By MELISSA BYKOFSKY
The dorm rooms are typically small, and with two people living together there's a limit on what can fit, so it's significant to know what you really need on move-in day.
While packing, it's important to think of what you use in your daily routine. These are the essential items on your packing list. On a regular school day you wake up, grab a snack, shower, do your homework, and possibly throw a load of laundry into the washer. What are some of items would you use?
"For the room they should make sure they have an alarm clock and a battery backup for it in case the electricity goes out so they can wake up in the morning," said Lisa Marie, a employee of Residential Life at C.W. Post University in Brookville. "They must bring bed linens, the beds are extra long twins, and under-the-bed storage is important."
Storage tends to be an issue in standard 12' by 12' dorm rooms. While some schools have raised beds, others do not, so bed risers are important in adding extra storage space to the room.
Also, communicating with your roommate before move-in day should prevent the duplication of items, like television and refrigerators.
"Talk to your roommate before moving in so you will not bring the same things," said Robert Kiley, a resident hall director at Adelphi University in Garden City. "One will bring a refrigerator and one can bring the TV."
Having two of large items is impractical and not space efficient. In addition to having a TV, a DVD player with some movies will certainly come in handy for the weekends.
Since many schools have different rules on what can and cannot be kept in a dorm room, fire safety and regulations must be considered. While most schools allow a small refrigerator, some do not allow microwaves or food heating equipment of any kind. Most dorm buildings have a communal kitchen with microwaves, a stove, and a refrigerator that is accessible to all students.
Bathroom products are often listed on top 10 lists of items to bring to college.
"Bring a shower caddie to carry items to shower in, and bathroom flip flops," said Kiley.
Some residence halls have individual bathrooms per room, especially if you are in a suite. But on most occasions, especially for freshmen, there only one communal bathroom on each floor.
Students often bring full wardrobes to school, and with only one dresser and one closet it just doesn't fit. Having four seasons worth of clothes is not necessary while at school.
"I didn't wear half of my clothes that I originally packed," said Lindsay Garfield, a sophomore at the University of Buffalo, and a G.W. Hewlett High School 2007 graduate. "When I came home over winter break I brought a lot of clothing home."
Weather appropriate clothes such as rain boots or snow boots are necessary depending on the climate of your college town. It's good to be prepared for situations that may arise.
"It's good to bring sports equipment to school," said Casey Shulz, a Rockville Centre resident entering her senior year at Cortland University. "If you go to the gym you need a good pair of sneakers, or you could go outside and throw a ball around or go to the tennis and basketball courts."
For laundry purposes, quarters are essential since many college charge 75 cents to a dollar for the washer and the dryer. Don't forget to pack a hamper or laundry bag to carry dirty clothes to the laundry. "
"A dryer rack for your laundry is very useful because the dryers tend to shrink your clothes," said Garfield.
Since college's primary purpose is to serve as a place for learning, standard school supplies are very important to have.
"I would recommend having a laptop over a desktop because it frees up desk space, and students could bring it to class," said Kiley. If traveling with a laptop, students should have a case to protect it from being scratched. Spiral notebooks are recommended over loose-leaf binders.
For most students, planning how to decorate the dorm room is the most important part of preparing for a semester away from home.
"You should bring photo albums of your friends from home and your family because everyone hangs pictures up on their walls," said Garfield.
An area rug, throw pillows, some posters, fans are also some items that make your dorm room feel more like a home.
There never seems to be enough shrink wrap in the world to fit everything into one car for move-in day. "Some people rent U-Haul trucks, while others pack things into their back seats or trunks taking multiple cars," said Marie.
Techniques for packing everything into one car have been developed after many attempts of packing, and re-packing the cars.
"Fold all of your clothes into garbage bags. You fit so much more and then you can lay everything flat in the trunk and stack it up because suitcases are bulky," said Garfield. "Bring one overnight bag to school though in case you decide to visit a friend or go home for the weekend."
Remember, before going to the store and buying college supplies check with your school to find out what is restricted because of fire regulations.
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