<p>I know this is a very general thread, but anyone have any things that everyone should bring to college? What kind of items should be worked out with my roommate? </p>
<p>Is bringing a TV necessary or just a waste of space? What about microwaves and things like that?</p>
<p>i'll bump this - i'm really interested in this as well.</p>
<p>i know all the basics: bed sheets, computer, extension cords, shower caddy and mini fridge, but my parents and i seem to get in a debate whenever i talk about anything above and beyond these things. </p>
<p>i know there are some comfort and organizational items that should be considered. also, without nailing things into the wall, and the absence of decorative lighting, what are some items that can be used to make a dorm room look less like a prison cell and more like home?</p>
<p>oh - and clothes. i have no idea about closet space. my dad seems to think two pairs of jeans and a hoodie will be enough, but he's a minimalist. im a girl with a lot of clothes, but im no diva. i want to have some variety while still being realistic and easy going. for example, ive heard that you should bring 'formal' wear for job interviews and events, but will I just be taking up valuable space? what are the do's and dont's of college clothing? </p>
<p>thank kids.</p>
<p><3,</p>
<p>Izzie Bear</p>
<p>Well if you're a big gamer like me, having your own TV (and GC/Xbox/PS2, choose your poison) can come in very useful.
Clothes-wise? Whatever fits. Just bring a lot of stuff that you can coordinate.</p>
<p>Some people bring a lot to school, some people don't. Especially if your parents are driving you out (and are possibly staying a day or so for parent orientation stuff) you can send any excess stuff back with them.<br>
As far as clothes, keep in mind that your closet probably won't hold much more than 4 ft across of clothes on hangers (check on your school's webpage to see if they have specific dimensions). Before you pack your hung up clothes, measure them to see if they'll fit into that space. I brought back more clothes from every break, but my roommate started with about 2 duffel bags more of clothes and progressively brought clothes home so she had more storage space.
A formal dress is probably a good idea (not usually a huge puffy prom dress though) as there are formal events that you'll want to go to. Guys should consider getting a tux (especially if they're in the band or orchestra). Other than that, bring some dressy, professional clothes, but for the most part, bring clothes that you are comfortable in and that are easy to take care of. Minimize dry clean only clothing!
As far as decorating goes, the quick release hooks are lifesavers. Pretty much any decoration that you want in your room you can rig up something with a hook to get it to stay put. Decorative floor lamps, desk lamps, or clamp on lights are nice too.
An extra, comfy chair is nice, but typically one per room is enough. I personally didn't watch TV at school. My friends that had tvs used them rarely (perhaps 2 hours a week). So if you watch a ton of tv, it may be good to have one, but if you think you could live without it, you probably can.</p>
<p>My school is in New Hampshire and starts in late September. Should I wait until Thanksgiving to bring my warm clothes? What type of clothing should I bring for this period between September-November?</p>
<p>I like shopping at Target for dorm room decorations -- they have a lot of cute, cheap stuff in bright colors. Might be wise to shop before you leave, make a list of stuff you want, order it online, and have it shipped to your school address so it'll arrive around the time you do. (I second the floor lamp recommendation -- dorm lighting is too harsh for me.)</p>
<p>For school in NH -- I'd bring some warm clothes with you, but hold off on bringing the bulk of them until Thanksgiving. You'd still want to have some warm ones before, though, since New England weather can be very finicky. Just make sure you have a range of coats and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>make sure you work out videogame sets your bringing w/ your roommate. you don't both want to bring a playstation. there's very limited space. and anything you forgot, you just have to buy so don't freak out too much cause it can be overwhelming.</p>
<p>Last year my son was a freshman. It took us less than 5 minutes to move him in as he just didn't have that much stuff (nor did he want much). The freshman females on the other hand had multiple laundry baskets full of shoes, piles of suitcases and boxes of things to decorate their rooms. My son felt all his athletic equipment was important. A tv, small refigerator, microwave also made his list of essentials. I know he is a minimalist but he informed me that he was going to cut back even more on what he takes as he hates to have a cluttered room and the more stuff you take the more clutter it makes. This from a child that when he is home you never see the color of his carpet from all the clothes, books, and junk in the room. Some other essentials might be a good lamp for the desk and maybe for the room. Overhead lighting can be hard to live with all the time. A side note: The female rooms on his floor were warm and homey with all the pictures hung, rugs, matching cmforters, etc whereas the guy rooms were very "functional" looking.</p>
<p>a 'things to take to university' list - this can be in handy</p>
<p>you might want to bring one or two formal/cocktail dresses. then if you need more you and your friends can always raid eachothers closets. worked well for me.</p>
<p>for you big gamers out there... a really cool thing to do is to hook up your ps2/xbox/whatever to an overhead projector. hang a large white sheet on the opposite wall. . when you're not gaming, just stick a dvd in and you have an instant private movie theater.</p>
<p>As for the NH thing, since you're starting so late I'm assuming you're going to Dartmouth? That's pretty far north. You'll want to have plenty of sweatshirts and/or sweaters and jeans from the start. Have a few short sleeve shirts but shorts probably will not be necessary. You can hold off on your winter coat until Thanksgiving, but gloves would be wise. Try to invest in a fleece jacket if you don't have one already; they're great for the in-between weather, and don't take up more space than a sweater. And it's not unheard of to have snow that early, so have some pair of shoes that has good traction for walking, if you dont want your winter boots yet.
As for dressy clothes...how often do you actually need those? I'm only going to be 40 minutes from home. Can I just leave those home and have mom bring them to me if I really need them, or would I be wise to at least have a pair of black dress pants and a nice top on campus from the start?</p>
<p>For going to school in NH I'd say it depends on where you're coming from. If you're coming from somewhere that is typically warm in November you will probably be freezing and really appreciate your winter coat in between September and Thanksgiving. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the weather here in NH, and am ready to break out my winter coat in September, sometimes. </p>
<p>And like Monarchsfan said, it isn't unheard of to get snow before Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>If you're close to home ... I'd suggest bringing a minimal amount of stuff ... get settled in for a couple of weeks ... and then make a quick trip home to pick up any things you missed. Missing a few things is better than having a lot of extra stuff clogging up a not too big double. (If you live a ways from campus this doesn't work ... although buying stuff at school instead of at home and then bringing it to school makes more sence to me)</p>
<p>to whoever's going to school in NH/new england....</p>
<p>bring-your-winter-clothes. don't bust out the parka, so to speak, but hoodies and jeans and a few sweaters really won't take up too much space and believe me, it'll be worth it come october. hoodies and jeans are pretty universal, so it makes sense to pack those anyway, you know?</p>
<p>bring some cool dvd's and if you're rushing, you'll definitely need some nice dressy clothes-esp. girls.</p>