Photo by Nicole Wolf on Unsplash
Packing for college is exciting. You imagine how cute your room will be, what your new roommates will be like, and how different you’ll be from high school. Chances are if you’re like me, you read hundreds of “what to pack for college” lists while you were filling your suitcases. Living in a dorm is different from living in apartment housing for college students, and luckily for me, I got to live in an apartment with five other girls. But, this meant we were all bringing stuff and sharing limited space… so, here’s a list of ten things I wish I didn’t bring.
Shower Curtain
When you get to school, you’ll know if you need to purchase a shower curtain or not. There is probably a Target or Walmart close to your school that you can run to for necessities. Many people leave their shower curtains behind once they move, so you might score by inheriting one. Just throw it in the wash and it’s good as new.
Iron & Ironing Board
Unless you get a mini one, ironing boards take up a lot of space, and so does the iron itself. You’ll be surprised by the lack of storage space in your college apartment, so consider leaving the ironing supplies at home.
Broom / Vacuum
I’m not sure if I just lucked out, but each apartment I lived in provided a broom and vacuum for us. Even if not each apartment had a vacuum, the complex had a few communal ones to sign out and use. Before you haul a broom and dustpan with you to school or go and buy a brand new vacuum, check with your apartment to see if you’ll need one. Better yet, find out once you get there.
Shower Caddy
If you live in an apartment, this is an unnecessary purchase. Some apartments will have two bathrooms in the apartment to provide for all the tenants, so there will be places to leave your shampoo and conditioner. Unless you are worried about your roommates using or taking your stuff, you can just leave it in the shower.
Cooking Tools
The kitchen is something you’ll want to discuss with your roommates before you move in. Do they share dishes? What kind of pans are there to use? Is there anything they don’t have that they wish they did? Most of my roommates shared sheet pans, casserole dishes, kitchen utensils, and plates and bowls, so I didn’t need to buy much. Having too many kitchen supplies can overload the cupboards and drawers and cut back on pantry space.
Mini-Fridge
For some reason, I always thought mini-fridges were cool. I never bought one though, and I’m glad I didn’t. Though it did get a little snug sometimes, sharing one fridge with my roommates was fine. Unless someone put an entire pot in the fridge or there were three separate gallons of milk, there was plenty of room for food.
Storage Bins
Storage bins are awesome for moving. So it was a super huge bummer when there was nowhere to put the bins after I unpacked. Depending on where you live, there might be space under the bed or on shelves in the closet, but make sure you know the dimensions before you plan on keeping all your bins with you at school.
DVDs & Books
Utilizing space is key when it comes to college dorms and apartments. You’ll already have stacks of textbooks, so there’s no reason to bring all your favorite paperbacks to school with you too. Chances are you won’t even have time to read them. Instead of bringing DVDs to school, buy a Hulu or Netflix subscription. You won’t have to pack as much or find a spot for them later.
High School T-Shirts
College is a new era. It’s a time to reinvent yourself and stop wearing all the shirts you accumulated in high school. Trust me, they’ll give you plenty of free t-shirts in college, so there’s no need to pile every item of clothing into your suitcase to bring to college.
Decor
Despite what Pinterest may think, you don’t need Christmas lights to make your college apartment. You also don’t need a tapestry, stuffed animals, knick-knacks, or succulents. But, they can be cute. Who knows, your roommate might already have something and you can enjoy the way their side of the room looks while saving some space and cash in the meantime.
Decide what you’ll need when you move in. You’ll save yourself from over-packing and over-spending if you communicate with your roommates and hold off on your purchases.