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June 16, 2022 by

What NOT to Pack for College and Reasons Why 

It is that time of the year when students begin to prepare for college. They begin to purchase school supplies, new clothes, and, of course, items for their dorm rooms. When preparing for this amazing experience, there are tons of articles about dorm room necessities; however, I think it is important to share items that are NOT necessary for living on campus. So, for this blog, I am going to give you a list of items that you should NOT pack and reasons as to why! 

A female student poses for picture in her dorm room, showcasing the setup and décor of the room after moving in.

When planning dorm room ideas with your roommate, you will probably come up with a theme and then try to stick with said theme when purchasing dorm items. Although this seems fun and it does allow you to have a nice, cohesive dorm room, you might end up buying things that are not necessities at all! As you are purchasing decorations and other items for your dorm room, try to consider whether you will be using these items on a frequent basis. If you cannot imagine yourself using the item, then you might want to reconsider buying it!  

 

Here is a list of four decorations that might seem nice for your room but are unnecessary! 

  1. Decorative Pillows – throw pillows are super cute and add to the overall theme of one’s dorm room; however, you can go overboard and have way too many on your bed! Most of the time, these pillows end up under your bed, discarded around your room, and just in the way. When contemplating buying decorative pillows for your bed, try to only buy 1 or 2 – don’t overdo it! 
  2. Candles– Cedarville’s residence halls do not permit students to bring any candles or wax burners to use in dorm rooms. All three items are fire hazards, so don’t pack these! 
  3. Furniture – Cedarville’s residence halls supply students with all necessary furniture, so it is not necessary for students to bring their own items (beds, desks, chairs, dressers, etc.). Also, a lot of dorm rooms are not big enough to hold a lot of extra pieces, so keep that in mind when packing! 
  4. Knickknacks – like decorative pillows, buying items that go with your theme is a lot of fun! However, it is very common to get carried away and buy too many knickknacks that just end up causing clutter! When purchasing decorations for your dorm room, make sure you limit yourself on how many décor items you purchase. 

A pile of pink, white, and patterned throw pillows.

Unnecessary decorations are not the only items you might pack – there are many residence hall “essentials” that might seem necessary but will end up being a waste of money and just taking up space! 

Here is a list of four items that might seem necessary for living in residence halls but are quite unnecessary! 

  1. Printers – students have access to community printers all over campus! Although it might seem convenient to have a printer in your dorm room, it will only take up space and ultimately be a waste of money.  
  2. An Overabundance of Office Supplies – personally, I brought a lot of office supplies with me – a stapler, tape dispenser, paper clips, etc. – however, I did not use most of those items at all! Nowadays, everything is online, so it is uncommon to need a stapler or a tape dispenser. However, these items could be necessary for certain majors, so look more into what kind of assignments you might be given where a stapler is needed.  
  3. Space Heaters – a space heater might seem very desirable if you think you will be living in a cold, stone-walled dorm room, but do not even consider bringing one! Space heaters are considered a fire hazard, so they are not permitted in the residence halls. Not only are they not allowed, but they do take up space that most students do not have in their rooms! 
  4. Weights and Workout Equipment – these items are very unnecessary to have in your dorm room due to the fitness center that is accessible for all students! With most of these items, the campus does supply you with these things, so it is not necessary for you to bring them. It is very easy for students to scan into the fitness center on campus, so make sure you take advantage of that opportunity.  

 

Now, most of the items and categories that I have already listed could be categorized as things you do not need to bring AT ALL. However, there are some items that you do need to bring, but you need to limit yourself to how much of each item you pack with you.  

Here is a list of four items that are necessary for living in the residence halls, but you do not want to go overboard when buying/packing them! 

  1. Bath Towels – when you’re at home, you might have the luxury of having a closet full of bath towels; however, when you’re living on campus, you will not have the space to store an abundance of towels! Personally, I found a bath towel set (bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth) that included two of each type of towel at HomeGoods. I think this number of towels was sufficient – they did not take up a lot of space and they never caused an overload of laundry! There are other stores that sell towel sets, so you will be able to find one just about anywhere! 
  2. Clothes – obviously packing clothes is very necessary; however, you can go overboard with how many clothing items you pack! It is a good idea to bring the clothes you need for the current season, and then when you go home for a break, just switch out the clothes from the previous season for the clothes you will need for the next! If you have room, I recommend purchasing some extra drawers – they are super convenient for storing your T-shirts, undergarments, pajamas, etc.  
  3. Shoes – like clothes, you do need to bring shoes with you, but you should not go overboard! You could always bring shoes that you will wear every day, and then have some that are particular to each season (for example, rain and snow boots). If you have room in your closet or under your bed, purchase a shoe rack to organize them – you don’t want them scattered all over your room! 
  4. Toiletries – everybody needs toiletries! However, you do not need to stockpile a bunch of toiletry items in case you run out of something! I would recommend only packing the amount that you need to get you started – there are places around Cedarville for you to purchase “refills” on your toiletry items! 

Packing might already seem daunting enough, but I know it is even more scary when you don’t know what to pack or how much you should pack. These lists are to help you limit what you should be packing. There will be other blogs to help you with what you should pack, tips for packing, and advice for move-in day. Cedarville’s Student Life Blog wants to assure that you are prepared for all sorts of things that might be thrown at you during your college experience.  

 

I hope you all have the best 1,000 days at Cedarville and that you find assurance from these blogs! 

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