What you’ll need for college

Packing for college for the first time is probably one of the more frustrating things you’ll have to do but it’s a necessary evil. If you’re like me, you’ll avoid packing at all costs for the entire summer and before you know it, it’s the day before you have to leave for school and you have yet to even find your suitcases. It’s difficult figuring out what you need to bring and how you’ll fit everything in your car or if you’re going to have to ship some stuff. This is why there are some things you should definitely pack from home and other stuff that you can just buy when you get to school.

What to buy at school

In-Store Pick Up is super helpful because you go to a Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target or whatever store you’re doing it through in your town, pick out everything that you’ll want for your dorm, reserve it and then pick it up at a store near your college. I got most of my stuff through In-Store Pick up which saved a lot of room in my car.

1. Bedding: Especially if you’re ordering through In-Store pick up, it’s so easy to pick out what bedding you want online, or in a store that’s close to you and then just pick it up at school. Bedding takes up so much room in a car which I learned the hard way. You’re definitely going to want to get a mattress topper because sleep isn’t always abundant in college and you want to actually be comfortable during the sleep that you can get.

2. Towels and toiletries: You can just reserve towels and a shower caddy through In-Store Pick up and then get all your shower stuff at the CVS or Target that’s on campus. It’s convenient having two sets of all your toiletries so that you don’t have to transport shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc., during breaks that you go home for.

3. Fans, door mirrors, rugs, hangers, under-bed storage, and closet organizers: There is no air conditioning in the freshman doors at BU and even though it gets cold fairly fast, you’re going to want to bring a fan. Not all the dorms come with wall/door mirrors so I definitely recommend ordering one of those. Since there is not much closer space, it’s important to make the most out of what you’re given, so closet organizers come in clutch along with lots and lots of hangers.

4. Trash cans, cleaning supplies, command hooks, and desk accessories: All of this stuff is so easy to pick up when you get to school. I didn’t even pre-order any of this but instead just picked out ones that I liked when I was just shopping around in Boston.

5. School Supplies: There’s no point in buying this stuff at home because it takes up unnecessary space in the car and you don’t even know what your professors are going to want you to have for their classes. CVS, Target and the book store will all have everything you’re going to need for the school year.

6. Micro-fridge/TV: Unless you want to buy your own micro-fridge and TV, it’s super easy to rent this stuff through BU because it will be already delivered in your room when you get to campus.

There was no way I would have been able to fit all of this stuff in my car if I bought it all at home and it is especially helpful for students who have to fly to get to college.

What to pack

You should only really pack what you can’t easily get at college.

1. All the clothes and shoes: Bring your summer and winter clothes because it’s going to get cold pretty soon into the school year and you won’t want to be caught without a jacket in the unexpected first snowfall. Boston weather definitely calls for a heavy coat, rain jacket, snow boots and rain boots. As far as clothes go, keep in mind that there won’t be as much drawer and closet space as you’re used to so just bring the essentials.

2. Pictures/frames/wall décor: You can always order prints to pick up at a CVS on campus but if you have already printed photos and frames, you won’t want to forget these so that you can easily decorate your dorm. If you can’t find a tapestry or other wall décor through In-Store Pick Up, you can easily bring it from home and fit into your car.

3. Make-up, curling irons/straighteners, backpack: All of this stuff is small and you won’t want to buy all new items at school so it’s definitely recommended that you just bring this stuff from home plus you can fit it all in whatever backpack you buy.

Small stuff you shouldn’t forget

1. Headphones

2. Earplugs

3. Door stopper

4. Water bottle

5. Dry erase board (for outside your dorm room’s door)

6. Shower shoes

Don’t stress out too much about packing because Boston is a city packed with every store imaginable so if you do end up forgetting to buy something, you’ll have every opportunity to get it!