Going to college is a stressful experience, while we feel like we prepare for it throughout our lives when the time draws nearer there is often a rush and panic about the things you didn’t think of.
One worry that may occur to you while you are packing is how many clothes you may need to bring with you. It’s a good question; you don’t want to bring your whole wardrobe but the thought of being that person who wears the same outfit all the time is worrisome.
We are here to soothe your worries and give you the lowdown from people who have been there and done it with college. Some things just aren’t worth worrying about, so let us burden this worry for you.
First, build your very own capsule wardrobe. This is going to help you so much! Read on for more tips on clothes packing for college.
Keep It Seasonal
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One thing to remember about your college terms is that they will be split up with periods of breaks in between.
These term times typically follow the seasons and holidays which can help you think about what clothes you will need each term.
Obviously, this can depend on where you are going to college. Penn State’s weather might change more than UCLA, for example, but the rule still applies.
Your first term typically runs from the summer up to the holiday season, so consider the fact that it’s going to be hot until you go home for the holidays.
This means that one clever and efficient way to pack is to bring the clothes you are more likely to wear in the summer, short sleeves, shorts, skirts, anything like this is best saved for the hot weather.
Bring a few hoodies and comfy pajamas for the occasional cold night and 2AM trips to the gas station, but there’s no need to pack your Canada Goose in August.
Moreover, the great thing here is that when you go home for Christmas you can bring your summer clothes back with you, that you won’t be wearing in the winter, and swap them out at home for your winter clothes.
This keeps your wardrobe seasonal but also stops it from getting too full of clothes that you aren’t going to wear.
What You Bring, You Will Have To Bring Back
When you are packing, a helpful tip is to imagine yourself bringing it home. Yeah, you might be able to fit your whole wardrobe and 20 pairs of shoes in your Dad’s van, but will you be able to move that around easily if need be?
You don’t want to be that person with 500 bags and boxes, sitting on the side of the road waiting for their Dad to pick them up on the last day of term. Make your life easier for your future self.
Focus On The Essentials
You don’t want to have brought a shirt in each color of the rainbow to realize you don’t have enough underpants to last you for a week.
Pack the essential stuff first, we’re talking underwear and socks as a must, a suit if you need it, a hoodie in case it gets cold.
Once you have the essential stuff down you can get a clearer picture of what else you need and what room you have to play with.
Choose Your Clothes Based On Activity
At college, there are lots of different activities external to your academic studies that may require some different clothes.
Trying to make sure you have a good outfit for the activities you expect to undertake can be an effective approach to packing what you need to
Just consider going out with your friends, pack something you can dress up, something you can dress down, consider where you will be and what sort of stuff you will want to wear.
But be conservative with your choices, yes you might go to a pool party, but that doesn’t mean you need six different swimsuits.
If you are going to try to get a job, bring a shirt and tie just in case. If you are doing lots of sport, bring enough gym clothes so that you won’t have to do laundry every day of the week.
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Remember You Can Wash Your Clothes
You don’t need to pack enough clothes to last you your entire time at college, all dorms will have laundry facilities where you can wash your clothes.
This is something worth factoring into your packing. You don’t need 100 pairs of underwear, maybe just 1 or 2 weeks worth with an understanding they will rotationally be getting washed.
In the same vein, don’t bring too little and constantly be doing laundry.
Always Keep It Light
We think that a lighter pack will always work out better than packing for every circumstance.
So long as you have the essential pieces of clothes you need, we think you will appreciate having packed less than having packed more.
The clutter and space the random objects take up will probably annoy you more than if you have space to fill.
If you need a specific bit of clothing, or just want something new to wear, you can always go and buy something new when you need it rather than preparing for something that isn’t going to happen.
Dorms aren’t huge either, if you are sharing you don’t want to take up too much space that others may need.
Moreover, the extra space will really help your mind settle more than having a super messy wardrobe full of stuff you won’t ever wear.
Final Thoughts
Your first time going to college can be a really worrying time, and it does often lead the best of us to worry about things that we don’t always need to give much thought.
Moreover, packing itself can be stressful on its own without having to consider the activities you might be doing in the next 6 months.
Our advice is always to go on the lighter side, cutting out the clutter and the faff will help you down the line way more than you think.
Plus, it’s always good to get used to living with less at college, it can make you more humble and will make you grateful for the little things like wardrobe space.
At the end of the day, during out of term time you can always go back and grab the stuff you need from home.
It’s hard to tell the full extent of what clothes you will need until you have had some experience as a student, but after your first term you will know exactly the wardrobe you need to use your time and space effectively.
So pack light because anything you can’t take you can always go back home for out-of-term time – so don’t worry too much!
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