What to bring to college (freshman year)

Hey y'all! When I was going to college three years ago (wow I'm old), I was obsessed with making packing lists and trying to figure out what to bring to college. After I went, I realized that I forgot some things and brought SO many unnecessary things. Here's my suggestions of what you should bring to college.

I lived in an apartment-style dorm room, so most of my items are customized to that style of living. I had my own separate bedroom, a bathroom shared with my roommate, and a tiny kitchen and living room. If you're living in a traditional one-room dorm, this list will also work for you, but it may have some unnecessary items.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

- Laptop: at this point I feel like having a laptop is a given. Most people use them to take notes and you will definitely need it to write papers and do online coursework. I have a MacBook air and I love it. I don't think I could go through college without having this baby. I take notes on it during class, do pretty much all of my homework on it, and I use it for fun stuff like watching videos hhaha. Also, if you want to save space & money on a TV, you can just use your laptop to watch Netflix, youtube, and Hulu on your twin-sized college bed.

- Ipad Pro + apple pen: this is definitely optional, but I LOVE my iPad pro & using it to take notes. I would only get this as a supplement to a laptop because I'm not sure that it is compatible with some of the online testing systems utilized by colleges (which you need to have). I will likely do another post about how I use my iPad for school and tell why it is beneficial to have one!

- Thicc notebook: I buy one of those multi-subject notebooks to keep all of my notes in. It's way easier than having an individual notebook for each class to carry across campus every day. I don't want to go to class unprepared because I forgot a notebook or picked up the wrong one, so having all of them in one notebook makes your life less complicated.

- Accordion style filing folder: this kinda serves the same purpose as having the multi-subject notebook. Having this type of folder eliminates the need to have seventeen different folders to worry about carrying around. Plus, you can organize all of your papers super easily.

- Stapler: I randomly bought a stapler in high school and never used it. But, I brought it to college with me and it has been a lifesaver! I have a mini stapler that I leave in my bag because when I have to turn in paper copies of things my teachers never have a stapler available. When I had to turn in geoscience labs my professor required us to have our papers stapled together. He also didn't have a stapler so if you didn't have a stapler you were screwed and couldn't turn your labs in on time.

- Printer: I've never owned my own printer, but I wish I would have my freshman year. I didn't worry about purchasing one because the dorm I was living in provide complementary printing. It turned out that the printers my dorm offered never worked so I was forced to go to the library and pay to print things out every single week. Not only was it expensive to do this, but I also had to walk out of the way to go to the library and print. I would def suggest a printer.

- Planner: I also feel like having a planner is a given. I literally do not know how I could function in my daily life without a planner. I plan out every single part of my day in my planner and it keeps me on track.

- Sturdy backpack: I also take this baby everywhere with me, I've had my backpack for almost 5 years and it's still going strong. It's important to have a sturdy backpack because you will be throwing it everywhere and putting it on the floor all year. You'll also probably have heavy books in your backpack, so getting a cheap, weak one won't do you any favors. I have a north face backpack and I absolutely love it.

- Good pens: I use pens as opposed to pencils because they just allow me to have more consistent hand writing hahah. I use the Pilot G2 pens and they've never done me wrong.

- Index cards: most of my studying is memory-based, so I frequently use index cards. You can also use Quizlet, but I find that writing out the terms aids in memory!

-Phone Wallet: Although some people are wary of keeping their cards on their phones, a phone wallet comes in handy when you're a freshman. Most dorms have scanned entry now and digging through your bag looking for your card is so annoying. On campus you use your student ID so much that it is just super handy to have it easily accessible.

Other things that you should bring may be specific to your major/classes. I took a class that required you to have a calculator and a ruler, so look out for specific items your professors may list.

Another suggestion I have is to wait to buy/rent your textbooks until after you go to class the first week (unless your prof. writes on the syllabus that you are required to have them week 1). A lot of the time my professors would not use the textbook at all and it was a huge waste of money.

ROOM

-A good mattress topper: My freshman year bed was like sleeping on a cloud and it made being away from home so much better. When you live in a dorm room everything is slightly dreadful, but your bed doesn't have to be. Sleep is so important for you mental and physical health, so seriously invest in a mattress topper that will allow you to get the best sleep possible. I promise it's worth it!

- Under bed storage bags: If you're like me, storage will be a big issue in college. I have a bunch of stuff, so I had to find ways that I could keep everything organized. One way I did this is by using under bed storage bags. You can get these on amazon or at any supermarket. I put out of season clothes and shoes in mine and it saves so much space.

- Blackout curtains: I loved having blackout curtains because I could sleep in even when the sun was out. Also, your college dorm may have bright lights outside the window that could prevent you from sleeping (mine did) so blackout curtains are perfect for eliminating that nuisance.

- Alexa/Google: I have an Alexa that I specifically bought to use as an alarm. I had the hardest time waking up for class & I would always have my alarm set on my phone right beside my bed. Every morning I would immediately hit snooze and oversleep. I put my Alexa on my dresser across my room and it has done wonders for helping me get up and out of my bed. It also plays music and does bunch of other cool stuff so it's great to have.

-Keurig: You can make coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and so much more in a Keurig. It's also way easier and more versatile than a regular coffee pot. When I study I have to have something to eat/drink, so having a Keurig there during the late nights and early mornings is a godsend.

-Rolling laundry basket: I'm not sure if most dorms are like mine was, but we didn't have a laundry room inside of our actual dorm room. The laundry room was far down the hall and dragging my heavy laundry hamper down the hall was so difficult. So, I decided to get a rolling laundry hamper and it changed the game. If you don't get one you're making a mistake.

- Vacuum Cleaner: Even if you get a cheap one you need to get a vacuum cleaner. Your room will be RANK after a year of no vacuuming, trust me.

-Step stool/pouf: If you're short like me, getting into a tall dorm bed is virtually impossible without something to step on. I had a little leather pouf thing and it was used daily.

-Decorations: This is where I personally went overboard. I spent like all of my graduation money on stupid decorations that I will never use again. I definitely think you should decorate, but I would put a spending cap of $100 on it and get items that you will use again.

MISC

-Downy Wrinkle Release: perfect for when you never feel like ironing your clothes.

-Umbrella and rain jacket: ALWAYS leave an umbrella in your backpack. If you don't you will learn your lesson the hard way. On the first day of school last year I forgot mine and had to run across campus in the pouring rain. I seriously was SOAKING wet. I will never go to campus without my umbrella again.

-Pepper spray: No matter who you are you need to get some pepper spray just to protect yourself. You never know when you'll need it!!

-Brita water filter pitcher: This saves money and the environment when you use it instead of buying bottles of water.

- Hanging jewelry organizer: I had no room to bring my jewelry box to college, so an easy way I organized all of my jewelry is by using a hanging organizer that I just put in my closet. It takes up virtually no space and keeps everything organized!

-Turbie Twist: This isn't necessarily just for dorm life, but these things are so much better than wrapping your hair in a huge body towel.

- Power Strip: You'll be sharing a very small space with very few plug ins, you'll need this to prevent controversy and make your life easier.

These are the post important things I can remember needing/not needing my freshman year. Obviously it isn't everything (because that would be impossible to list), but I would really suggest looking into getting these items!

I have linked several of these products so you can easily access and buy them! All you have to do is click the picture and shop

As always, if you have any questions for me or want to know some more, feel free to reach out to me on IG!

Thanks for reading!

For your amusement, here's some pics of me in my freshman year dorm room (god bless)