It's that time of year- A lot of you are getting ready to make (or already have made) the move back to school to either start your first year of college, or begin another year! As you most likely realized while you were packing- college requires A LOT of stuff. Looking back, I realize now that a lot of the things you need are ones that you may not have thought about until you actually needed them. So, as someone who has been through the whole process (and now feels old mentioning it like that), I thought I'd share some essentials and tips to (hopefully) make your college life and packing a little bit easier:
1. Invest in a good pair of boots:
Tailgating in the South means boots. Every Saturday. All day long. So, a comfortable, high-quality pair are a necessity.
(Love
these Old Gringo snip toe boots)
2. (If you're already a coffee drinker) Bring your own coffee maker:
Even if you're not already a coffee drinker, you may find yourself drinking it often to stay awake. College is where coffee drinkers are born. Late nights and early mornings of studying may drive you to caffeine and having it on hand and at your disposal is easy and cost effective.
3. Carry a portable phone charger:
College days are long and busy. Some days you may have to stay on campus for an extended period of time to study or work and you'll be glad you have a portable charger to keep your phone alive!
(Love
this Johnathon Adler Portable Charger for iPhone5)
4. Don't forget to bring a go-to cross-body:
You may not carry it around on campus daily but for football games, tailgating and going out in general, the LAST thing you want to do is lug around a big purse.
5. Always carry a pair of sunnies:
Get a good pair of sunglasses and keep them in your bag. You'll most likely do a lot of walking from class to class and sunglasses will come in handy.
6. Wear a watch everyday.
7. Give in to the Norts:
Oh, the trusty Nike shorts. Judge if you must but there's a reason why everybody wears them- they're comfortable and so easy to throw on with a tee and run out the door.
7. Keep an umbrella in your book bag, always:
You'll thank me later. You never know when you'll come out of a class into a storm and need to get all the way across campus without getting soaked and it never fails that the one time you leave it at home is the day it'll pour. Hint- get one small enough to fit in your bag.
8. Invest in a pair of noise canceling headphones:
Worth the money. If you study in a library, dorm room, or anywhere on campus you're going to have to deal with distractions. It's much easier with noise canceling headphones!
9. Bring a power strip:
I recommend bringing at least one of these to school with you to have in your room. Between plugging in your laptop, tablet, phone, lamp, tv, etc- you're always going to be running out of outlets.
10. Get a water filter that attaches to your faucet:
Whether you're living in a dorm or have your own place, having drinkable water from the faucet makes things so much easier. Not only will it save you money on bottled water but it will also save you from carrying those huge cases of water up the stairs. Win win!
11. Wears baseball caps:
This goes back to walking outside a lot. Hats were my savior in college. They keep the sun off your face and also make doing your hair so much easier (#sidebraid).
(Love
these monogrammed baseball caps from Marley Lilly)
12. Find a good book bag/backpack:
I had one of each. If you go with a book bag, get one with a long handle (easier to carry) and make sure it's big enough to keep things like notebooks and textbooks in while also having room for things like an umbrella, sunglasses, your phone, keys and wallet.
13. Always carry an insulated water bottle.
(I still carry
this A&M Tervis with me everyday)
14. Wear tennis shoes:
Have I mentioned how much walking you're going to be doing yet? ;) Find a good pair of tennies and wear them. You're going to want a pair of comfortable shoes that you can put some miles on.
(Nike Frees are my favorite everyday sneaker, but I also love
these)
15. Use a planner:
Even if you don't think you need one, school (and life in general) is SO much easier to get through when you're organized and know when things are happening.
(I love my
Lilly agenda and
this Kate Spade planner also!)
I hope these tips help you out just a little bit. Remember, you may be dreading going back to school for yet another year but know that some of us (raises hand) would gladly trade places with you :) Enjoy it while you can!
