If you’re going to be attending college soon and you’re going to either stay in a dorm room or an apartment off-campus, then you’re probably very excited about the adventure.
However, there are many things that you must plan for, including how you’re going to move your things to the new home away from home, among others.
One thing that you might wonder is how many clothes you should bring to college.
The amount of clothing that you should bring to college will depend on many different factors, including how much room you’ll have and how many clothes you actually have.
If you’re going to be staying in a dorm room, then you can count on not having much space at all, so the fewer clothes, the better.
You must also factor in how many other belongings you will have in addition to your clothes, because if you have very limited space, then you might need to opt for taking only enough clothes to last a week or two at the absolute most.
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How many outfits are sufficient for going off to college?
There really is no specific number of outfits to take to college, but you definitely want to keep things as simple and as reasonable as possible.
Bringing 8–10 casual outfits and a dressy outfit or two is a good idea since you will be wearing casual clothes the majority of the time.
Don’t forget to bring around 5–7 pairs of socks, and 8–10 pairs of underwear (and bras for females).
What you should consider when choosing what clothes to take to college
When deciding what to pack for college, make sure that you take a few things into consideration.
First of all, take the season into consideration, because if it’s early fall and you’ll be attending school where the weather gets cold in the fall and winter, then don’t waste your time packing summer clothes.
Also, if you can’t currently fit certain clothing, you should leave it at home or even donate it rather than taking it with you and taking up space unnecessarily.
What is the average size of a dorm room?
The average size of a dorm room is about 228 square feet, which is equivalent to about 12 by 19 feet.
This isn’t a lot of space, especially if you’re sharing the room with a roommate.
This means that if you’re going to be staying in a dorm room, you might have to seek space-saving techniques if you end up taking more clothes than can actually fit.
If you shop at your local Walmart or similar store, you can find various types of space-saving receptacles that can help you accommodate any excessive clothing and other belongings.
Make sure you visit your dorm room in advance
Don’t make the mistake of moving into your dorm room without first seeing it.
By seeing the room in person before moving there, you will have a better idea of how many clothes you can take as well as how much room you’ll have for other things.
Be sure to check under your dorm room bed, too, because you might be able to fit under-the-bed storage containers there, which can dramatically increase your storage space.
What are the advantages of staying in a dorm room as opposed to staying off-campus?
By staying in a dorm room rather than off-campus, you can take advantage of the fact that others will be available to assist with household duties.
You will also have one or more roommates around to study with, hang out with, and simply support each other in general.
Furthermore, you will have easier access to college activities, sororities, fraternities, and more by staying in a dorm room rather than off-campus.
What are the advantages of staying off-campus instead of in a dorm room?
Just as there are advantages to staying on-campus, there are also advantages to staying off-campus.
Not all roommates are compatible, and by staying off-campus in a private apartment you don’t have to worry about living with a roommate you’re not compatible with.
When you live in your own apartment, you can choose to live alone or with a roommate who you know and trust. Because colleges often randomly place people together you never know who you’re going to end up sharing a dorm room with and you may not like them.
Is it best to have a roommate if staying in a dorm?
If you’re the type of person who loves being around other people and hates being alone, then it would likely be best to have a roommate while staying in a dorm.
However, if you prefer peace and quiet as well as being alone, then having a roommate in your dorm room may not be such a great idea.
Keep in mind though that some colleges don’t allow you to have a dorm room to yourself and even if they do, it will be far more expensive than sharing one with a roommate.
Is attending college as fun as the movies make it seem?
Being in college, staying in a dorm room with friends, and having amazing parties can be as fun, if not more so, as in movies.
However, if you aren’t around the right people or you’re not invited to all the best parties, then your experience may be completely different.
You could have a roommate who is extremely popular and always knows where all the best parties are, or you could get stuck with the biggest nerd on campus who is never invited to college parties. Either situation has the opportunity to control your entire experience.
Dealing with inconvenient laundry facilities
If you don’t have easy access to a washer and dryer, you may wish you had brought more clothes with you so you won’t have to wash your clothes so often.
However, if you must wash your clothes once a week, then try to make it fun.
Go to the laundromat or laundry facility with plenty of activities to do while you wait for your clothes to wash, as it will make washing and drying your clothes more tolerable, and time will go by a lot faster.
Don’t forget your outerwear
It’s important not to get so busy packing large amounts of clothing and forget about your outerwear like coats, jackets, boots, etc.
These items are bulkier and will take up more space, so don’t take more than one or two.
Even if the weather is warm year-round, you will want to at least take a raincoat and a light jacket for cool mornings and nights.
What else to pack for college?
When going to college, you may feel as if you want to take everything that is in your current room, and more.
However, if you’re going to be staying in a dorm, again, they’re not very big, so you might not have the space for all of your belongings.
That is why you must take only the essentials and leave everything else at home, and it will all be there when you get back.
Are pets allowed in dorms?
Likely, the only pet that will be allowed in a dorm room is a fish, if that is even allowed.
Every school is different, but you’re not likely to find one that will allow pets like cats, dogs, hamsters, etc.
However, if you want to inquire, then you certainly can, but you will likely have to leave Fido at home with Mom and Dad and visit him during the holidays and semester breaks.
What if you run out of space in your dorm room?
If you’ve overestimated the number of clothes and other items that you can fit in your dorm room and you’ve run out of space, then you can always take some items back home.
If that’s not an option, you might need to donate the excess items if they’re not very important to you.
You could always ship clothes back home if it’s too far to drive, but the weight of clothes can really cause postage to become expensive.
Going to college is a major event in a young person’s life, and if you’re preparing to leave home and stay on your college campus or nearby, then you might be feeling various emotions.
Regardless of the excitement, trepidation, nervousness, and more that you’re feeling, it’s important that you pack appropriately so that you’ll be as comfortable as possible.
There’s no need to take your entire wardrobe to your college dorm room, but just be sure to take just enough so you won’t have to do laundry more often than once a week.
