10 Things to Pack for Your First Week at College Residence

10. All Kinds of Clothes

• A dress/nice button-up shirt. Your school will have all kinds of events for your first week, including formal wear ones.
• Some Old Clothes That You Don't Mind if They Get Ruined. If you are starting school in September than expect some messy frosh week events. Not just student planned parties, but some of the school's planned events too.
• Workout clothes. Most schools give you free access to their gym, so you might as well take advantage of it. Plus, you want to be careful when it comes to avoiding the freshmen 15.
• A rainjacket. Just in case.

9. Comforter, Bedspread, and a Pillow

• Campus beds can be springy and kinda gross...bring a special mattress cover with extra fluff and cushion.
• Ask what size the bed is there, and what already comes with it. It might also be mentioned on their website.
• There is no shame in bringing extra blankets just in case you decide to make a blanket fort.

8. An Extra Pair of Shoes

Make sure to bring at least one extra pair of shoes in case your regular gets wet...or worse.

Or maybe even bring a few pairs of shoes...

• Slippers. For lounging in residence.
• Running Shoes. You really do need running shoes for frosh week. You never know what they have planned for you.
• Rain Boots. A lot of my peers had rain boots, and they actually came in quite handy.

7. Posters

If you don't bring something to decorate a little then you might regret it a couple days in...if you haven't seen your room yet you might be a bit surprised to see that they have cement walls...but don't worry, this is nothing that a few posters can't fix.

Bring posters that reflect you. You are going to be meeting a lot of new people really fast and one of the things they are going to be looking at is your posters.

Also, bring something to hang them up with besides thumbtacks. Poster putty is highly recommended! Most schools don't like holes in their walls or anything that might take off the paint.

6. A Plant

Those small dorm rooms can get a bit stuffy, a small plant can help keep the air clean. You might want to consider getting a cactus, they are easy to keep alive. Just don't over water them...cause I did.

5. Personal Care Products and Toiletries

• Shampoo/Condition. I actually forgot these.
• Hair Removal. Either razors or waxing, hey, I don't judge either way.
• Soap! And more soap!
• Bair Brush/Comb.For those luscious locks.
• Nail Clipper. Just don't clip your toenails in front of people.
• Laundry Detergent.It really isn't a bad idea.
• Maybe Even Dry Shampoo. Exam time gets busy.

4. Flip Flops

Those communal showers can be gross and apparently athlete's foot is pretty damn contagious. So make sure to bring flip-flops and make sure to wear them everytime you shower.

Don't worry, everyone else does this too.

3. An Alarm Clock

Well, you are here for school...right?

Even before classes start, setting your alarm clock to at least 10 AM is a good idea. You don't want to miss any of the fun activities the DONs have planned for you.

If you sleep in a lot, you might want to invest in a more extreme alarm clock. For example, a roll-away alarm clock that forces you to chase after it. Or an alarm clock that gradually makes light to mimic sunrise. Better yet, an alarm clock that shakes your bed. The bed shaking one is most recommended since everyone down the hall will hear your alarm clock as well. Just keep that in mind when picking the early classes...

2. Alcohol! :P

You might not want to bring too much...just in case someone decides to help you unpack. However, bring something!

Make sure to buy your alcohol in aluminum cans, not glass!

1. Headphones and Earplugs

There is a reason that this is number one on the list, and that's because it really is the most important thing to bring.

You can't play your music too loudly, otherwise, your neighbours will complain. Which is where the headphones come in.

However, you will also need earplugs for the time your neighbours are playing music too loudly...or worse, they have a lady friend over.

Sound cancelling earplugs are highly recommended!

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