Niche College Scholarship

Scholarships.com Blog

search

What’s In Your Suitcase?

What’s In Your Suitcase?
8/1/2011
|
Jessica Seals

It’s August and most college students realize that summer vacation is coming to an end. This means that we must say adios to sleeping in and hello to 8:00 a.m. classes and afternoon club meetings. Many students are preparing to go back to school now by either buying items for their dorm for the first time or by packing up the things they have taken to college in the past. With three years of collegiate experience under my belt, I have definitely learned the dos and don’ts of packing for college and have witnessed the mistakes students continue to make. Here are a few:

Do not pack your entire wardrobe (especially if you are not going to a school that is far away from home). I made the mistake of bringing all of my clothes even though I already knew that my side of the dorm room could barely hold half of them. Instead of having a closet stuffed with items you’ll seldom wear, switch out your summer and fall clothes for your winter clothes when you go home for a break.

Make sure to have some organization to your packing strategy. Another mistake that I have made is throwing things in boxes without labeling them. My logic was that it’s all going to the same place so why bother organizing? Packing items neatly will help you in the long run because you will know where everything is and you’ll waste less time searching for items you need once you’re on campus.

Start packing early. Don’t wait until the night before move-in day to fill your suitcases and load them up in the car...it’s too stressful! Getting a little bit done at a time will not only leave you more relaxed but will also help ensure you bring only what you need and keep your stuff better organized.

Jessica Seals is currently a senior at the University of Memphis majoring in political science and minoring in English. At the University of Memphis, she is the secretary of the Pre-Law Society, the philanthropy chair of the Phi Kappa Phi Student Council and a member of Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence (PAUSE), Golden Key Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society, and Black Scholars Unlimited. She also volunteers to tutor her fellow classmates and hopes to attend law school in the near future.

Related
We make it simple and match you to college scholarships you qualify for.