Packing for college can be hectic and stressful, especially if you’re as disorganized as I tend to be. I remember as I was packing my room went from a typical bedroom to something that closely resembled a disaster zone. Hopefully my advice can help you prevent that scene from occurring in your room.

Obviously you will need the necessities like clothes, toiletries and bedding – but sometimes even those things can be difficult to pack. Only pack clothes that you wear frequently. Although Gannon provides freshmen with a dresser and an armoire, space can still be a little tight if you have the wardrobe that I do.

I found that some sort of basket to carry shower supplies in worked best. Although the showers in residence halls are usually only a short walk down the hall, I learned quickly that carrying shower supplies in my hands was extremely cumbersome and often resulted in multiple stops on the way to the bathroom to pick things up.

Gannon provides every residence hall room with a micro-fridge, so those will not be necessary to pack. However some basic utensils such as bowls, plates and silverware may not be a bad idea. It is definitely better than paying a fortune for plastic and paper utensils. Also don’t forget the sponges and dish soap to clean those dirty dishes.

On the topic of cleaning, some sort of laundry bag/basket with laundry detergent will definitely be necessary. You can leave those quarters at home though, because Gannon’s laundry is free.

Getting in touch with your roommate before Move-In Day is usually not a bad idea. It is helpful to establish who will be bringing big items, like a television.

Don’t forget the little things too like an umbrella, a power strip, desk organizers, first-aid kit and a desk lamp. Items to personalize the space like pictures from home and posters to hang up are a great way to make your room a little more homey. If you happen to forget those posters don’t worry – Gannon has an annual poster sale where you can get almost any poster you can imagine for a great price.

As far as pictures go, I have stumbled upon an internet gem to get those Kodak moment pictures from Facebook prinedt with the click of a button. All you have to do is visit Snapfish and choose the pictures you would like. They will conveniently arrive in the mail in just a few days.

Have other questions about how to survive residence hall life? Check out Chelsey Klube’s residence hall survival guide.