College Bound: What To Bring And What To Leave

I wish I had read all the blog posts about "what to bring to college and what to leave at home" before I left for school in Idaho! I brought way too much stuff (and hauled it in a car for 17 hours) which took up tons of space in my room and storage unit. So here's a few items you should bring, should leave at home, and some different options for things you'll need!

• Notebooks, Pens & Pencils: You can buy these in your college town. Don't let this stuff take up space in your car/suitcase! And plus, college town Walmart's and Target's will usually have better sales in your new town right before school starts.
• Tee Shirts: Definitely bring one or two for lazy days, sleeping, or whatever, but don't bring more than that! They'll take up space and I promise you'll rarely wear them. Also, if you go to certain school sports games or club events, you can get free tee shirts! Just in one year at my new school, I've received about 4 new tee shirts!
• Iron & Ironing Board: Don't. Please don't bring it. Instead, try "wrinkle release spray"! It works so great, smells awesome, and takes no time at all. Seriously, this is a must-have for me. (But if you feel like you'll need something stronger, check out this steamer that Carly has reviewed!)
• Dishes & Other House Ware: For those moving into an apartment or who think you'll be cooking often, bringing dishes and cooking supplies may be a necessity. If you don't want to purchase paper plates and plastic forks, I would recommend emailing your roommates or friends you'll be going to school with and asking if you guys can share your kitchen supplies! One person buys the smoothie maker, the other person bring silverware and bowls. If you're not comfortable with that option, I would make the splurge to buy your own things. You will use that stuff for the rest of your life (if you keep it in good condition), so it may be worth the cost. If you're living in a place without a kitchen, you won't need more than one bowl, two plates, and  maybe 1 to 2 sets of silverware. Keep the rest at home to keep it nice!
• Mini Fridge: I'll just tell you right off the bat, I used my mini fridge the entire year. However, they can be expensive. If your dorm or apartment allows them but you're cautious about the money, email your roommate and ask if she wants to split the payment! Then at the end of the semester, you can sell it to incoming freshman or decide amongst yourselves who gets to keep it.
• Shoes: Bring one pair for exercising, one for other "less fancy" activity (like Vans or Converse), a fancy pair (heels or dress shoes), and a pair of everyday shoes like sandals that can be casual or dressed up. Trust me, you won't need more than those.
• Hair, Face, Etc Products: I'm not going to lie, having girls nights are the best at school. They're great for bonding with your new roommates or hosting a girls night when you need to catch up with friends and detox. So I would support bringing some nail polish (and get a cute box with a handle to haul it in). I support that because nail polish can get expensive, so you don't want to be spending money on something small like that. However, face masks are cheap! The single use masks are always around $1 and are super fun. If you're like me and have dyed hair, bringing your own hair mask will be important. But keep in mind, coconut oil once a week can do wonders for your hair, and you can use it for other things too (lotion, cooking,...)
• Jackets: This depends on where you're going to school! Since I'm in Utah, I need a nice coat for events, a snow jacket, and some lighter jackets for everyday wear. However, if you're in California or Florida, you may just need lighter weight jackets (which will be easier to pack and store too!). In that case, I would not take more than 3 jackets. That includes blazers and jackets you can pair with nearly every outfit you're planning on bringing!
• Blankets: If I have one shopping obsession, it's for blankets. I love them. Give them all to me. So naturally, I wanted to bring like 6 to school. But those don't pack well, and they take up a good amount of room. So I have one soft one that I keep folded and on the bottom of my bed and anther heavier one in my car for picnics and emergencies. Blankets are a must for me in school, especially for movie nights, star gazing, and when you leave your window open at night and it surprisingly snows.
• Bike/Scooter/Skateboard: This one really comes down to how big your campus is. The two campuses I have lived on have been very small, so no mode of transportation was necessary. I do have a car which is wonderful now that I'm living off campus, but it isn't necessary. Also, there is a good chance your roommates or future friends will have cars, so don't worry about walking home from Walmart with groceries. I promise you'll be fine. Also, take into consideration the relative weather around your campus. Since it snows during a good portion of my school year in Utah, I didn't bring a bike. I would have to store it and would not have used it enough to justify the cost of that.

Hope this post helps! Let me know if you have any other questions about what to bring and what to leave. Stay tuned for more "College Bound" posts!