Let’s Get Packin’

For all first years, you officially have 17 days until Welcome Day, so I’m thinking like 16 days left to pack. That’s totally enough time! Although, if you planned on going out and buying a bunch of cool dorm room stuff, I’d probably get on that! I know some people who start packing for school weeks and weeks in advance. I also know of people who leave it until literally the day before they leave. ANYTHING is possible if you put your mind to it (and have your mom/dad/older sibling/really anyone older than you who has packing skills). Packing can seem very overwhelming at times and you may get frustrated but literally everyone who moves away from home has done it and so will you! For those who are flying here from another part of the country, things are a bit harder for you, as you may not be able to bring as many belongings as if you were driving here! But fear not! Here is everything most of things you need to know to help you pack!

So I could write every single item that I would recommend you bring and you could print it off and manually check/cross off each item as you pack it…

OR

I could recommend this super cool app that you could download on your smartphone because it’s 2016 and that’s how things are done now. This app has everything sorted into categories, sorts the items into lists of what you still need and what you already have packed, and lets you completely delete the item if you don’t think you need it. And trust me, I’m looking at the items now, and you can definitely delete some of these things. An iron? Okay, so I was in business, had tons of presentations, and never used an iron. Now a steamer… If you have one of those bad boys, they may come in handy! I could go on and on about what’s all in the app, but I know you’ll just go download it and check it out for yourselves, so it’s called “College Packing List.” It literally saved me when I first packed for university all the way back in 2012 (don’t worry, they’ve updated the app since then #old).

So now that you have the app, you can just go to town with checking off items, deleting, and adding new ones! And it’s all neatly organized in your phone! Some items you may be questioning if you really need it. And since (I’m assuming) you haven’t lived away from home yet, you’re unsure as to if you really need to bring it/buy it! Here are a few of my opinions about those items whether you’ll need them or not!

Shower flip flops – YES YES YES! If you’re living in res, this is a must! Don’t take your favourite pair for the shower though, an old pair works perfect!

Toaster Oven – if your residence has access to a kitchen, you must store your toaster (oven) there. They are absolutely not allowed in your room! But you really don’t need this item! You could survive without it.

Water bottle – 110% yes… Bring multiple!

Microwave – The life of Mr. Noodles, KD, and soup is in your future. Bring a microwave. If you have a roommate, try to decide which one of you will bring it! You’ll only need one. If you’re living in O’Regan, Riley, Governors, or Bishops, a microwave comes with your room, so you don’t need one.

Minifridge – Also organize with your roommate which one of you will bring this! These aren’t a necessity but they do come in handy! O’Regan, Riley, Governors, Bishops, and MSB already have them!

Ethernet Cable – What the heck is this? Well let me take you back to a time where there was no Wifi… Yes, such a time did exist when university students would have to plug in their laptops to connect to the Internet. Well, thank goodness we don’t live in the Stone Age anymore and you definitely DO NOT need this!

Printer – Campus is crawling with printers! You can also set up wireless printing right to your laptop and print on school printers! Contact IT Services to get this hooked up or check online on how to do it! Warning, you are charged for when you print here. So depending on whether or not you’ll print a lot or a little, it’s up to you to bring your own printer or not! It does come in handy when you live off-campus and want to print something off at home!

USB – Simple. Small. Underrated. Life-Saving. That is all.

Desk Lamp – Depending on what residence you live in, you may want to look into getting a desk lamp! They are very nice when you don’t want to have your huge overhead light on, but you don’t want it to be dark!

Post-its – (see USB): Simple. Small. Underrated. Life-Saving. That is all.

Extension cords – YES YES YES!! Omg YES! You are going to need outlets for your phone charger, laptop charger, fridge, microwave, lamp, speakers, printer, Bluetooth selfie stick, etc. You’ll need an extension cord or two. PLUS a power bar!!

TV – I only know of two people who brought their own TV to res. It was definitely worth it when the Olympics were on back in 2014 and whenever Big Brother Canada was on. Other than that, all you need is #Netflix.

Bed risers – So, depending on what your bed is like, bed risers can save your life. Not actually, but hear me out. So in the more traditional residences (MacKinnon, Cameron, Lane) you can use bed risers to massively increase the amount of storage space under your bed! Storage = Happiness. All those winter clothes or extra blankets can just go under there!

Mattress Pad/Memory Foam – If this is in your budget and you have room to take it, BRING IT! You’ll be ever so thankful! Although it makes getting out of bed in the morning harder, adjusting to a new bed can be difficult and a little memory foam should help out!

Earplugs – (see USB and Post-its): Simple. Small. Underrated. Life-Saving. That is all.

Disinfecting wipes – YES YES YES! This is what you’ll use to clean everything in your room! Desk, window, dresser, floor, door, ceiling, I could go on forever!

Cough drops – You will get sick. Bring the essentials.

Pain reliever – Again, you will get sick. These will also help when you have headaches from studying all day and night because you are a #scholar

So there you have it! A small guide to packing up and moving to a new place! It’s not as scary as it may seem at times and so many people are in the same boat as you! And as for us oldies, we’ve been there and got through it! Packing can be really fun and exciting, if you make it that way! I would suggest starting early and take it little by little rather than waiting until the day before!

See you and all your suitcases in 17 days!!