Moving into College Pt. 1

So today's August 3rd, and that means I have about 17 more days until I fly out to college. So right now I'm sitting in my room trying to figure out what to pack. So far, after scouring countless pages on Google, here are a few things that I've decided are the most important to have/bring with you to your dorm:

• At least two weeks worth of clothing, and not more than three. (The general consensus is that you have limited space in your dorm so you won't be able to bring your entire wardrobe). Generally you also need one or two "nice" outfits, for things such as interviews, religious events, or the occasional hot date. For me I also need some swimming attire for the mandatory swim test. And some thicker clothes for the chill factor. Generally the weather starts getting cold around October, so you should bring a thick jacket or two to help you survive until Thanksgiving or Winter Break.

• Bed sheets. I'm thinking you need two sets, so you can change it if you need to. I got my sheets at Target for a lot less than what my school catalog was offering. The only thing is that most dorms have XL (extra long) twin beds, and so you'll need XL Twin Sheets. I know for sure that Target carries these.

• Laptop. A laptop is definitely a necessity, a desktop optional. I mean would you really want to forgo the pleasantness of a nice day by typing out your paper in your stuffy dorm on your desktop? In terms of taking it to class, I've heard that some professors would rather you not, and of course you're taking the serious risk of distracting yourself on Facebook or Myspace or Blogger while your professor is telling you the exam dates.

• Camera. This is one thing I know for sure I'm going to bring. College is going to have many experiences and you may want to take some pictures to remind you of such experiences once they pass.

• Laundry stuff. This includes but is not limited to: detergent, fabric softener, collapsible clothes hamper (wheels are good too), wire clothes hangers (once again, limited space).
  
  
• Surge protectors. Yeah those really long power strips will make it a lot easier to find a place to plug in everything like your desk lamp, laptop power, phone charger, and maybe a desk fan if you don't have A/C in your dorm.

In the end, I think the key thing to remember is that you can and will buy things once you're actually on campus. There's certain essentials to bring (i.e. clothes, laptop, and camera) but you can definitely get by without the laundry materials or surge protectors for at least the first few days. This is important especially if you're going to fly, since nobody wants the hassle of being two pounds over the 50 pound limit and having to pay $50. Anyway, I'm going to get back into the whole packing thing, and hopefully I can give a clearer picture of what I'm bringing once I post again.