The Little Things To Bring With You To College

Following up on last week’s theme of my story with last minute college packing essentials, I really got to thinking about some of the small things that I’m glad I did have with me (or had sent to me) when I got to college. I think we all wish we could bring everything with us, especially freshman year. I know how scary it is, not knowing how you’ll feel, what you’ll truly need or want. Once you get into your groove, you’ll realize you may not need half the stuff you thought. There are so many things I didn’t use and don’t need now. I even realized I didn’t need them once I got home too. You can live pretty minimally when you have to and sometimes that’s much easier!

A few of the items I’m glad I did have were actually things I hadn’t used previously while I was living at home. One of which was a major life savor and thanks to good old mom, had packed in one of the many boxes for me. Other things I knew I’d need and would have to replenish throughout the year. So here are some things you already know to have and some you may not, but you’ll greatly appreciate!

Envelopes and Stamps – It’s great to know you can send someone a letter. You may think an email or text would be easier, but no, there is nothing better than taking care of long distance relationships with a physical letter you wrote. It means so much more and it’s actually a lot of fun to do! (I had never sent a letter myself before this. Maybe because it didn’t require me to drive to a post office, but just walk to the mail room and drop it in a box!)

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Lysol and Disinfecting Wipes – Maybe because I had to be super cautious of food cross contamination as well, but mostly, there are a lot of germy surfaces in a dorm full of “young adults”. Not everyone was brought up to wash their hands after they come home and open the door. Thus, quick swipes of the wipes and sprays to the door handles kept me (and my roommates) all pretty healthy. Score!

Earplugs – I’m telling you…bring earplugs. This was what my mom packed that I mentioned. I knew I wouldn’t need them to block out a snoring roommate as that’s not how my dorm was set up, but there were plenty of other reasons why these were needed! Like “hall soccer” and the fire alarms (you know…after it goes off, pop them in while you’re getting out of the building) 😉

Little Notebooks/Memo Pads – I love little notebooks and pads anyway, but I loved have one within reach everywhere I was! My purse, backpack, desk, by my bed. I had tons. You could get those ideas down, yes, but also feelings, memories, anything you wanted to remember and share with family and friends when you saw them. It was also a great stress reliever at times! So stock up!

Caboodle – I’ve been using one of these lovely cases ever since I was a competitive dancer (so that means my entire childhood to the present). Let me tell you, girls, why you need one. You can have all your make up, hair brushes, hair things, lotions, headbands, whatever, right in on organized case (which closes and has a carrying handle). You can take ti anywhere, or keep it on your dresser (like I did) and have no need to do your hair and make-up in the bathroom, but right in your room! I use it at home too and have never had to leave my room to “get ready”. So…get one! You’ll thank me!

Moisturizing Lotion and Lip Balm – When you move to a new environment, your body can react in weird ways. You may get super oily skin or super dry skin. Let’s just say, I’m glad I had tons of lotion with me and way more lip balms (everywhere!) than I could count!

One Dollar Bills – Yes, I had my school ID which paid for everything “on-campus” and many other local stores and businesses, but having quick “small” cash was really helpful when you just needed one little thing, for emergencies, or to take the Circulator (if you happen to be in DC!)

Shower Pouf and Body Wash – I realized rather quickly that I had to say screw the wash cloths and bar soap! No one has time to wash all those wash cloths with the amount of showers college kids seem to take nor does bar soap fare well in a shower caddy even if it’s in a “soap case”. Having a pouf and body wash was the best and I’ve adopted this showering method…for life!

Schick® Disposable Razors – Of course make sure to stock-up on your Schick Disposable Razors! Believe me, I think every college student develops a whole new shower routine when they get to their new “living environment”. But the essentials mostly stay the same (except for the whole bar soap thing)!