12 Things I Did NOT Need to Bring to College

It is almost time to move back in, and many students are currently panicking over their packing lists for the upcoming school year. I was one of those kids just a year ago, and as I moved home back in May, I realized that I had over-packed to the extreme, and many of the "must have items" I packed for a waste for space and money. Below is a list of the things I certainly DID NOT need to bring to college, and I recommend you think twice before purchasing these "essentials" for your dorm room

A Mattress Pad

It was too big for my bed, and did not make me feel like I was sleeping on a cloud. Upon further investigation, I learned that my regular mattress was just fine. This is college, not prison. 

Binders

This is college in the 21st century, where everything goes on a computer. What was I going to put in that binder? Notes? Worksheets? No. They were useless. 

My Entire Wardrobe

It took up waaaayyy too much space, and I probably only wore a third of what I brought. Pack the clothes you love and the clothes you know you'll wear. 

A Yoga Mat

I hadn't done yoga in years, why did I think college was going to be the time I started doing it again? It stayed rolled up in my closet all year, and I ended up selling it for $5 during finals week. 

A Real Wall Clock

There was no where to stick it on the wall, and I always used my computer or my phone. I also forgot to adjust it for Daylight Savings Time and the sound of the ticking was SOOO annoying.

Real, wooden #2 pencils

Again, really? This isn't elementary school, and no one has used wooden pencils for years. The pencil sharpener you brought with them is useful for eyeliner pencils though. 

5 Northface Jackets

One was definitely enough. What was I planning to do? Wear them all at once? 

Jelly

With approximately fourteen dining halls accessible to me, did I really think I was going to be using this jelly? I never bought bread or peanut butter, for the record. I had no kitchen, and no need for any groceries, but especially not JELLY!

25 Bottles of Nail Polish

You know how many times I painted my nails? Maybe 5 times, and always the same color. 

Ramen Noodles

If you buy them, you will eat them. However, it has been ingrained in our minds for so long that college students survive only on ramen that the very smell of ramen noodles will make you nauseous. 

Extra Clothes Storage

This only allowed me to continue my addictive shopping and store my already too extensive wardrobe. I brought extra storage for my clothes, and still did not have enough room for all the T-shirts I acquired as a freshman. 

A DVD Player

We never set up the TV we brought, and my Mac has a disk drive. You know how many times my DVD player was used? Zero

Actual glassware

I failed to realize I was moving into a dorm room and not my first home. Water bottles and red solo cups will suffice, you do not need a sixteen cup set of nice glassware from Macy's taking up space..

Stay tuned for more of what I learned my freshman year of college