How to pack for college: Advice from college students

(Jeff Durham/Bay Area News Group)

As the summer days wind down, high school graduates of the class of 2012 are starting to stress about packing for college and preparing for dorm life.

What should I take with me? What should I leave behind? Is it better to underpack or overpack?

Use these tips from college students who already have faced the questions about what to take, so one thing you can definitely stuff in the back of your closet is your worries about packing.

Start early

"Once you get closer to starting school, everything kind of disappears (from store shelves) because everyone else is shopping, too."

-- Eddie Estrada, sophomore at Loyola Marymount, from De La Salle (Concord)

"By the time I started, I felt like a lot of the stuff I wanted was already in other people's dorm rooms."

-- Katy Jarvis, sophomore at UC Davis, from Monte Vista (Danville)

Space limitations

"If you have two pairs of shoes that are similar, leave one behind."

-- Elisa Ting, sophomore at USC, from Mission San Jose (Fremont)

"Leave behind your big furniture. I brought two bookshelves that took up so much space, and I didn't even end up using them."

-- Estrada

Drop the sentiment

"You have to face when something is garbage. If you're attached to a scrap of an old project, get over it and put it in the trash where it belongs."

--

Carina Chiodo, junior at Loyola Marymount, from Carondelet (Concord)

"Don't bring things like yearbooks, because they carry a lot of weight -- not only physically, but also memories that will weigh you down. You came here for a new experience and a new life -- there's no room for longing for old times."

-- Paolo Rigo, sophomore at UC Berkeley, from Monte Vista (Danville)

Consider the weather

"I was definitely underprepared for Colorado winters. I didn't expect the weather to change so fast."

-- Benjamin Wible, sophomore at Colorado State, from Monte Vista (Danville)

"I brought my entire closet with me, and then I realized that I didn't need all the warm clothes because it really doesn't get cold in Southern California."

-- Ting

Don't overthink

"Condense everything. Don't come up with fake ideas of things you think you'll need, like an inflatable swimming pool."

-- Chiodo

"Pack light -- just bring the essentials. Keep everything simple and organized. My roommates and I wasted space with leather desk chairs, a globe and two lava lamps."

-- Greg Ashton, senior at Northern Arizona, from Monte Vista (Danville)

Skip the luxuries

"Don't be afraid to leave things at home and have your parents send them to you later if you need them."

-- Wible

"Take less than you think you'll need, because every school will have a Target or a drugstore nearby."

-- Jarvis

Take these things

From the voices of experience, here is a list of things you definitely will need:

Pictures of family and friends

Laptop

Organizers/storage boxes

Air freshener (Febreze). "You never know if you're going to have a smelly roommate," Estrada says, "or if he's going to invite his smelly friends to hang out in your room."

Full-length mirror

iPod

Noise-cancelling headphones

Earplugs."In case your roommate snores or your neighbors party all night," Jarvis says.

Shower shoes

Shower caddy

Printer

Alarm clock

Longboard, bike or scooter. "Sometimes you need a quick way to get to class when you're running late," Wible says, "and you don't want to be that kid who always asks to borrow people's bikes or longboards."

Extra school supplies

Water filter

Water bottle

Vitamins and snacks

Big pillow. "It's nice to have something to lean on when you're watching TV on your laptop in bed," Ting says.

A few of your favorite movies

Fan and space heater

Flashlight or reading lamp

Batteries. "I was so used to having all those little amenities at home," Ashton says. "Those small things turn into a big deal when you don't have them at your fingertips anymore."

Nail clippers and tweezers

Lint roller

Fabric softener

Overnight bag

Clay. "It's the easiest way to hang pictures and posters," Ting says, "because you can't stick thumbtacks in the walls."

Professional clothing for interviews

Rain boots and umbrella

An open mind

-- Camille Debreczeny
Correspondent

Source: http://www.marinij.com/ci_21343666/how-pack-college-advice-from-college-students?source=rss_emailed

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