I know you've done it already. You've looked at the never-ending list of college supplies you need for moving into your first year experience in the dorm. You may feel excited, stressed out, or just plain neutral to the entire situation, but one thing is for sure... the list of necessities is LONG.

I recently began unpacking a handful of the boxes I brought back with me after I moved out from my dorm (procrastination at it's finest)... and noticed that there were several items I never needed nor used my first year, even though they were on the list for what I needed to bring to school. I figured as many of you out there will be entering your first year of college, I'd lend you a hand and let you know the things that you just do not need, nor will ever use your freshman year.

1. An Outlet Strip

I know this looks like something extremely useful, and it certainly is in cases where you do not have enough outlets! But unless you are bringing your sound system, desktop computer, plasma TV equipped with a DVD player and blu-ray system, and much more, this is completely unnecessary. I had one outlet near my desk that contained 6 separate outlets for my electronic items, and I maybe used 2 or 3 at the max. My roommate also had one of these on her desk, and only used it for plugging in her phone charger, and nothing else.

2. Desk Lamp

This one has the possibility to be a necessity if your specific university and dorm does not come with a desk lamp built into the desks. I remember going down the list of things I needed in target and picking out the cute desk lamp for my desk, and getting to school only to realize I didn't need it at all. My university provided built in lamps at the top of our desks, so this was definitely just another extra purchase that was not useful for me my freshman year.

3. Desk Chair

This one is probably my fault or not reading the fine print or getting enough information about what my dorm would provide me with, so I went ahead and bought myself a desk chair. Not only was it unnecessary, it also took up a chunk of space in our car that could have fit something more practical. Again, this may be something you are required to buy, but most colleges I know of will provide you will some sort of desk and chair already in the room. However, if you choose to use an alternative desk chair and not the one provided, this would make sense for you!

4. Printer

I can't remember if this was on my list or not, but I knew a handful of kids in my dorm that chose to bring their own printers. It is definitely convenient if you are rushing to print something before you head to class, but most dorms will provide you with a computer lab/place to print your papers within them, which was never a problem for me. As long as you can manage your time wisely, and prepare for possibly sharing the printer, it really isn't something that you will die without having your own!

5. Books from Home

1 or 2 of your favorite books is completely acceptable, but when you are bringing a large stack (like me) on move in day, you will soon realize that you will not have the time (or energy) to read through that stack of books on top of homework and studying. It really was a wake up call for me in college that there wasn't really an allotted amount of quality free time to read for fun, nor was that something I felt like doing after completing hours worth of homework. Bring maybe 1 or 2, but leave the stack at home for devouring over holiday breaks!

6. Cleaning Wipes

This one is definitely a preference thing, but I found that packing up at the end of the year I hardly used my heavy duty set of Clorox wipes. I would suggest investing in a small duster that will be easy to store, and possibly a small handheld vacuum, however most dorms should provide vacuums to be used at your disposal. I do know of one friend that deep cleaned her room once a week with wipes, and if you're into that, all the power to you! This was just another thing I realized I didn't necessarily need. If anything, buy a small pack to start off with, and if you run out of those then you will know that is something you can expect to need!

7. Extra Sheets

For one, extra sheets will need to be stored, and second, they are not needed. The only time that extra sheets ever came in handy, was when I was going to borrow some from my friend to use for our futon when my friends came to visit. Other than that, it takes less than 2 hours to do a load of laundry, and it's just an extra thing you'd have to worry about washing and storing.

8. Your Entire Wardrobe

This was something I learned EXTREMELY fast. I didn't realize it until I was actually unpacking and wondering where I was going to store my 4 seasons worth of clothing. Living in Wisconsin is tricky because you want to be prepared for it all, but ditch the winter coat until after Thanksgiving break, and remember that you don't need every single pair of jeans or leggings you own. I could recall literally the clothes that I wore, and I didn't touch 50% of my closet while I was there. My tip for you would be to pack things that you know you only ever wear at home. I know we all have clothes that just sit in our closet that we never wear, but could never part with, and those are the ones you should try and leave behind. (I promise you won't miss them!) :)

That being said, these are just some friendly ideas to make moving and school shopping a little less stressful! I would say only buy the necessities, but I know how easy it is to give everything a reason to be a necessity. Try and remember that your dorm isn't the biggest room in the world, and having as much space as you can is definitely something that you and your roommate will both appreciate! Happy shopping!