The first thing you need to know when you are preparing to move is this: do not take your entire house, or bedroom, or bathroom. You will find you actually need very little, plus you will have twice as much stuff by the time you move out.
1. Food: If you are living on campus, your will have a meal plan, and you will probably end up eating at the cafeteria fairly regularly when you start to realize that you don't have the money to eat out everyday. Don't be afraid to rely on the caf, you will come up with your own system to make eating there bearable. This being said, you really won't need much food in your room. You will want some, for mornings on your way to class, or if you had to skip a meal because your have been studying. I know some people that eat in their room a lot, but for the most part, you won't need more than a few granola bar, soup/noodles (anything that can be put in the microwave), and fruits if you eat them often. Do note however, that your caf will probably have fruits for "free" and you can get some there, though what you find might not be as fresh as what you would pick out for yourself. In the long run, you don't need a massive mini fridge. I only use mine (which is tiny) for leftovers (which I rarely had since I rarely at anywhere I could have leftovers because, well, $$$) and the 2 times that I tried to make something that required milk (after that I just bought things that were add water only- beware of this). Other than that, it was my nightstand. If you know your roommate beforehand or if you can talk to them before you start rooming together (via facebook?) find out if they have a mini fridge and if you want to share. Also, you can probably find a million fridges on craigslist. Or, if you don't think you will need it, just use the dorm kitchen's fridge if you have leftovers.
As for what you don't need? Chips, cookies, pop, ect. You will sit on your bed, or at your desk, or on your futon and eat all of it in one sitting. You don't get the freshman 15 faster than that (which is very easy to get- your sleeping/eating schedule is changed, you get stressed, and eat more junk food). Also, if your caf has ice cream or some sort of dessert, don't get it everyday, after every meal. It is so easy to do. Just shut your eyes when you walk past. I am not saying you have to give up all the yummy sugary stuff you like, but it is much easier to indulge when you are at college, and will find yourself unhealthy and fat. You have been warned.
Cooking? There will be times you want to do it, but honestly don't plan on doing it everyday because it is a pain. You have to share a kitchen with a ton of other people, you have to carry all of your pots, pans, spoons, ingredients, soap and towel to clean up, potholder, and everything else that is conveniently in your kitchen at home. You will also discover that you left your potholder in your room, but can't leave your food in the oven alone, or that you are making pancakes without a flipper because it slipped your mind that you don't own one. That being said, you probably won't cook often, much less have time to do so.
2. Clothes: Do not bring your entire closet. Or even half of it. Depending on how many clothes you own. Your closet will become storage for a ton more than just your clothes. If you have a shirt for everyday of the month, nothing else will fit (because you will have brought more than you need and will have nowhere to put it). On the other hand, don't being 7 shirts. You will not want to do laundry every 7 days. Because at college, unless you have the luxury of having your parents nearby, you will spend a lot of money on laundry. Quarters will become gold, and you will store them like a crow and never use for anything but to put into the laundry machine. You can easily spend 20 quarters ($5) just to do enough laundry to get you by for awhile. Which means you are cramming more clothes into one washer than should be physically possible. To help cut costs, if you can avoid it, don't use the dryer. Ask your roommate if you can hang your clothes all over the room. If you leave them overnight, they should be dry. If you are going to dry say, just your jeans since they take longer to dry, throw everything in there since you are spending the money anyway.
As for clothes to bring? Don't bring all of your winter clothes while it is still summer. It depends on how often you plan to go home, but if you can't go home till thanksgiving, just brings as little as you need, or have your parents ship stuff to you. Only bring a jacket or two (not 5, they will take up too much room) and a hat. This should be enough to get you by during the fall (if you are going up north, this will be different) and you can take your summer stuff home and bring your winter stuff back. I would suggest keeping one thing that will be sufficient for sudden weather surprises (both hot and cold) just in case.
3. Storage: Under the bed, under the sink (if you have one), and the closet are very useful places. Also, drawers don't have to be used for just your underwear. Depending on how your room is set up, there are a ton of things you can do. You might want to just store boxes under your bed, or if you have a high bed, you can keep your towels, or band-aids, or batteries, or any other random stuff you don't have a place for in a box within reach and out of the way. I like to keep one of those drawer things under my sink for all of my hair stuff, first-aid, general bathroom things, and other things that don't have a place. I also have a really small curtain rod with a piece of fabric pinned to it under the sink, to make it look more tidy.
I really like those closet hangers that have places for your shoes, and other things. I keep my towels, extra sheets, and shoes (other than my flip-flops which stay by the door) in it, which gives me more drawer space for cleaning supplies, snacks/food (I don't keep enough food to do this), and of course, clothes. I highly recommend them.
I would advise you not to bring too many plastic storage units. You will find that they get in the way and are a pain to carry in and out while moving. I used to have two of the plastic drawer things I mentioned earlier but then I realized I didn't need both as I started to bring less stuff, so I cut down to the one big one, and keep kitchen stuff in one drawer, bathroom/first-aid/Tylenol in another, and the last is for random things like batteries, flashlight, ect. While moving, it is better to use cardboard boxes you can collapse and put under your bed, or recycle. This will give you more space, which is the most important thing when moving into a dorm. However, I find that most things that walmart or target try to sell you for "storage" are generally pretty useless and will just take up space. You will keep your books in your bag or on your desk (which will almost definitely be supplied for you) and as your desk will probably have drawers- printer paper, extra pens, pencils, highlighters, and stapler that don't fit in your bag (and thus do not need) will hold all of that. Lesson to be learned here, no matter how cool it is, limit yourself on storage because it will just end up being filled with junk. I keep one pretty storage box for my school books for days that I don't have those classes, but for the most part, it gets filled up with random papers that I should just throw away. Other than that, all the storage I have has already been mentioned. You will learn to stack things and make arrangements that work best for you over time. Just remember, the less you bring, the less you have to find a place for.
4. Supplies: This will vary, depending on your major. If you are an art major like me, you will eventually have a plethora of art stuff like x-acto knives and cutting boards, pencils, ect. But when you are talking basics, here is a good place to start.
- Printer
I would suggest investing in a printer. It will save you from running to the computer lab, and if you don't have money to put into your printer account when it runs out, you might not be turning in the paper that you stayed up all night working on. You don't need an super expensive printer, and definitely don't need one with expensive ink (be sure to check this). I have and HP photosmart and really like it. I can print nice photos on it, and of course I can print my papers. It has cheap ink ($30 for b&w + color bulk package) and you can find ink on ebay for even cheaper. You can share a printer with a roommate, but consider if you are not going to be with that person in the years ahead and possibly be without. I would say go ahead and find one for yourself.
- Writing Utensils
Yes, you do need these. No, you don't need 100 of each. I would probably just get a 5 pack of each. Everyone has the pen they always use, so just keep a pen, pencil, highlighter and maybe an extra of each if you have room in case you run out of ink/lead, or if someone needs to borrow one.
- Stapler
I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten to class and someone has asked if I have a stapler. Keep a small one in your bag and that is all you need as long as you have extra staples.
- Scissors
Eventually you will need them to open something or to cut something out, so just get one and put it in your desk drawer.
- Paper
Everyone has difference systems. Some people use one binder for all their classes and have tabs, some people have different binders for every class (very inefficient), other people have spiral notebooks for every class, or if you are like me, you just have one spiral notebook for all classes. If you get one of the big ones, it is more efficient. Some people (a lot of art majors) just carry one notebook, like a moleskin or pretty book and just use that. I used to only carry a decorative notebook with lined paper in it, but it started to cause me problems when I had classes that had quizzes and needed normal writing paper. When you have a lot of COR classes I suggest using spiral notebooks. You can get them dirt cheap on sale. After that, you can decide if you need them or not.
Everything else if subjective to what classes you take.
5. Packing: When you are packing, I have heard it is better to use a lot of smaller boxes rather than a few big boxes. Generally, I have found this to be true. You can arrange better in a small car, and if you get stuck carrying a lot in or out by yourself, it will be a lot easier on you. I suggest that if your parents are helping you move to bring a travel dolly to help speed things up, and make things easier. I end up stuffing a lot of things in already available storage units and have someone help me carry it, or use a dolly. I do own a trunk that I keep in my room as a coffee table or beside table. I find it useful when moving to keep my clothes and other stuff in. I have seen some people just take clothes on the hanger and lay them in their car. I guess it is faster since you don't have to rehang things.
6. Decorations: I just remembered this, so it is a little out of order. Oh well. I have been asked a few times able what I do to decorate. Here are a few suggestions, and a few things you shouldn't do while decorating.
Your room will in fact, look extremely bare when you first move in. And it is depressing. I have a tile floor in my room which looks even more depressing, but it is a blessing in disguise because cleaning is so much easier (yes, you must clean if you ever want anyone to enter your room and for your roommate to not dislike you). I am a huge fan of rugs because you can put them on carpet or tile and they will warm your room right up. Some people get wall to wall carpet to put in their room, which looks great, but is a problem when moving out. If you have a place to put it, you can sometimes get carpet from people moving out. Ask around. Personally, although it looks nice and feels good, it is too much of a hassle, plus you have to vacuum, so I find it easier to have a few rugs. Rugs are pricey, but I have acquired mine over time so it hasn't really cost me anything. Most of them were given to me. If you have the money to get one or can find one for cheap, I would say go for it.
Curtains seem to be the biggest issue. I used a several yards of fabric the first two years. It worked fine and didn't cost much. I have seen a lot of people use fabric shower curtains (I guess they are cheaper than regular curtains). I would wait until after you get to school to decide on curtains and rugs, ect so that you can talk it over with your roommate, unless you know them already. If not, you can go shopping with them, get to know them and their tastes, and find something that works for you. Just be sure to decide who will take what at the end of your time living together and how you are going to split the cost.
*Update* Posters. Don't bring 40 of them. Bring like, 2. At JBU there are poster sales every year and I always end up buying a new one. They are a major pain to take down at the end of the year. You will hate yourself if you have a ton of posters hung up.
To sum everything up, while you are packing and you are wondering whether you need something or not, the answer is probably "no." Worst case senario, you can buy it when you get to school (as I said previously, you will come home with more than you brought). Bring as little as possible because you can always get that thing somewhere else if you are missing it, whether you have to borrow it, or you buy it. Just try to be money conscious and only buy it if you need it. I know it is fun to buy all new stuff when you go to school, but try not to overdo it. A lot of that "collage-y" stuff you buy from walmart or target is pretty cheap and will break after a year of use anyway.
To sum everything up, while you are packing and you are wondering whether you need something or not, the answer is probably "no." Worst case senario, you can buy it when you get to school (as I said previously, you will come home with more than you brought). Bring as little as possible because you can always get that thing somewhere else if you are missing it, whether you have to borrow it, or you buy it. Just try to be money conscious and only buy it if you need it. I know it is fun to buy all new stuff when you go to school, but try not to overdo it. A lot of that "collage-y" stuff you buy from walmart or target is pretty cheap and will break after a year of use anyway.
