College Packing - How much is too much?

***Before I begin, I want to give a huge shout-out to my friends Rachel and Samantha, who were instrumental in making this post possible! These pictures are of their dorm, and the pictures of courtesy of Rachel.These were taken the day they moved in. Amazing huh? ***

Many students have already moved to college, and the remainder will leave this week. There is one group of students who will only be leaving in late September. These students belong to universities that run by the quarter system. Unlike the semester system, which is usually 15 weeks, the quarter system employs three, 10 week quarters. The fourth quarter is "summer school". Stanford is one the schools that employs this system. University of Chicago is another, and many of the UC's (University of California) do as well. There are many advantages to this system, but for the sake of this post, we will not go into them.

So now that all my friends have packed, moved and settled in, I am beginning to focus on my own move. Now, I am definitely not someone who typically worries about packing and completes the task ahead of time. I usually pack for my vacations (even those abroad) the day before. But packing for college is different. You are gathering the majority of your belongings, deciding between what is useful and what isn't (and bringing both anyway), and fitting them into a couple suitcases or boxes. However, whether you are traveling by car or airplane, space is a problem. So how much is too much?

The most important thing to remember is that we are moving into college freshmen dorms. The keywords in this sentence are "college" and "freshmen" and "dorms". And no, I'm not being cynical. This is part of the excitement though. We are moving into a room that we get to make our own for a year. Sure, the space will be small and not "ideal". But it will be fun, and it's part of the iconic college experience. The point of this rant is to remember your space limitations of your dorm. Your most useful spaces will be under your bed and in your closet, so we'll focus on storage options for those two spaces later.

Luggage, Boxes and Storage Containers

If you are traveling by car, you should use boxes and/or storage containers for moving your things. I recently moved my best friend into his dorm at the University of Tennessee. My friend had all his things in a duffel bag and small boxes. The guy who arrived in a car next to me had no such organizational techniques employed. All of his clothes were on hangers. Items such as fans, iPod docks and CD spindles were simply lying around. The mound that he built on the curb looked like a "free for all" pile at Goodwill. Don't be that person! It must have taken him and his dad several hours to move into his dorm. Do yourself a favor and buy some boxes or storage containers. 

Storage containers are great because you can use them in your dorm as well as for moving. They can be used to store food, shoes and miscellaneous items. The items I am including here (click on the pictures to view the products on Amazon) are great ideas. Clear tubs are great if you plan on using them for storage later on. Since they're clear, you can easily see what is inside. You may not want the items inside to be seen, so then a solid color tub should be bought. These tubs are very expensive on Amazon and other places online. I would highly recommend buying these items at Target or Walmart. They can be purchased for much less there.

Whether you are flying by plane, or driving by car, a duffel bag can be very useful as well. I am taking one along with two suitcases. Duffel bags fold away nicely, and are also useful for weekend trips away from college. I highly recommend getting a duffel, whether it's small or larger. You will use them while you're gone, and they're fabulous for packing. The duffel bag to the left is the one I would recommend. It's smallish, but can pack a lot. It folds away nicely, as well, which makes it very useful. Duffels are very easy to carry and transport as well. I have a large duffel bag, which features wheels, several compartments and more, and I'll be bringing it on the plane with, but for most, this is perfect. You really need at least one type of luggage with you, as backpacks do not count, and this is perfect. Click the product to see it on Amazon. Stores like Target and Walmart also sell nice duffel bags.

If you're arriving by plane, such as I am, you have a few problems. The biggest problem is the fact that airlines restrict the number of suitcases/pieces of luggage that you check in and carry on board. In fact, they want to charge you to check even one bag in nowadays! Fortunately, for me, I have Silver Card status with Delta and Sky Club, and my father has the highest status, Diamond. That means we can both check two bags, sometimes even three, for free. This gives me options, thankfully. Others will have to stick to checking in one or two bags. Either way, it is important that you buy quality luggage that will not break due to constant use. You will be using these rectangular pieces of nylon to transport your belongings, or at least some of them, every time you fly home. I recommend Swiss Gear. Swiss Gear luggage is more expensive, but in the end, you get what you paid for. They hold up very well, and they're designed well. When buying a large suitcase, there are two sizes that you will mostly find, 24" and 28". The problem with getting a 28" is that you will quickly hit the 50 pound weight limit before you even fill your suitcase. That's why I stuck to the 24". I get it nice and full and I hit 49 pounds. Perfect! Click on the image to see which suitcase I have. I love them! You can also get them at Target. Definitely buy black luggage, as grey or light colors get dirty and nasty quickly.

These are your moving options! I am taking the large suitcase I talked about above, a smaller suitcase, my duffel bag, a backpack with my many cameras and then a box with my bike in it. Most people won't be bringing their bike with them, so that's irrelevant. But I'll have two large pieces of luggage, and two small. This is a good amount. My dad will be with me to help, so that's another plus. You can ship some stuff right before you leave, but honestly, are you going to have space to fit any more items in your dorm? I am picking all of my dorm belongings (bedding, storage bins etc) up when I get there, so I am carrying just my personal belongings. You don't need all of your clothes. Plan on skiing while at college? Well, the ski season really only begins in December, and you'll be home for most of December, so bring your ski things back with you after you visit during winter vacation. Same with shoes. Bring a couple pairs with you, and then more as you visit home once in a while. Try to prioritize what you really need, and what you want. Also remember that you won't know the size of your room till you move in. So try to pack light and fit all your things into two large suitcases or boxes, and two smaller ones.

Hope this helps!