Yet again, Pinterest is setting unrealistic expectations.

So, you’re packing for college. You’ve been endlessly waiting for this hellscape of a high school year to end so you can pack your life into a few trunks and metamorphisize through the Core. 

Same. 

But as you panic through your packing list and wander aimlessly through Bed, Bath, and Beyond I’m here to tell you that as much as capitalism tells you otherwise, you do not need to buy out a whole store. 

Here is a list of a couple things you definitely don’t need:

• A set of silverware. While you may want one fork, spoon, knife for take-out, I assure you that there will not come a time in which you somehow need table settings for friends. That’s what the dining hall is for. 
• On that note, don’t bring a coffee machine if you have a dining plan. Enjoy the sweet sweet taste of shitty hot coffee from Ferris like the rest of us.
• Excessive books for pleasure. If you want to be a reader, get a library card. You will not have excess time to read books not in the Core unless it is a passion of yours, so please do not haul books when you can get a library card for the occasional pleasure read.
• Speaking of books, please for the love of God don’t bring your yearbook. You graduated high school, we get it. Do you know who else graduated high school? Pretty much everyone else in your dorm. Excessive memorabilia will hold you back, not move you forward.
• Too many shoes. Realistically, you only need five pairs of shoes: sneakers, rain/snowshoes, shower shoes, summer shoes (sandal, flip flop, crocs, you do you), boots, and a pair of formal shoes. If you need to have your Doc Martens or runner sneakers or whatnot that’s fine, but don’t bring shoes you don’t wear. 
• On that note, you don’t need a shoe rack, the floor works just fine. 
• Those God-awful chair pillows. I have never seen anyone ever use one. 
• Also, bed skirts. Under your bed is prime storage space. A bed skirt will be a pain in the butt and in your way.
• Anything your roommate wants you to match with that you can’t afford or don’t like. You don’t know your roommate, and you may never talk to them after freshman year, but the pink paisley extra-long sheets you got to match with her will stick around for the next four years haunting you.
• Pictures of friends you don’t actually like. I have said this once I will say it again: do not let people live rent-free on your mind or on your wall if they are not your friends. You will make new friends super soon and don’t need to prove your high school popularity.
• More than 3-4 towels, mini towels, hand towels. Think about what you use at home. You do not need more than you alone use.
• A lap desk. This will take up space you do not have. You were put in this world with a lap, use it. Also, doing all your work in bed probably won’t be super productive (she says as working in her bed) so you likely won’t use it that much.

Feel free to ignore this list, break the rules, and live your own life, but remember: college is for becoming yourself, not someone else. You don’t need to restart to be happy.

xoxo,

Bwossip girl

Cheugy dorm via Bwog Archives