To pack or not to pack?

While moving away to college brings butterflies and excitement, it can also lead to compulsive packing. On the other hand, as your living situation shifts, you’re bound to run to a mall run for forgotten necessities. So where’s the balance? These IU sophomores offer helpful hints to proper packing.

5 things to be sure to pack:

1. Three-hole punch and stapler
Most professors will doubt your dog ate your homework. These two items can be helpful tools in keeping organized and avoiding lost paperwork. “Stapling your papers goes a long way,” Nate Troscinski said. “It keeps you organized, and a lot of professors won’t take work if it’s not stapled.”

2. Rain boots
Rubber rain boots may not exactly sound glamorous, but they come in a wide variety of styles, patterns and colors. They are valuable additions to a college student who depends on their feet as a primary mode of transportation. “The weather changes on a dime here,” Alex Schenk said. “I was glad I had cute and comfortable rain boots to save the day.”

3. Flash drive
It might be tempting to rely on emailing yourself, but carrying around this extra storage makes you better safe than sorry. “It’s such a hassle to email yourself all your papers,” Ryan Bays said. “Having a flash drive was an easy way to keep track of your saved work.”

4. A nice dress-up outfit
Maybe you’ll apply for a part time job or have an interview for a scholarship. In either case, having a nice outfit on hand definitely wouldn’t hurt. “I had to go to Target for a pair of black pants and dress shoes the night before a speech,” Ben Backes said. “I could have spent that time practicing if I had brought it with me in the beginning.”

5. Dry erase board for your door
Your board is a fun place for friends to leave notes to come home to. “My birthday was the second day of Welcome Week and everyone on my floor wrote messages on my door,” Hillary Simon said. “It was really special. After that, we used our boards to give each other our numbers and leave fun messages.”

5 things to leave at home:

1. Printer
Scoring a free printer with your MacBook is a great deal, but a huge perk of living in the residence halls is line-free access at the printing stations conveniently located in your building or quad. “A bulky printer will take up room in your room,” Hanna Waltz said. “Plus, you can take advantage of the free 650 page print allowance you get each semester.”

2. Your entire DVD collection
Though preserving your childhood by re-watching “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King” is always a great time, create new favorites by exploring the free DVD and CD rentals available in the residence halls. “I loved being able to rent all five seasons of Dexter,” Cassi Kirk said.

3. Sweatshirt and T-shirt overload
Even though the dorm rooms have quite a bit of storage space, excess clothes can be a hassle. “I brought all my favorite hoodies and T-shirts and ended up wearing the same two or three. You’ll get a bunch of free T-shirts at events too,” Brooke Nianick said.

4. High school letterman’s jacket
Though it may be tempting to show off what a stud you were in high school, college is a chance to start over and leave the high school gear at home. “Joining the IU family gives you an chance to start fresh and wear cream and crimson,” Sarah Kusisto said.

5. Things you’re not likely to use:
Carefully consider which items are necessary and which will potentially become dust collectors. “I thought bringing my telescope down was a good idea but quickly figured out I was wrong,” Jory Kleemann said. “It took up way too much floor space, and recreationally learning astronomy was one of the first things I sacrificed to my busy schedule.”