EnterNew Wave Soda.With calories per can, and not a single gram of added sugar or artificial sweeteners, New Wave Sodas are the “politely caffeinated” better-for-you soda option. Bringing an iron and an ironing board to college is one of the least convenient ways to keep your clothes looking sharp. This mini steamer is small enough to fit into even the smallest of dorm rooms, and is perfect for smoothing out wrinkles on first-day-of-school-outfits. Dorm rooms are notoriously smelly, but most colleges don’t allow scented candles and Febreze (which, don’t get me wrong, students should also bring) can only do so much. If you want to make your dorm room a place your friends actually want to visit, consider bringing an essential oil diffuser. There are plenty of surprisingly affordable options that will make your space smell like home. It’s that time of year when students across the country pack their bags and head off to college.

Most dorms are not the cleanest so it is important that you do as best you can to keep your room neat and sanitary. Also, if a smoothie is your breakfast option you’d have to stock up on fresh fruits and the mini-fridge available in the dorm may take up too much space with the fruits.

It’s a big job, and it will be helpful to get some extra perspective and an extra set of hands from another person or two. Be sure to label your boxes and containers with your name and the items included, to make the moving process easier for yourself. If there’s a potential for boxes to get lost in transit, you could also add your dorm name, room, and phone number. First, you’ll need to decide which items you’ll bring from home and which ones you’ll hold off on and purchase after moving in, if needed. It’s also important to keep in mind that some of these items may be better to purchase after you’ve arrived at your dorm, rather than purchasing and packing beforehand. But also, you don’t want to forget anything at home that you really need at college. If you skip out on essential items, you’ll get to your dorm and realize you have to buy things over again that you already had at home.

Unexpected Things To Bring To College: School Supplies

Freshly is a weekly subscription delivering chef-prepared meals that are fresh and can be heated and served in 3 minutes. In order to save yourself time and keep your clothes from getting ruined or lost, laundry bags are an unexpected thing to bring to college that will really change your life. I totally didn’t even think about this bring to college until my friend reminded me. An extra blow up mattress or mattress pad is GREAT if you plan on having friends visit you at school. The dorm beds are small and I promise it isn’t fun to share them.

Also, bring vitamins to stay healthy, but do not eat them on an empty stomach because you will throw up – believe me, I have witnessed it and it is not pretty. I think it is safe to say that thinking about college is exhilarating, to say the unexpected things to bring to college least. From finding out who your new roommate will be to figuring out what things you should bring to college…it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. Christmas style lights add much needed light to previously dim college dorms.

Create initial ground rules but don’t overdo with a roommate agreement (No thank you, Sheldon!). Between coffee and alcohol, it can be tricky to remember to drink enough water! Bring a cute and colorful water bottle and bring it with you everywhere so you always remember to stay hydrated.

Reusable Food Containers

Seriously, though, this is actually a pretty comfortable chair. I’m not going to say I’ve raced these up and down the hall with my roommates…but I’m not going to say I haven’t. I use a set of these to store my alphabetized, mint condition collection of rare Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, but they work pretty well for anything that you need but don’t use regularly. When (not “if,” but “when”) something in your dorm room breaks, this is a great thing to have on hand, especially if you don’t want to wait for the maintenance crew. While some dorms have air conditioning that tests your will to live, others have no air conditioning to speak of.

Do your research to see what the school offers and what makes the most sense for your student. Spring semester started on a much better foot than the fall.

Plus, you can always go back home during the weekends or semester breaks to bring any added essentials. Your dorm room should not be filled with things you can do without it. To guide you on what not to bring to college, we have curated a list of things that you should consider leaving at home. Remember that our list is just recommendations, so some things might be more important to take with you than others! Just remember the small dorm size so you should try to pack light.

How Do You Avoid Packing Too Much For College?

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But club sports—which are typically activities operated by non-school organizations—will sometimes come knocking for dues. Equipment costs can run hundreds of dollars depending on the sport, and participants are often expected to pay their own fees for traveling, including transportation and hotel expenses. When summer, holidays, or other breaks in the academic calendar roll around, your student will probably want to come home for visits.

Desk And School Supplies

You’ll most likely use one while taking pictures but other than that, these cute fluffs have no functionality. If you are a lover of trendy shoes, you might find it really hard to leave your favorite pairs at home. In college, a pair of good sneakers should be your best friend, be it for classes or to run errands. You can bring one pair of fancy shoes for night outs and a formal pair for work.

BuzzFeed GoodfulSelf care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Hung next to my desk with papers that have gathered over the years. I recommend labeling each file for a different category.

A type of colorful masking tape, Washi tape is perfect for your dorm room because it doesn’t leave any sticky residue on your walls. Use it for pictures, posters, or even just on its own to make fun designs. It comes in so many patterns and colors, you’re sure to find some to fit your room’s theme or your school’s colors.

Unexpected Things To Bring To College: Pepper Spray

Be it for classes, clubs, internships, or jobs, you will have to work on your laptop 24/7. Can you imagine carrying a device more expensive than all of your inventory combined in your arms and not forgetting to leave it behind at one place. When you were in high school, your schedule was generally structured by others, such as your parents and school so that you can make appropriate use of time. Now that their role has weakened, whether you want to attend class or sleep peacefully in a dumpster behind a bar is up to you. However, frequent cutting classes can result in a trip to the head’s office. Create a realistic schedule that includes time to prepare for coursework and fun activities. It’s also about hitting the books and reaching out to professors.

A tapestry is one of the easiest ways to transform a boring dorm wall into something cute. There are tons of patterns out there, and you can always switch it up if you decide it’s not your speed. It can also be a great background for pictures in your dorm. Make sure to check with your college beforehand, though. Some schools don’t allow tapestries, since they can be a fire hazard.

Dorms and apartment complexes often have laundry rooms where you will need to do your laundry. Also, if you need to travel with it, it has a handle to make it portable. Also, it has enough space to keep all your jewelry pieces organized and will make finding what jewelry you want to wear much easier. Getting ready for college can be stressful, especially if you are a freshman. There are so many things that you need to buy and thinking of all of them may seem impossible.

Everyday sneakers that have a combination of suede classic and sneakers have low chances of being party poopers. Your main goal is to relax your feet from all the walking and saving your money. When you are parched, it’s in your reflexes to turn on the tap for some cool refreshing water. How comfortable are you to fetch water from the grounds of a building that has been lying there way before the time of your forefathers?

But a laptop, your favorite weighted blanket, or your mattress topper? One of the best ways to have peace of mind that you really are ready is to draw up a thorough and complete college packing list. While you do not need to pack your entire pharmacy, you may want to consider packing some basic over-the-counter medicine you typically take or homeopathic remedies you like. It is better to have these items handy than have to run out to get them when you are sick or feeling under the weather.

The amount of papers and notes you will have during the semester is greatly often unestimated. It’s nice to be able to organize papers and feel so much relief. Anyway, you should buy a bottle of clothes refreshing spray because you will want to refresh a piece of clothing that you barely worn. Laundry is a chore and it can takes hours to wait for a free washer if you don’t have one. Also, for the love of God, DO NOT LOSE ONE EARBUD or THE CASE. It’s impossible to find them, especially if they are not connected to wifi. College dorms have outlets placed in the weirdest places. Getting a surge protector with a long extension is the best option.

Christina Marie manages Very Easy Makeup and is an Atlanta-based lifestyle blogger. Looking back at old photos can remind you of a lot of really awesome memories, which you might need to get you through a particularly hard day! Having a laptop/desktop in college is almost a necessity, but even more so is having a flash drive. Last minute reports and papers can be easily transported with a flash drive and you don’t have to worry about the universities spotty wifi. Calculator, clock, watch, remote, and other casual items all need batteries and probably come with batteries. However after frequent to constant use, the batteries die. For those people who have TVs already, leaving the remote behind is very easy to do.

• Having a small bottle of dish soap in a room will make the dirty work a little easier .
• Wrinkle release spray – An ironing board is likely to bulky to pack – and it may not be allowed in your dorm, anyway.
• Bringing items that hold sentimental value could be risky when you’re moving into college, as theft is one of the most common dorm crimes.
• Icons new Career Skills Learn how to network, crush interviews, and land your dream job.

He liquid plastic adhesive is easy to work with and uses the special UV ray to harden and bond in just seconds. Layers can be built up, or it can be used to fill gaps. It fills, bonds and repairs plastics, ceramics, glass, metal, textiles and wood. FOCI is a thumb-sized wearable focus tracker, because we all know it can be easy to lose aim in college. It clips to the waist, and you can get a read on your emotions, productivity and distractions, and use its biofeedback technology to better focus and learn smarter. You’ll still need good ol’ school supplies to get your studying done.