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What Not to Bring to College: 10 Things to Avoid Packing
The things you bring to college can play a huge role in determining the type of college experience you have. Getting ready to move into your dorm is stressful, but it’s important to take your time and really focus on what you pack so you don’t face the common pitfalls that students have struggled with in the past.
Many students will have the desire to pack everything they own so their dorm has a home away from home vibe, but this can being very problematic. Before you go shopping for dorm essentials and start packing, make sure you read this guide on what not to bring to college.
General Items to Avoid
When figuring out what to pack for college, take into consideration the size of your dorm. Most traditional dorm rooms are quite small, so avoid bringing anything that is going to cause clutter or take up too much space.
Lots of first-year college students end up packing way too much stuff and make the whole process of packing and unpacking way more difficult than it needs to be. Doing this can make living conditions less than ideal.
You don’t need to bring your entire book collection, a bunch of plants, or all the electronics you own. The majority of your packing list should be compromised of necessities and items that will be useful to have in a dorm, along with aiding in your college success.
What Not to Bring to College
1. All Your Clothes
Clothes are probably the number one thing students pack way too much of. While most dorms come with a closet, the amount of storage space is still very limited — even after the addition of extra dorm storage. Limit the amount of clothes you bring to a few of your favorite outfits, along with some comfy things for those lazy days.
Another important thing to remember is to always pack weather-appropriate clothes. So if you’re starting college in the fall and your college is located in a climate where it gets cold during the winter months, be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes. And vise versa for students starting in the spring when temperatures start rising.
Also, utilize your winter break as a time to switch out your warm weather clothes for cold weather clothes. It’s a good idea to pack a little bit more in preparation for the winter months since you’ll need to wear a few extra layers to stay warm.
2. Too Many Shoes
Along with clothes, bringing too many shoes to college will make your dorm look more cluttered and take up space that could be used for more necessities. You likely won’t be wearing many different shoes in college anyway, so limit the amount you bring to just a few.
This will save you room in your car when you’re loading everything up and in your dorm once you’re all moved in. Additonally, make sure you bring one or two pairs of comfy sneakers — you’ll be doing your fair share of walking around campus and running errands.
3. Large Furniture
College dormitories already come furnished with several pieces of furniture — desk, chair, bed, dresser, and/or closet. Adding any extra furniture to your dorm will likely make the space feel cramped and cluttered.
A compact shelving unit or a dorm rug should be fine and can make you dorm feel more pleasant to live in, but anything too big won’t be realistic for a compact living environment such as your dorm.
You’ll want to be aware of the dimensions of your room before you decide to add in an extra furniture. Try asking your advisor if you can tour one of the residence halls before move-in day so you get a better idea of the space you’ll be living in.
4. Prohibited Items
Before you start packing, you’ll want to go on your school’s website and find out what items they prohibit from having in your dorm. If your RA or any housing staff find out you have a prohibited item in your dorm, you’ll most likely be given a certain amount of time to remove the item.
Anything considered dangerous and/or illegal will usually be confiscated immediately. The list of prohibited items for residence halls vary for each college. Here’s some common things your college likely has banned:
- Candles
- Electric stoves
- Heaters
- Toasters
- Hot plates
- Indoor grills
- Illegal substances
- Alcohol
- Air conditioners
5. Pets
Believe it or not, many colleges are pet-friendly. If you’re going to one of these schools, you might be tempted to bring your dog or cat, but just because you want to doesn’t mean you should.
While having your pet with you on campus might help with anxiety and depression, the costs of taking care of them can be expensive and very time consuming. Even “low maintenance” pets can still cause problems for you, like making your dorm more dirty and interfering with your studies.
On top of that, you have to consider how your roommate feels about pets. They might be allergic or just against having pets in their dorm. It’s nice having the companionship of a pet, but having one in college isn’t always realistic for a college student’s lifestyle.
6. Valuables
Special items that can’t be easily replaced are usually best left at home. If you do end up bringing them with you to college, you run the risk of losing them in the move. Worse, your roommate or someone else they invite over could potentially steal them.
So when you’re heading off to college, try to avoid packing any expensive jewelry, sentimental items, or other valuables that mean a lot to you. While you might end up missing them, at least you’ll know they’re safe at home.
7. Excessive Decor
Decorating your dorm is a good way to make it feel more homey and inviting, but some students overdo it. Don’t waste money on decorative items you don’t need. Instead, save it for more important things, like supplies and course materials.
With that being said, don’t be afraid to add some personality to your dorm. You’ll be spending a lot of time in yours, and creating a living space you’re comfortable in can help make that time more enjoyable.
8. Kitchen Items
If you’re moving into a traditional-style dorm room, then you won’t need stuff like pots, pans and silverware. You only need to think about brining kitchen essentials if you’ll be living in a suite that comes with a full kitchen and other amenities or living somewhere off campus.
As a freshman, you’ll probably eat the majority of your meals at the dinning hall. Some disposable plates and napkins might come in handy if you bring food back to your dorm, but you won’t need much more than that. However, certain appliances — mini fridges, coffee makers, and microwaves — could be useful to have in your dorm as long as they’re not on your school’s prohibited items list.
9. Your Car
Many colleges don’t allow freshman to have their cars on campus, but even after their first year, some students still prefer to leave it at home. Not having your car on campus can help save you money, and there’s a good chance you won’t need to use it much since everything is within walking distance.
Also, the number of delivery and rideshare services available nowadays is another reason why students don’t need their cars on campus. Of course this tip doesn’t apply to students who commute to college, but for students living on campus, leaving your car at home is a smart idea.
You might even want to consider selling it so you don’t have to deal with paying insurance, maintenance costs, and other bills for a car you barely drive. Having your own car on campus is nice for the added convenience and flexibility, but it’s important to determine if you really need it to be successful in college.
10. Shareable Items
A useful tip for new students is to get in contact with your roommate before you start packing for college so the both of you can talk about what items to share. This can be things like a TV, coffee maker, or cleaning supplies.
Communicating with your roommate beforehand and seeing if they’re comfortable with sharing certain things can reduce the amount of stuff each of you needs to pack for college. It also prevents you and roommate from bringing duplicates of shareable items, which will end up wasting space in your dorm.
