If you are packing for college, chances are you don’t need more things to put in your suitcase, you need less!

Learn now what to leave at home with your parents. Otherwise, you risk packing items that you do not need throughout the year — wasting not only your time now, but the precious little space you have in your dorm room.

Clothes You Won’t Wear This Season

As you are packing for college, you should pay attention to the weather, as well as your travel plans for school breaks. If it is bright and sunny at your school, and you plan to return home for Thanksgiving, you can leave your heavy winter coats and boots at home. At that point, you can simply take most of your summer clothes to your parents’ house, and replace them with your stock of winter clothes.

If you live too far from home to make frequent trips through the year, you can still take just a limited amount of clothing when you are packing for college. For example, take a couple of winter coats and a few pairs of warm pants. You can layer these over your t-shirts when it’s cold out. This tactic can save some space in your closet.

Items You Can Buy After You Move In

If you are packing for college right now, you should appreciate any tips that result in fewer things to pack and transport to campus. That’s why you should keep most of your toiletries at home. You can always buy a new toothbrush, toothpaste and toilet paper.

The same goes for food. It is much easier to take a trip to the store after you move in than to pack every snack you can think of. This is why you won’t see food or drinks on a list of what to pack for college.

Most Major Appliances

Before you start packing for college, you should talk to your roommate to determine what each of you will bring. Otherwise, you may end up with two televisions, two microwaves and two mini refrigerators. Unless you refuse to share these appliances with someone else, it is a good idea to have only one of each!

Furniture

The typical dorm is fully furnished, so there is no need to bring any furniture. You and your roommate can each expect to have a bed, desk and dresser upon arrival. A mirror, bulletin board and chair for each desk will often also be provided, so don’t worry about bringing these as you are packing for college.

Of course, every school is different, so you should find out what is included in your dorm room before you decide what to pack for college. Getting a tour of the dorms can also allow you to see firsthand how small the space is before you decide what to bring.

Dangerous Items

Many colleges have a list of prohibited items, so you should definitely review this prior to packing for college. Some common things you are not supposed to bring include hot plates, toaster ovens and candles. These are all considered fire hazards.

Even if your school does not have a list of what to pack for college and what to leave at home, you can just use some common sense. For example, it goes without saying that firearms, illegal drugs and alcohol are not going to pass the test for a dorm.

If you are ever in doubt about what to pack for college, you can contact your school to find out what those in charge of on-campus housing suggest.

What are you packing for college? What are you leaving behind?

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