Tips for Freshman: Packing Edition

The feature this week will be tips for incoming freshman.  I'll try to cover everything from packing to moving in to Orientation Week to anything else I can think of.  Hope they are helpful tips!

TIP ONE: Don't bring the entire contents of your room to Coe.

There is no need.  I promise you.  First off, your dorm room isn't incredibly large and second, you'll most likely be sharing said room with at least one roommate.  Bring what you absolutely need.  Remember, anything you leave at home can be brought back to your dorm room after a break.  If you realize that you forgot something vital when you get to Cedar Rapids, you'll be able to find it at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, etc.    

TIP TWO:  You don't need to buy everything in your hometown.

No matter how many hours you spend planning the layout of your room, you won't know anything for sure until you step inside it when you move in.  When I first moved in, my family and I unpacked what I brought and then made a run to Target and a few other stores to pick up the final dorm pieces. One of the best dorm items I had in my room was from the Cedar Rapids' Target -- it's the shelf that holds my microwave and fridge (photo below).  

TIP THREE: Make a list.

This is extremely helpful.  Especially if you're feeling overwhelmed.  What I did was collaborate with other dorm shopping lists from Target, Shopko, and Bed Bath & Beyond.  From their lists and my own thoughts on what I need I made the master list.  With space to check out items I bought, it was the perfect way for me and my family to know what I had and what I still needed.  The best part is that I saved it on my computer so this year I just have to open it up, save as the document, tweak it a bit and I'm ready to go dorm shopping for this year!

TIP FOUR: Sterilite Storage containers work wonders.

To transport my things to Coe I mainly used 56 quart Sterilite containers (pictured above).  Since they are clear it's easy to see what's inside of them.  I could stack and rearrange as much as I wanted and they fit nicely into the back of my dad's truck.  Super simple to unload and I didn't have to worry about having a million boxes.  I kept some at Coe but sent the rest of them back home with my parents.