6 College Packing Tips for Your Freshman Move

Getting ready to go to college can be a hectic time, especially when you consider that you’ll be making your first big move. With that in mind, we have a series of college packing tips to help you make your freshman year move a little easier. Keep reading to help ensure that you’ll be prepared for the big day.

College packing tips to make your first year great

1. Coordinate with your roommate first.

If there’s one thing that’s true of nearly all college experiences, it’s that dorm rooms are small. With that in mind, you’re going to want to coordinate with your roommate before you start packing. For example, there’s likely only going to be room for one mini-fridge and one microwave, so you won’t want to bother bringing duplicates with you to school for the year.

Unsurprisingly, coordinating with your roommate on which items to bring to your college dorm will also help you to keep costs low. If you happen to have access to a kitchen or living room space, you can also split responsibility for those items in an effort to save some cash.

2. Make a list of the essentials.

After you have a better idea of what you’ll need to bring to school with you, the next step is to make a list of all those essential items. These can include storage solutions, clothes, toiletries, school supplies, and personal items.

If you’re not sure what to put on your list, consider asking an older friend for suggestions. If they’ve been to school before, they’ll likely have a good idea of what will be useful. You can also use this college packing list to help you get started.

Then, once you’ve completed your list, make sure to refer back to it as you begin packing. Having a moving list that you can check off will help you avoid forgetting important items.

3. Invest in versatile storage solutions.

One thing that’s different about moving into a college dorm room as opposed to an apartment is that you will likely need to invest in storage solutions. As a rule of thumb, dorm rooms typically do not have much space so you will have to get creative with finding places to put your belongings. Storage solutions can also help you utilize closet space efficiently

That said, investing in storage solutions ahead of your move-in day can serve a secondary purpose. Put simply, you can pack in the storage solutions instead of using luggage that you will then have to find a place to store.

4. Get creative with padding.

Once you’ve purchased your storage solutions, it’s time to think about how you’ll protect any breakable items. In this case, rather than investing in any type of bubble wrap or another store-bought item, you may want to consider using items you already have on hand.

Here, anything soft can serve as padding for those more fragile items on your packaging list. Any towels, soft clothes, or even paper products can pull double-duty as padding while you pack your boxes.

5. Pack clothes for the current season.

When you’re first going away to college as an incoming freshman, it can be tempting to pack everything that you own. After all, this is likely your first time living away from your family’s home and it can be tough to know what you’ll need to make that transition. However, we recommend that you only pack for one season at a time.

The reality is that when you are in school, you’re only there for a few months at a time with large breaks in between. Since you have such limited space, it makes sense to only bring clothes that you can immediately wear and not to worry about having to store off-season outfits.

6. Don’t forget the dorm room decor.

Lastly, although it isn’t exactly a necessity like some of our other college packing tips, dorm room decor is also an important part of your packing list. When you move away from home for the first time, it’s crucial to be able to set up your new space in a way that feels comfortable to you.

To that end, don’t hesitate to bring a decent amount of decor to liven up your new living space. While posters and pictures of loved ones from home are classics, string lights and wall tapestries have also become popular decorative items. When in doubt, find some dorm room inspiration on the internet before you go so that you can zero in on your sense of style.