<p>Im going to be a freshman at UCSD and im going to be dorming. I would like to ask those ppl who have already been through the whole, entering into a new, different kinda world called "college", experience, what kinds of things are essential to college life? not just common sense things like toothbrush and clothes as such, but also things that people likely to forget to bring, things that people have not thought about brining or something that ppl brought that are unusual but actually proved to be helpful. just about anything.</p>
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<p>Contrary to popular belief, I actually say: don’t bring a toothbrush, and bring only a minimal set of clothes.</p>
<p>Do you really want to haul all that stuff from home up to college? You’re beginning a new chapter of life, and the last thing you want is to bring your past high-school life with you to college.</p>
<p>In order to make move-in easy, what you bring should easily fit into one or two large suitcases. Bring essential clothes, your laptop, maybe bedsheets of suitable size if you have them. Don’t forget towels. Same with cell phone chargers, etc. You should be able to move in and unpack completely within 1hr.</p>
<p>Then, go out on a simple shopping trip and get all your consumables. You really don’t need to bring much.</p>
<p>Personally, I tried to go down this path, but my parents really insisted otherwise. I ended up with a lot of junk that just sat in the closet and never got used. As for consumables, a quick trip to Target settled it.</p>
<p>I’m literally bringing…</p>
<p>Clothes/shoes
Laptop
Phone
DVDs</p>
<p>then buying everything else at Walmart or somewhere similar…
straighteners
hairdryer
shampoo/conditioner
suncream
cups/glasses
iron
etc etc.</p>
<p>If youre like me, you’ll forget stuff anyway and have to buy it, so I wouldnt worry too much.</p>
<p>bring formal wear (suit). you might think you wont need it, but when you do, you’ll be glad you have it. I had plenty of occasions where I needed to wear one, and I initially didn’t bring any formal clothes at all.</p>
<p>If your planning on rushing a fraternity you definitely need a suit. When you become a brother, you might be wearing a suit frequently. </p>
<p>PLEASE bring deodorant! :o</p>
<p>To those who say just bring the basics and buy the rest when you’re there…why? At the end of the year, you’re gonna have to bring all your stuff home! Isn’t that the same as just bringing it all to begin with minus the whole shopping spree?</p>
<p>Now I’m completely opposite to what some people said…bring everything you will need, just not much extra (there’s not a lot of room). Granted, I live only about a half hour from where I dorm, so it’s not a huge issue to do so…but I was always bringing more to my dorm.</p>
<p>Definitely bring formal attire too…I had a few classes to give presentations in.</p>
<p>Maybe it was just my dorm (which is rumored to be a very VERY small dorm anyway) but there was actually a lot more room than I thought there would be. I brought a lot of clothes, etc, but I brought space-saving options as well (magic hangers are highly suggested). It worked out fine, and I brought every little thing I thought I’d need (and I used everything but the deck of cards.)</p>
<p>My suggestion? Bring everything you’ll need (key word is need), because when you get there, you’ll want to unpack and then go have fun, not go to Target and fight against a billion other moms and dads and students for things like a toothbrush that everyone else forgot too.</p>
<p>A must is a converstion with your roommate before you move in to get everything in the air</p>
<p>Listen to excelblue. There’s no point bringing a ton of crap that will further cramp limited space. You’re not moving to a third world country; your school will have a walmart near it I’m sure. It’s absolutely better to underpack than overpack.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine leaving stuff at home only to go to the store when I get to school unless strictly necessary (like in the case of flying, etc). If your parents have so much disposable income that you can afford to repurchase things you already have at home (and your house is big enough to fit two of everything when you get home for summer) it sounds like a great idea, but otherwise?</p>
<p>bring about a week of clothes
toothbrush
personal supplies
and the like
think if you were staying in a hotel what would you need?</p>
<p>I brought everything I need (including things like toothbrush, toothpaste, qtips, etc) and got it unpacked in 1 hour - I’m kind of a minimalist so it wasn’t much stuff. My college is in Manhattan, so no big ole Walmart nearby lol. Buying things there would’ve meant taking the subway to Brooklyn to the nearest Target, and carrying lots of supplies on the subway is stupid and inconvenient.</p>
<p>Excelblue’s advice makes sense if you’re going to college far away, especially if you’re flying. In that case you want to pack as little as possible of course. </p>
<p>Oh, don’t forget to bring those big clips to clip bags of chips - the worst it when all your nachos/chips dry out! : O</p>
<p>Not that a toothbrush takes up much room. Just pack it, you’ll be glad you did.</p>
<p>I don’t ever think I’ve used a chip clip in my life, haha. Tape works just as well.</p>
<p>some people might find it cheaper to store their stuff at school, so bringing all the stuff they need to school isn’t the same as what they do when the year ends.</p>
<p>A surge protector/electric outlet extension strip…you most definately wil need more outlets!</p>
<p>No tape does not work just as well! Because then when you open the bag and take the tape off, it’s not sticky anymore. Then you need to get another piece of tape to seal it up for next time. If you’re like me and eat Nachos 4 times a week, the clip pays off! You can get them in little packs of 5 or so for about $1, and they’re reusable. Plus you can use those big clips as paper clips as well, for holding a big stack of papers together.</p>
<p>Um, I swear I don’t sell these things or anything…heh :P</p>
<p>thanks guys for all your tips. bump.</p>
<p>Clemson’s list of things to bring:</p>
<p>Alarm clock
Fan
Mattress cover
Television with cable cord
Bathrobe
First-aid supplies
Pillows
Toiletries
Blankets
Flashlight
Plastic storage containers
Towels
Book bag/backpack
Hairdryer
Radio
Trash can
Can opener
Iron
Raincoat
Umbrella
Cleaning supplies
Ironing board
Room decorations (no candles or incense)
Vacuum cleaner
Coffee pot or hot pot
Lap desk
School supplies
Desk lamp (not halogen)
Laptop
Sheets (extra-long, twin bed)
Electrical surge protector
Laundry supplies (detergent, basket, hangers)
Shower caddy</p>