Hey, y'all! My name is Isabella, and I’m a college student learning how to navigate adulthood right alongside you!! Today, I'll tell you about 15 items you should not bring to college.
These are items that I brought to my dorm room and then ended up bringing home because I didn't need them or items that I was advised against bringing, and I am glad I listened. There is already such limited space in a dorm room or small apartment, so be wise with what you bring. This post guides college students living in a dorm room, a small apartment, or just looking to minimize their belongings.
- Too much clothing
- You can always bring more clothes later or get your parents to ship items you forgot, but there is not enough space in a dorm room or small apartment to store clothing for all seasons. That being said, try to time what you bring by the season. For example, since most people go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, plan on getting more of your warm clothes then and switching out what you have.
- Full sized vacuum
- This is optional in a dorm room or small apartment. We got a handheld vacuum, and it did just fine vacuuming our room, which took 5 minutes. Since it is such a small space, storing a full-size vacuum is not worth losing space.
- Extra bedding & extra pillowcases
- I brought two sets of sheets, but I honestly didn't need both. Whenever I washed the sheets on my bed, I would just wash and dry them, then immediately put them back on my bed. You can save some space doing this based on your preference. I got so many pillowcases for graduation gifts and brought almost every single one. I only kept two pillows on my bed, so I recommend keeping up to four pillowcases simply because there will not be room for much more than that.
- Too many decorative pillows
- You only have so much space to put those huge stacks of pillows, so make sure they will only take up some of the floor space when you throw them down to go to bed.
- Candles
- Most universities do not allow these because they are a fire hazard. Your RA will likely be quick to send you to fire school when they do their room checks. Fire school is inconvenient, and bringing a candle is not worth it.
- Pots or pans
- Unless you plan on using the kitchen built into your dorm, accessible to everyone living there, it isn't necessary and will take up valuable space. If your college is anything like mine, the dorm kitchen will be pretty outdated. However, I did use it a few times to make some cookies during test weeks with my friends, but we went to Dollar Tree and bought a pan and spatula for $3.
- Printer
- I didn't bring one, and I don't regret it simply because I have no idea where I would have put it. But if you like to print your notes consistently to highlight and annotate them, consider getting a compact one. It is simply about preference. All campuses will have a printer you can use, but most will cost a couple of cents per page and automatically charge your e-bill.
- Iron & Ironing board
- I've mentioned this before, but I recommend a steamer instead. An iron and ironing board would take up a lot of space to store. A steamer is a more efficient and practical use of space. It is easy to grab and steam your outfit at the last second before having to leave.
- Too many duffles or luggage
- Large suitcases, bulky luggage, and duffle bags can help you move in and out but can take up unnecessary space in a dorm. Be conscious of where you will put the bags, and don't bring too many. Another way to avoid this is to keep some of these Ikea bags linked below because they are easier to store than duffel bags and just as efficient.
- More than 2 bath towels
- You probably got multiple cute towels from graduation and want to bring all of them. But in my freshman year, I brought three and later took one home because it took up valuable storage space. In a small dorm, once you do your laundry, you must put it away as soon as possible because of a lack of space. So, two towels were plenty for me to rotate out for laundry. I have linked the steamer I use below.
- High school merchandise
- You won't wear them. You will want to buy new merchandise geared towards your college, and you will end up acquiring more t-shirts from random places. You may get t-shirts from being involved in campaigns or even getting free ones from sports events. You will quickly stop reaching for the high school merch. This is a new start! Don't only wear high school merch. I did bring two high school shirts out of my ten for the beginning of school to wear before I got more shirts associated with my college and my sorority.
- Too many t-shirts
- T-shirts get their own bullet point because I cannot stress this enough. Some older girls told me to bring only a few, so I brought 10, which still was too much. I brought home some of my older shirts that I only reached for sometimes as I got new ones from my sorority. So, especially if you are rushing, you will get SO many more t-shirts starting on bid day. Then, after big/little, you will have so many shirts you don't know what to do with them.
- Too much school supplies & stationery
- I have mentioned this before: Don't go crazy for school supplies shopping. You don't know what supplies your instructor will require, and you likely won't need these items until the second week of classes. This includes stationary, sticky notes, index cards, binders, rulers, etc. It will be easy to pick up some cheap ones on campus or off.
- Anything too valuable
- Sadly, people can walk into your dorm room and take something. If you are not bringing a small safe or lock box to college, consider the valuables you want to bring. It is a good idea to leave any irreplaceable items, such as family heirlooms, at home. This is not likely or a regular occurrence, at least not at my university, but it is still possible.
- Duplicates
- Don't bring duplicates of the items you and your roommate can share if you have one. Don't worry too much about being stocked up on backup shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, etc. There will be places for you to get these items, and it would otherwise be an unnecessary use of space. The only exception would be products that are hard to find.
With Love,
Isabella XO
