5 tips for packing

1. Underpack. You can always buy things later or have parents send them.

2. Before you start buying, check with the school. It should have a list of suggested items as well as a list of prohibited ones.

3. Bring plenty of adhesive hooks, like 3M Command Strips. These removable hooks that attach to the walls with adhesive. They’re useful for everything from hanging scarves and baseball caps to serving as a makeshift drying rack for towels and bathrobes.

4. Seriously consider whether to bring furniture, like an extra chair. Dorm-room experts advise against it, particularly if you’re not reorganizing room space by doing something like adding a loft. “We see a lot of furniture go into rooms and then an hour later Dad is looking unhappy carting it back out because they’ve realized they don’t have room for it,” says Craig Allen, director of residential services at Texas Christian University.

5. Protect your valuables. Engrave initials or a driver’s license number on iPods, mp3 players, video game equipment and cell phones and label DVDs, CDs and the like. Consider getting a footlocker for gadgets and other valuable personal items.

Don’t forget …

– Sewing kit

– First-aid kit

– Plastic dishes

– Febreeze

– A window shade dark enough to block sunlight

– Rolls of quarters for laundry (check ahead; some schools have laundry facilities that use students’ college debit cards instead)

– A noise-blocking set of earphones for studying and sleeping

– Removable hooks to hang towels, accessories, robes, etc.

– Tide markers or Shout wipes

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