Packing for College

College acceptance and the packing frenzy

You have just been accepted into college, the stress of having written several essays to several schools has worn off, and you are currently in a state of euphoria because you are finally going off to live on your own in college. Your parents are proud of you for choosing to further your education and your mother has all of a sudden become emotional because you are leaving her nest. All these things happen pretty quickly and before you know it, it’s summer and you have to begin preparing to leave. There is no easy way to leave home, especially if you were attached to your parents. However, for a few people, college is an excellent opportunity to set up their wings to fly. The endless possibilities that await them beckon to them. Life could not be better and more enjoyable.

Preparing for this next phase in your life requires more than just the the psychological shift in your mind that you need to get ready. You also need to prepare financially to be responsible for money and materially to get what you need in order to go. Compiling the list of what you need for your first year in college can be interesting because it seems as if you are moving out of home, yet you do not have a big enough place to carry all your goodies from when you were eleven. Choosing what to take and what to leave behind becomes one of the most difficult things to do because the chances are, the next time you come back, you will have no need for what you left behind. Therefore, leaving then this one time probably means leaving them forever, and you’ve got to move on.

Your College Checklist

Choosing what to take and what to leave behind can be daunting, especially since you might have to part with these things forever. In addition to what you already have, you might need to get other things to help cushion and prepare you for your life alone. It will be as if you are moving to start life on your own so you do need a few essentials to get you going. Some people wait until they are at college to start buying things they need however, in order for your first night not to resemble that of a homeless person, your bag should carry more than a few essentials so that once you get there, you do have what you need.

Before you start packing though, there are some things you need to be sure of.

1.  Your kind of accommodation- Where you are going to stay dictates tithe kind of things you would need to pack. If you are staying in a dorm room, definitely you might have a bed with a mattress and a table to yourself, or not, but knowing that you are staying in a dorm gives you perspective on what you include to your essentials.
2.  The space you are allocated- Student accommodations are not the biggest of spaces. You might have just a few feet to yourself so over packing might make your room crammed. This is the reason why you need only what is important when it comes to things to keep at home. If would be great if you got the opportunity to visit the school beforehand, interact with the student accommodation services so that you can get a rough idea of what to expect. If you are lucky, with a tour of the campus will come a tour of the living arrangements. There you can make some observations and have them influence your next choices.
3.  The school’s provision- Although usually meager, knowing what is provided for you already can help you decide what to carry, especially because you do not want to bring along things that you would not use and then at the end of the day, it becomes clutter in your room. The school most of the time provides a list of things they make available to students. Get hold of that list and then begin your shopping along those lines. That way, you are assured that you will not carry anything that has no benefit to you in school. Also some schools have strict rules about what is allowed in the dorm. Getting a list of that too can help to keep you out of trouble. That way, you can pack with a clearer head and know exactly what it is you need and what you don’t need.

What you need to carry

Everything you need to carry can be divided into large blocks. These are things you need for everyday life, so pack like you are setting up a home.

•  Room furnishers and sentimental things
•  Laundry supplies
•  Cooking utensils
•  Clothing
•  Bathroom essentials

Now breaking up the list, there are different things you should take under each broad area.

•  Room furnishers and sentimental things- Get things you would need in your bedroom. Add a foldable chair for convenience, you could pick your favorite teddy for those lonely nights and a picture or two of your family.

Get a great colored bedsheet with enough covers in case you need to change them. Carry along slippers, a carpet if the room is not carpeted and add a few touches of individuality to it. Do not forget your blankets and pillows, night light, reading light and things to make yourself comfortable.

•  Laundry supplies- This is where life gets serious. Carry along hangers for clothes, a laundry baskets and supplies for washing namely fabric softeners, detergents, washing soaps, wipes and anything else you might need to keep your space clean. Add some cleaning utensils like a rug, some soap for cleaning, a scrubbing brush, gloves, mop, broom, and a bucket.
•  Bathroom supplies- Get things you would need to bath with, including a sponge, bathroom slippers, bathing soap, a bathrobe, towel and other essentials. Do not forget to add toilet paper and air refreshers.

When packing for school, have a checklist so that you would know what you have packed and what is left behind. That way, you will never be overwhelmed when it comes to packing for college. Cheers to an exciting new year!