Back to school shopping is the best and worst time of the year. My whole life I've been in love with back to school shopping, but no kid ever wants to go back to school. That all changes once you get into college, though. Now I'm counting down the days until I get to go back!
I also used to have a weird obsession with the back to college checklists that were available at stores. I would always have to snag one, even if I was just going into eighth grade.
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| Like this one from Target |
When it finally came to shopping for dorm supplies I thought the checklists were super helpful. But now that I've gone through a full year at college I see that some stuff was really unnecessary and others I wouldn't have survived without.
As we all know, dorms are tiny! So don't bring stuff that you're not going to use because it will only take up space and clutter the closet that you call home. Here are some things I encountered and the tips that I think everyone should know.
1.) Too many shoes
I have a chronic problem of overpacking always and nothing changed when I
packed for college. I brought maybe 12 pairs of shoes because I wanted to be
prepared for any and all occasion. Huge mistake. I ended up bringing about 5
pairs home over Thanksgiving because I hadn't touched them once
Tip: Only bring the shoes that you regularly wear at home. You are not going to wear the three pairs of high heels that you're thinking of bringing.
2.) Ironing
It may seem smart to bring an iron but you're wrong. First of all it takes so much work to heat up an iron, find a spot that you can iron on and actually do it. I bought an iron and an ironing pad and tried to use it the first week and it was a complete disaster. The ironing pad just slide around everywhere and my shirt wouldn't lay flat.
Tip: Buy the Go Mini Steamer!!! I got one for Christmas and I never thought I'd be more excited about a steamer but it is literally the best present I've ever gotten. (I sound like a mom -_-)
3.) Seasonal clothing
If you school isn't too far from home and you know you'll be going back home sometimes, then there's no need to bring everything at one time. I brought some summer stuff and my fall clothes when I first moved in. Then after Thanksgiving I brought all of my winter clothes. Then I brought my spring clothes back after spring break.
Tip: It saves space not bringing all of your clothes at one time and you need to save as much space as you can.
4.) You can fit everything under your bed!
My closet was small, and my dresser drawers were overflowing last year. It's hard to cram your whole life into a tiny room. Most dorm beds are able to be raised and lowered. I raised mine at the beginning of the year to fit my fridge underneath. Then when I dropped half a bag of goldfish under my bed I had to crawl down there to clean it up and realized that there was so much space!!
Tip: Raise your bed to the highest setting and buy a bunch of those tri-drawers from Target for extra storage. I put everything from sweaters to all my snacks in them.
Tip: shop for your dorm like your shopping for your bedroom. Only buy things that you know you would need/use at home because you're not turning into a completely knew person at school, trust me.
I hope my stupid mistakes are helpful to you in some way. If they don't apply to you or they weren't useful, oh well. No matter what you pack, just make sure you also bring your great personalty and be ready to meet new people and have the time of your life.
Tip: You're going to make great friends in college, but not everyone you meet in the first week is going to stay with you until the last week. Be open to new opportunities and new relationships.
(that got real cheesy real fast, sorry)
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| this one's from Target |
3.) Seasonal clothing
If you school isn't too far from home and you know you'll be going back home sometimes, then there's no need to bring everything at one time. I brought some summer stuff and my fall clothes when I first moved in. Then after Thanksgiving I brought all of my winter clothes. Then I brought my spring clothes back after spring break.
Tip: It saves space not bringing all of your clothes at one time and you need to save as much space as you can.
4.) You can fit everything under your bed!
My closet was small, and my dresser drawers were overflowing last year. It's hard to cram your whole life into a tiny room. Most dorm beds are able to be raised and lowered. I raised mine at the beginning of the year to fit my fridge underneath. Then when I dropped half a bag of goldfish under my bed I had to crawl down there to clean it up and realized that there was so much space!!
Tip: Raise your bed to the highest setting and buy a bunch of those tri-drawers from Target for extra storage. I put everything from sweaters to all my snacks in them.
5.) If you won't use it at home, you probably won't use it at college
When I started dorm shopping I was going for a turquoise theme. So anytime I saw something that color I needed it! For this reason I made a lot of dumb useless purchases. I bought one of those lap desks, a brita pitcher and a mini lamp that clips onto things because they matched my bedding. I used all of them a total of zero times! Tip: shop for your dorm like your shopping for your bedroom. Only buy things that you know you would need/use at home because you're not turning into a completely knew person at school, trust me.
I hope my stupid mistakes are helpful to you in some way. If they don't apply to you or they weren't useful, oh well. No matter what you pack, just make sure you also bring your great personalty and be ready to meet new people and have the time of your life.
Tip: You're going to make great friends in college, but not everyone you meet in the first week is going to stay with you until the last week. Be open to new opportunities and new relationships.
(that got real cheesy real fast, sorry)
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