Packing for college 101
Let’s face it — moving to college is definitely one of the most exciting times in anyone’s life. However, it’s also a time that’s filled with a lot of anxiety. After all, you’re making one of the biggest transitions, and starting your adult life. And there are a lot of aspects to this, from the big stuff like separating from your parents, all the way to learning about packing for college. Don’t worry, though — the latter is something we can definitely help you with!
Where to start?
Obviously, the first thing while packing for college that you need to get the hang of is — where do you actually begin? That’s definitely a good question, as such a heavy amount of packing is definitely not an easy task. However, as with most things in life — you just need to prioritize your tasks well. So, just think about what the most important thing is for you. And when you’re doing your college packing — that’s obviously clothes.
Remember — once you get to your dorm room, you’ll have a lot less space than you’re used to. Sure, you can get affordable containers for storing your items, but even these containers have to be placed somewhere. Which basically means one thing: you won’t be able to bring all of the clothes you want. With that in mind, attempt to limit the stuff you bring to around three weeks worth of clothing. And make sure you only bring the things that you need for the current season; chances are you won’t have the room for anything else. Apart from that, we would also advise thinking in terms of versatility. Meaning that a pair of jeans you can wear with almost everything will be a better idea for college, than pants you can wear with only a couple of things.
A freshman’s wardrobe
So, while you are working with a limited amount of storage space, you still don’t want to bring stuff arbitrarily. Before you get your containers from a place like Capital City Bins, make sure you’ve carefully chosen what you’ll bring. Crucially, you’ll want to have a couple of clothing options for all the different social occasions that you might be a part of in college. So, you’ll need something that you can wear to class. Also, bring some more fancy stuff for all kinds of parties. You may need something more formal for your freshman mixer, but crazy dorm parties usually don’t have a dress code.
Picking the clothes
But, what to bring specifically? If you ask us, a tailored jacket is a perfect fit for both men and women, regardless of whether you’re going to a community college or to an Ivy League establishment. Remember — this is a piece of clothing that’s good for both casual social events, and dressing-up parties. Plus, it has enough layers to provide warmth in the colder seasons, and it’s a more mature choice than a simple hoodie.
As for everyday occasions, you should have a couple of available combinations. We recommend building these from four base items — shorts, pants, skirts and capris. Then, in accordance with these, pack six to seven tops that will match these pieces of clothing; things like shirts, sweaters, cardigans etc. Finally, pack no more than four pairs of shoes.
We know what you’re thinking: all of this seems quite basic, especially for someone who’s got an extensive wardrobe. But if you pack enough accessories to adjust the style of these clothes, you’ll be golden. So, your college wardrobe needs to contain plenty of belts, ties, scarves, jewelry, and such. Yes, obviously — women will have the advantage here, but there are plenty of accessorizing options for men as well!
Also, as we’ve already mentioned — think seasonally when you’re doing this sort of packing. Sure, once autumn comes around, you may want to pack at least one winter coat for especially cold days. And depending on where you’ll attend school, weather may become quite cold even before winter officially knocks on your door.
Formal attire
As we’ve specified above — while college is a pretty wild time, you’ll also need something you can wear for formal occasions. That’s why we recommend having at least one versatile formal combination of clothes. Ideally, you should pack just one outfit, as you probably won’t need any more than that; but if you want to have options, you can pack two. In that case, pack one really formal outfit, something conservative that you’d wear to a job interview. And as for the other one — pick out something for evening occasions, like a fancy dinner or a date.
Believe us, no matter how casual your social life is, you never know when you’ll have to change things up a bit and attend a formal event. So, women could consider bringing a sheath dress, and perhaps a formal blazer, of the kind you’d wear to an interview, or on another strictly formal occasion. Apart from that, for warmer months, you may want to think about a formal top and a skirt; these can be matched for all kinds of mixes with your wardrobe. As for men, one pair of tailored pants should be enough, with an appropriate dress shirt and a formal tie. While these are quite formal, you can pair them up with other pieces of your wardrobe too.
Conclusion
Finally, all of this may seem like too much planning to you. We’re aware of that, but after all — when you’re packing for college, storage space is of the essence. Plus, this will come in handy when it comes to working on your personal management skills!