When you first go off to college, it may be hard to decide what you
should bring with you. While you may have the urge to bring everything, you
won't be able to fit all of your earthly possessions in one half of a 10 x 20
dorm room. It's important to delegate what is vital to your living environment
at school and what you should probably leave at home.
The following are
some of the items you'll absolutely need to bring to college, for the benefit of
your academic career and your sanity:
Computer.
Lately, the old-fashioned desktop computer has lost
out in favor of more portable laptops. It's simply easier to take with you when
you need to retreat to the library to work on papers without being disturbed by
roommates and loud music. Make sure that you bring everything necessary to keep
your computer up and running, such as portable chargers, hard drives and extra
flash drives for increased memory.
Bedding and pillows.
Most dorm rooms will provide you with a
standard desk and bed, and some may even splurge on a microwave and
refrigerator. However, you're going to have to bring your own comforters, sheets
and pillows. Think about comfort and don't forget about the fact that most dorms
have unreliable air conditioning/heating systems. This means that you'll have to
bring some light bed sheets for the warm weather and a heavier quilt for when it
gets cold.
Portable Fan.
When it's hot outside, sometimes the only relief you'll get is in the
form of a heavy-duty window fan to keep you cool at night. You'll be glad you
remembered this when the temperature is 95 degrees and humid and you're sleeping
like a baby.
Clothes.
Like the bedding, make sure you have outfits for all
weather so you're prepared for anything. Don't bring so many clothes that you
leave your roommate with space in the closet for three hangers. Remember that
sharing is caring, especially when it comes to dorm room space.
Comfortable chair.
Most dorm rooms will provide you with a
standard desk chair, but these are about as comfortable as the old wooden chairs
you'll find in your local library. Bring your own cushioned desk chair, bean bag
chair, sheepskin chair, or any other chair that is comfortable enough to relax
in when doing your work--just not comfortable enough to fall asleep in while
doing said work.
Posters.
The walls of a dorm room are pretty bleak--white-washed
brick is intimidating to pretty much anyone. You can spice up your room and make
it feel a little more like home by putting up some posters, collages, pictures
of friends or family and anything that livens up the room.
TV and DVD player.
While you might not have a lot of free time
to sit around watching TV in between your massive amounts of studying and
socializing, there will still be those late nights and rainy days when you'll
want to just curl up in bed and pop in a movie. Don't forget a television, but
keep it modest (19 inches to 27 inches)--anything too big will take up precious
space. Bring a few of your favorite movies along too-- just don't clutter up
your room with your entire 200+ DVD collection.
There you have it-- the
important pieces of home that will make your transition to college life that
much easier. If there's anything you think I forgot to add, feel free to comment
below!