10 Basics That Need To Be on every College girl's Packing List | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

10 Basics That Need To Be on every College girl's Packing List

Ten of the most realistic things that you will want to include on your packing list for 'back to school'.

259
college dorm
Instagram

Summertime is almost over, which means tons of college girls all over the country are making lists on the dorm essentials they need to pack for this year of school. Some college packing lists include things that you will never use in your entire four years of college, and it's crazy to think that you will pack those items just for them to stay in the box under your bed for four years.

When I was packing for my first two years of college, I fell prey to those lists and I ended up packing all those things that I would never use and I ended up taking them back home during Thanksgiving break. As a college girl that is going into her third year of college, I have decided to create this list for you that has the most basic things that my friends and I use every day. This list is the things that have made our lives easier and has helped us get this far in our college careers.

1. A functional backpack

Giphy

The beautiful backpack you found online may fit your aesthetic perfectly, but trust me when I say that you won't care about your aesthetic the moment your backpack rips when you are running late to your 8 a.m. You will care that you can fit everything you need into your backpack flawlessly and that your backpack won't rip on during the third week of school.

A backpack for college needs to be as functional as possible as you will probably be carrying at least your computer, textbooks, and some notebooks as you trek across campus to get from class to class. Trust me, you can find functional backpacks that complete your aesthetic!

2. Leggings

upload.wikimedia.org

You may think that you are going to dress up every day or that you will plan your outfits out the night before, but this will probably only last a few weeks at most. Between classes, staying up late studying, working, and balancing a social life, you will be tired to worry about dressing up for class. You will want something that you can wear to class, to the gym, a party, and work and leggings will be your best option. Leggings are a staple that you can pair with anything as you run out the door and still show up to your 8 a.m. looking like a 10.

3. Dry shampoo

Giphy

Dry shampoo will literally change and save your life. Do you want to skip the shower so you can sleep in for 45 extra minutes? Dry shampoo. Does your hair look a little greasy but you have a hot date in an hour? Dry shampoo. Dry shampoo will give you so much more time to do whatever you would rather be doing with your time than washing your hair.

4. A good water bottle

You will want to stay hydrated for obvious reasons and having a water bottle will help you stay hydrated. By having a water bottle on you, it will be easier to make sure you are drinking enough throughout the day as you go to class, the gym, and work.

5. A whiteboard

upload.wikimedia.org

College life can be hectic, but a whiteboard can help to make your life not as hectic. You can plan out your class and work schedule on the whiteboard so you can see what your day is going to be like. You can plan out your to-list or a cleaning checklist as well. The possibilities for a whiteboard are endless.

6. Rechargeable battery pack

Your phone battery probably won't last from the time you leave for your 8 a.m. until the time you get back to your dorm at night. You will be able to charge your phone as you walk from class to class and sometimes even in class you will need it if you don't sit by an outlet. This way your phone won't die and you won't miss out on important emails like one saying that your class clear across campus is canceled or the text from the cute boy in your stats class.

7. Rain gear

Giphy

You will think that you just need an umbrella and you will be set, but you're wrong. You won't understand the need for rainboots, a rain jacket, and an umbrella until it's pouring rain outside and you have to trek across campus to your next class. You may think rain gear looks gross, but guess what's even grosser? Sitting in a lecture hall soaked from the rain and having soaked feet. Trust me, Greg from Iced Mocha Latte won't care that you are wearing rain boots, so get over it and just wear them when it's raining.

*This one depends on where you live because if you live in an area that doesn't get rain, then I don't suggest worrying about packing rain gear.*

8. Clorox wipes

Sickness spreads so quickly in residence halls, so you will want to be prepared with Clorox wipes. You will want to use Clorox wipes on literally everything you can so you also don't get sick. If you think you won't get sick, I'm sorry that you are wrong because around week three or four of being around a bunch of people, you will start to get sick.

9. Extra chargers.

upload.wikimedia.org

Chargers break, get lost, or your friend "forgets" to return the charger that you let them borrow earlier. You will want to have extra chargers so that way you won't have to make a late night run to find a charger so you can charge your phone while you sleep. You will also be thankful that you have an extra one when your charger stops working a few hours before you are supposed to go out.

10. Planner.

Balancing school, work, student organizations, and a social life requires you to schedule everything out. You will depend on your planner to figure out when assignments are due and when meetings are. Using a planner will be your saving grace on multiple occasions.

You will obviously need more than these basic 10 things like bedding and all those other fun items that you will spend hours in Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Target looking for. I'm sure you will find this list to be one of the most realistic and down-to-earth lists out there as these are things that I actually use in my daily life and have used since my freshmen year of college.

From Your Site Articles
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

47
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1313
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2268
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments