College 101: College Packing Suggestions

College is a time of massive change in your life. It can mean personal growth and excitement, but also can be crazy stressful with trying to pack up your life and move.

Here we have created a list for you of suggested items that you could want during your freshmen year and throughout your time as college students! These are all just suggested items that women in the Panhellenic community found useful as Freshmen and as college students in general!

For move in:

Move in is a crazy time that can be full of chaos and confusion, but there are things that can help minimize the stress and help streamline your moving and unpacking process!

1. Large zipper bags!

1. These are awesome to move your things in because they are soft sided and the handles make them easy to move. They can be purchased on Amazon or from Ikea!

2. Labels!

1. Labels can be awesome for when it comes time to unpack because you know exactly what is in each box/bag and you can easily find everything you are looking for. These can be found anywhere including Walmart and Office Depot!

3. Command strips!

1. If you want to hang things on the wall, most dorms require you to only use command strips! Having a variety of sizes can be great!

4. Small toolkit!

1. Sometimes it can be nice to have a small toolkit with you on move-in day, especially if you have things you will need to assemble!

Medicines:

With flu season coming up fast, and allergy season still in full swing, getting sick can almost feel inevitable! But, having the right medicine to help you feel better can make it much more manageable!

1. Tylenol!

1. A must have for busy college students running around campus and for those late night study session headaches!

2. Ibuprofen

1. Perfect if you get sore from all the fun you will be having (and from climbing up these Appalicain hills on campus)!

3. Dayquil/Nightquil

1. This is great for that stuffy nose that is ruining your vibe! You can also get it in a duo pack!

4. Bandaids!

1. With recruitment right around the corner, and a lot of walking in your future, blisters can feel inevitable. But! There is a quick fix to that issue, slap a bandaid on it and go on your way!

5. Bring sunscreen!

1. Although recruitment rounds are indoors, you will be doing a lot of standing and walking outside in the sun and it is important to protect your skin! No one wants a sunburn!

Clothes/Shoes:

If you have watched any video about college packing they will tell you to PACK LIGHT when it comes to your clothing and your shoes. This is the absolute TRUTH! If you dont wear it right now, you wont wear it in two months, leave it at home! However, you will still need to bring at least some clothing and shoes and here are the tops items you should for sure bring:

1. A rainjacket (and umbrella)!

1. After living without one for my first semester Freshmen year, I can tell you that you are definitely going to want one (and need one), especially as the weather cools off and the rain comes rolling in more!

2. Comfortable walking shoes!

1. This campus is going to have you WALKING, so it is important to have some comfortable walking/tennis shoes.

3. Athletic clothes!

1. Comfortable athletic clothing is the go-to for class! T-shirts, tank tops, athletic shorts, tennis skirts, athletic dresses, etc. are what you will be seeing all over campus this summer! Leggings and sweatshirts are the fall/winter go-to!

For your room:

1. Fan!

1. It can get so hot in the dorms so it can be nice to have a fan to use during those times!

2. Drying rack!

1. The washing and drying machines in dorms can be hard on your clothes, so having a drying rack is a must have to not shrink all of your clothing!

3. Extra blanket!

1. Having an extra blanket can be really nice for hanging around and still being covered up without having to sit in your bed!

Tips:

• Don’t bring all of your fall/winter clothing and shoes when you move in, it is just going to take up precious space for two months! Instead, switch out some of your warm weather items for your fall/winter items during fall break or other time!

• Dont bring all of those shoes you *think* you are going to wear! You will wear the same 3-5 shoes all the time and the rest will just take up space! Bring less to start with and then you can bring the items you want as you need them.

• Wait to get your cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, most school supplies, and medicines until you get to Knoxville! This will help save packing space and you won’t have to move in the heavy cleaning bottles.