Seriously
In the final weeks before my departure for Clark for my first year of college, I was under the impression that I was incredibly prepared. I was the most prepared; I had everything I needed, I hadn’t forgotten anything, and no way José did I overpack. I considered myself to be The Most Prepared Girl For College Ever.
And then I arrived at college.
Within a week, I realized that I had forgotten so many things, and that I had brought along with me a whole bunch of junk that I really didn’t ever use. I was astonished with myself. I have no idea how I could have possibly missed so many essentials. What a fool I was. In hopes that you bypass some of the weird mistakes I made, I’ve compiled a list of things I didn’t bring to college that I wish I had, things I brought to college and subsequently didn’t use, and things my mother had to send me.
Things I didn’t bring to college that I probably should have
- A vacuum. Why did I not feel the need to get a vacuum, I have no idea. But my floors got so dirty so fast and I had to mooch one from a friend in a different building.
- A refrigerator. “I’m on the unlimited meal plan, which means I’m not going to buy my own food! Ever!” said no one ever except for me. Sometimes you just need chocolate milk and the chocolate milk from the cafeteria won’t cut it. Sometimes you need to cry and eat Ben and Jerry’s. Sometimes you need to hoard five half empty jars of salsa. And you can’t do any of that in the cafeteria. Hypothetically, you can do it in the communal refrigerators, but I quickly learned that that doesn’t always work out so well.
- And in that vein, cooking supplies. Sometimes you just want to make some macaroni and cheese. Or some cookies. And to do that you either have to have your own pots and pans, or you have to borrow some.
![So necessary. (From LL Bean)]()
So necessary. (From LL Bean)
- A fan. It’s so hot here. Did you guys know that? Coming from Alaska, I’ve never really had to use a fan, and I estimated that the summer weather would be pretty similar to the summer weather back home. No. Wrong. The first week I was at college I was more upset that I couldn’t sleep at night because it was so hot than I was that I just moved 5,000 miles away from my parents, my friends, and everything that I knew and loved.
- Additional sources of lighting. Sometimes the overhead lighting is just too much. It’s nice to have some nice relaxing mood lighting and whatnot.
Things I brought to college that I never use ever
- A wall sticker that’s also a whiteboard. Okay, this was a cool idea, but in reality, I never actually used it and it ripped some paint off the wall…oops
- Dry cleaning sheets. I accidentally discovered that if you was a dry clean only item with your regular clothes, but you don’t dry it in the dryer, it comes out just fine. Take that, Laundromat industry.
- A French press. Cool idea, but not very practical for the college student on the go. Aint nobody got time for that.
Things I forgot that my mom had to mail to me
- My clarinet. I’m a music minor. Goodness gracious.
- Comfort movies. Sometimes, after a bad day, all you really need is to sit down and watch Step Brothers or Lord of the Rings, Return of the King until nothing hurts anymore
- A picture of my family and of my dog. My mom mailed me these pictures a few months after being here, and I cried because I hadn’t realized how much I really missed my family.
- Wool socks. The summers may be hotter than I expected, but the winters are way colder than I expected. Bundle up, y’all.