Everything but the kitchen sink

What you do and don’t need to pack for your college dorm

Your dorm will feel about as big as a walk-in closet. It is an age-old fact that you can’t fit the contents of your room at home into your dorm room. And you’ll need to survive a whole school year in this space – probably with a roommate. So it’s worth it to plan ahead and be super smart in your packing.

It seems like there are two types of people: the one who packs like they are headed to Europe for two years and the one who packs like they’re headed to a sleepover. There is a fine balance. This newsletter article will attempt to shed some light.

Dorm room essentials

Yes, the essentials are essential—but please be aware of the dorm “nonessentials”

Essential: fridge, microwave, bed sheets, comforter, shower caddy, laundry basket, fan, sticky hanging supplies, etc. For a great list of tried and true essentials, and tried and true nonessentials — here are two articles that lay it all out very nicely and from which you could basically create a packing list:

It’s a new life experience

Also, equally as important as packing wisely for your freshman year is getting a heads up about what dorm life might be like for you. It’s definitely a fun and exciting new chapter. You will have the opportunity to live in a community with lots of peers, creating stories that will stand the test of time – good and bad. Here are 30 tips provided by author Robyn Tellefsen of the College Bound Network. She focuses on the whole dorm experience, providing tips and know-how from her own personal college journey.

Bunk at the dorm ahead of time!

Finally, if you have an opportunity to stay the night in one of the dorms, do it. While it may not be the dorm you land in, it will provide you a valuable glimpse of just exactly how small that space for two people really is.

Happy packing!