10 Things You'll Probably Forget To Pack For College
Sunday, August 23, 2015
For the first time in 17 years, I'm not going to school. This really freaks me out. My entire life, September has been "school" month. It reminds me of homework and sharpened pencils and book reports. I keep thinking that another year of college is right around the corner, but then it hits me that I'm done with school now! It's such a weird feeling knowing that I'm not going anywhere.
I can vividly recall moving into my first dorm room so many, many moons ago. I remember packing and unpacking and then re-packing my suitcases and storage bins before loading them up in the car and setting out on the open road. I can still think of spending no less than $400 at Bed, Bath & Beyond on swanky, “cool” dorm decs. Now, I’m unpacking all the boxes that have been gathering dust since May.
But just because I'm not going back doesn't mean that I can't help all the other ducklings departing on yet another year of learning. I'm a packing veteran, especially when it comes to school supplies, so I think it's only fair that I share my wisdom with the world. So, in that spirit, here’s a list of (at least) 10 things that you’ll probably forget to take with you on your new college adventure. I know I did!
10 Things You'll Forget To Pack. Probably.
This may seem like an obvious choice, but you'll be surprised how easy they are to forget. Buy the 25 roll pack from Costco because these bad boys are a lifesaver and store them under your bed. Paper towels are one of those things you always have, but take for granted. That is, until you spill something and are left with nothing to wipe it up with except your favorite shower towel. Without them, you're forced to face an even messier cleanup.
Towels
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
Again, may seem obvious but I'm drawing on experience here. I've had to use my sand covered beach towel to dry off too many times on vacation. I won't let you guys share the same fate. Make sure to have at least three because they get yucky fast and laundry money is precious. Splurge on the big super fluffy ones. Not only do they feel like you're wrapped in a super soft cloud, they'll also provide maximum coverage on the days where you have to walk back to your dorm room half naked. You'll thank me when you accidentally run into a college tour group outside the shower stalls. Trust me, it happens more than you think.
Mr. Clean is not lying, guys. These babies can clean anything and everything, and they’ll come in handy massively when you move out of your dorm room/apartment in May and need to do damage control on all the marks you left on the walls. Because no matter how diligent you are, you will leave a mark on the wall.
Air Freshener
Gotta make things smell pretty. Be the real MVP and buy extras to leave in the hall bathroom and your hall-mates will be praising your genius in no time.
TV Remote
True story: after moving into my dorm room my freshman year and begging my dad to set up my TV, it came to my discovery that I totally forgot to chuck the remote into the box that morning. For four days I had to go through the torture of manually changing the channel while my parents shipped it to me. And believe it or not, the first time I moved into my apartment I did the same thing. I had to spend $30 on a universal remote because my parents couldn’t find it. Don’t be me, kids. Bring it with you.
Drying Rack
Batteries
No one ever, ever, remembers the batteries.
Sometimes, dryers don’t work and sometimes, you don’t have enough money to make the dryer work. During times like these, a cheap folding rack becomes your best friend. When every dryer is full or when you just don’t have the extra quarters lying around, you can lay at all your clothes on one of these nifty contraptions and not have to deal with the laundry room chaos. Hurrah for no more soggy socks!
Over the Counter Meds
You will go to school and you will get sick. It’s a known fact. Germs are always flying around college campuses and you cannot escape them, no matter how hard you try. What you can do, though, is be ready to attack the runny noses, sore throats and congestion that comes with sharing a dorm. You might not have your mom on hand to instruct you on just what kind of meds to take, but at least you won’t be suffering that much. Pro tip: make sure to take some with you if you study abroad, too. I’ve never been more sick than I was when I was in London & Australia and I was nowhere near equipped to handle the pain. Over the counter meds are really weird abroad, so be like a Boy Scout and be prepared.
Coffee Mug/ Travel Mug
Even if you don’t drink coffee or tea, you can still use mugs to make delicious snacks in the microwave. There are so many cool recipes now for cakes and brownies and pasta galore, and with a mug, you’ll be able to become a culinary genius in no time! Travel mugs are a lifesaver, too. Nothing tastes better than a little caffeine boost on the way to an 8am class.
Playing Cards
If you take them out with you when you go to parties or when you hang out with your friends, you’ll have an instant drinking game on your hands.* It’s also fun every once in a while to play a good ol’ fashioned game of Go Fish or Rummy. On that note, bring any game that you love: Apples to Apples, Taboo, even Monopoly. Board game nights are the best way to get to know new people. I mean, If they they pick the politically correct pair in Cards Against Humanity then they are no friend of yours.
*If you do decide to go to parties, drink responsibly. Stay away from jungle juice. Don't put your cup down unwatched. Don't be a loser and drink and drive, either. Use your brain, ducklings.
Honorable Mentions:
So, there you have it! Do you have tips for the always stressful back to school packing? What are some of your packing must-haves? Things to leave at home? Tell me a story about what you always forget to pack. Drop a comment below and we’ll discuss!
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*If you do decide to go to parties, drink responsibly. Stay away from jungle juice. Don't put your cup down unwatched. Don't be a loser and drink and drive, either. Use your brain, ducklings.
Honorable Mentions:
- A disposable camera. As outdated as they may seem, I think they’re still the best way to capture memories and the best way to look back on them in a few years.
- Paper plates, forks, bowls, and cups.
- HDMI cord. Say you're having a Netflix night with friends. Having 7 people hovering over one small laptop screen isn't exactly the most comfortable thing. An HDMI cable can easily hook your PC into the TV and it ensures movie night greatness. You can get them for real cheap on Amazon. P.s: If you have a Mac, you'll need an HDMI adapter to make the cable work!
- Extra toilet paper.
- Lightbulbs. I had 3 lamps in my apartment at one point, and only 2 lightbulbs. Let's just say I got used to reading in the dark.
- Mattress pads because mattresses at college are not the comfiest.
- A cool drink tumbler. If you take it with you to small dorm parties you’ll always know what cup is yours. Plus, it makes it easier to not spill any drinks. There’ll be no party fouls on my watch, people.
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This awesome cover image was taken by Kyle Sorkness. I added some text, but thank you so much for putting this image in the public domain, Kyle!
2 comments
I was also guilty of forgetting lightbulbs, my light then went out 3 weeks in and I was very confused - it did end up taking more than one person to fix a lightbulb as I asked my friend to come over and help me!
ReplyDeleteI always like to have extra lightbulbs laying around because I'm ridiculously clumsy and have broken more than my fair share. Glad to know I'm not the only one who forgets them! :)
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