
The reality of college is that it is highly likely that you will have some early morning classes. The dreaded 8 a.m. classes are real. At the same time, you still have to be mindful of others. If you have an alarm clock that goes off at 7 a.m., it will also wake up your roommate, who might not be thrilled about the early disturbance. Luckily, there are a few alternatives to waking up to an alarm. Ideally, you can talk to an advisor and try to push your classes to later in the day, or you can try to go to sleep at an earlier time, and get your body to naturally start waking up earlier on its own. If that doesn't work, using the least irritating alarm sound on your phone (which you can quickly deactivate) will do the trick.
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Fitness Equipment
You do not need to pack dumbbells when you head off to school. Most U.S. colleges have amazing gym facilities where you can use all of the equipment for free, as the fee is included in your tuition. Take advantage of this resource and try to lighten your moving load. Instead, feel free to bring small items that'll help you maximize your gym time, like your favorite water bottle, yoga mat and earbuds.
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A Vlogging Camera
Your four-year college experience comes and goes quickly, so live in the moment! Instead of trying to capture every moment on camera, spend time with friends, join clubs and don't worry about how many videos you get of your memories. Instead, we recommend bringing along a Polaroid camera to snap spontaneous pictures of you and your friends at college over the years. It will make for a great photo collage to look back on your memories!
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Now, these are all of the things that you need to leave at home. But, if you want to know about dorm essentials that you didn't know you needed, we might be able to help you HERE.