by Wordsleuth

Created on: August 01, 2007   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

Packing for college is a very hard thing to do. Whether you are moving just mile or hundereds of miles from your home you want to make sure to take everything you need with you. This is where not waiting until the last minute pays off.

I used to always wait until the last minute to pack. I would then arrive at my school, which was over 500 miles away, and I would realize that I forgot to pack something that I either wanted or needed.

Waiting until the last minute adds a large amount of stress to a process that is already very stressful in itself (not to mention the stress of leaving home).

The best ways to beat the last minute mistakes of packing is to start very early. You should make a list of the things that you want to bring with you and continually update it all summer.

If there are things that you can pack away and not miss during the summer, like winter clothing, than you can go ahead and pack that up.

You should also make a special place for the things that you are going to pack away for college. Whether you use you garage, a basement or a storage unit, you can set these things aside, making it almost impossible to not remember these things when the time comes to put everything in your truck, van, car or U-Haul.

You should also talk to your friends, both those who have been to college and those going for the first time, to see what kinds of things they are bringing. That might help you to get some ideas for the things you will need when you are away.

Also, don't forget to talk to your future roomates. It is often too much clutter to have more than one television, stereo and other items like this, so you should see which one of you will bring the televsion or the stereo, or other things that you only need one of. This will save time and aggrivation later.

By not waiting until the last minute, making lists, talking to others and packing things away in a special spot, you can hopefully avoid most of the stress of packing for college and the problems of forgetting things when it is too late. College is streesful enough, don't start off by making it more stressful than it has to be.

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