What NOT to Bring to College: 5 Things You Don’t Need

By Miranda Darling

Don’t be the student that moves their entire life into their tiny college dorm space. If you’re unsure about what will actually be necessary when you’re off at college on your own, here is a small list of items that, despite what mom and dad or you might be telling yourself, you can indeed live without!

1. Every piece of clothing you’ve ever worn

Do not bring all of your clothes to college! You won’t need them. Yes you probably won’t be able to go clothing shopping while you’re at college, but that’s a good thing! When packing clothes, if it’s something you haven’t worn more than 5 times in one year, leave it at home. All the clothing you bring to college should total roughly aone large suitcase and a laundry basket. That’s it!

Space is precious and having too many clothes will create way more headaches than it will solve. I promise!

2. Old school work/textbooks from high school

Unless you had an amazing teacher in high school that gave you college level notes to study from, don’t bring any of your old books/school work with you. They won’t be helpful and they will take up space. You will need that space for the new school work you will accumulate throughout the year.

3. A printer

If you already have a printer at home that is yours and you really think it’s worth bringing, then it’s not the end of the world. But definitely don’t go out and buy one just for college.

There are numerous places to print on campus–some of which are free–that are more than adequate for your printing needs. Plus it will force you to actually visit your school library or academic buildings, which can be a much more study-conducive environment than your dorm.

4. Bathmats or Shower mats

These may seem like a good idea in  theory, but in reality, they are a nightmare.

They get really dirty and are impossible to clean, and you will be wearing shower shoes anyway. Plus a lot of drains in college dorm showers are in the middle of the floor, and you can’t exactly cover your shower drain with a mat and expect it to work.

5. Large Storage Totes

You should be able to fit all of your belongings into a dresser, desk and maybe one to two small storage containers. If you bring in a bunch of large storage containers, that means that you need to find a place to stash them all year. Large storage totes honestly shouldn’t be necessary. If they are, consider downsizing what you’re bringing even further.

Good luck packing!

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