Packing for college is one of the worst parts of going to college.
Trying to fit your entire life into a couple of duffle bags is impossible and time-consuming.
Not only that but most people will get to college and within a month find about three to seven items that they spent money on that are completely useless.
As I am beginning to think about packing, I finally went through the stuff I brought to school last year and found some items that I now cannot believe I ever purchased for my dorm room which inspired me to write this article.
After asking a couple of my friends for some items that they wished they hadn't brought to school, a pattern became clear, and here are the five things that if I could go back in time, I would not bring.
By not bringing those five items, you will be happier because you didn't waste money and have more space for actually useful stuff.
I hope this is helpful as some begin packing and if you're having trouble packing shoes, I wrote an article about which to pack.
Good luck and please don't buy white-out!
Excessive Amounts Of School Supplies
In high school, you may have had a pencil case stocked with all sorts of random school supplies that were used on a regular basis. College is a bit different in that all you need to succeed is a pencil, a pen, and one yellow highlighter.
You can skip on glue sticks, white-out, and colored pens because there's a good chance you will never use them.
Especially with many college classes online this semester, the need for whiteout has literally never been lower. So when making your shopping list, you can mostly leave off school supplies but don't be that person who never has a pen.
Nice Leather Boots/Other Fancy Shoes
I thought that I would dress cute in college most of the time with the occasional lazy day. It actually turned out the opposite which rendered my leather boots useless.
They took up space under my bed and were only taken out a grand total of three times.
This same concept can be applied to flats or more than one pair of heels because you will not wear them and they are a waste of space. Unless you are working a job or have an internship, there is no need to bring more than one pair of fancy shoes.
A Desk Organizer
I had never used a desk organizer before but after scouring the internet for packing lists, it seemed to be on every single one so I bought one. Not only was it annoying but it didn't organize anything which wasted valuable space and ended up leading to more clutter instead of less.
This was my worst purchase and to anyone who is considering buying one because they think it will make their life easier, don't, and instead get a free plastic cup for your random pencils floating around which should be really the only thing you need to organize.
A Diffuser Or Candle
Dorm rooms are small and can smell disgusting fast but it doesn't mean you need to buy a diffuser or a candle.
Diffusers can be expensive and unless you actively use one at home, you probably will not start using one in college.
As for candles, they are not allowed in most dorms and even though you may be used to using one at home, it's not worth the trouble you could get in.
Febreze is the answer to your smelly problems and is something you should consider bringing if you are worried about your room smelling.
Tote Bags
I brought so many bags to school because I thought I would use them when I went grocery shopping and when I was walking around campus.
Not only did I never go grocery shopping, I carried my backpack everywhere and the totes were shoved in my closet.
Normally, you will get tote bags for free at activity fairs and other campus events but even with those events canceled, you still won't need tote bags because you will end up carrying your backpack everywhere.
