Ouachita Stories

One of the most challenging aspects of going to college is knowing what to pack. Online checklists can be extensive, and you won’t be able to fit all of the items into a small dorm room. So what do you pack? Here’s a list of five college necessities and five items that are a waste of space and money.

Bring:

• A fan – Sleeping with white noise will be the only way to drown out people talking in the dorm hallway. A fan will also help cool down the room in the August heat.


• Christmas lights – There will be a night when you need to stay up late to do homework but your roommate is going to sleep. The best compromise is Christmas lights. The soft lighting will allow your roommate to rest while you study.


• Mattress pad – This is a non-negotiable.


• An alarm clock – I know what you are thinking: “I have a phone.” Trust me, do not rely on your phone. Have you ever forgotten to plug in your phone and it died in the night? Have you ever slept through your phone’s alarm? Get an alarm clock and place it across the room.


• A first aid kit – The nurse is not available 24/7. Keep a variety of general medicine in your room: Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, ibuprofen and Benadryl.

 

Don’t bring:

• A printer – You will have plenty of print money to use at the library. You won’t run out, trust me.


• A second set of sheets – When you wash your sheets, you automatically put them back onto your bed. The second set of sheets will just be pushed back in to the back of your dresser drawer.


• All of your clothes – You aren’t going to wear all of your clothes at college. Just bring your favorite items, not your entire wardrobe.


• A bunch of photos of your high school friends – Your friends in high school were great. I know.


• A TV – Lot's of students don't have any time to watch TV. If you do have some free time, you’ll probably watch Netflix on your laptop with headphones so you won’t disturb your studious roommate. As long as someone you know has a TV for those occasional dorm movie nights, you're good!

By Sarah Davis, a 2018 mass communications and Christian studies/Christian ministry Ouachita grad from Beebe, Ark.

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