Are you wondering… How much clothes should bring to college? Here is everything that you need to know.
Moving to college is probably one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking stages of your early adult life. Finally, you’re able to venture out and explore the world on your own and meet tons of amazing people at your college. But at the same time, you’re also wondering…
“Do I have everything I need? What if I can’t survive on my own? I don’t know how to cook or meal prep! How much clothes should I bring to college?” And the list goes on….
To help ease your anxiety about packing for college, I’ve decided to put together this quick guide that’ll show you what to pack, how many outfits you’ll need, and the general Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to packing!
Related Post: 22 Absolute Must-Haves For Every College Student
How Many Outfits Do You Need For College (Consider These 3 Factors)
1. Climate
The number of outfits that you need to bring for college can vary quite a bit depending on which part of the world and what kind of climate your college is situated in.
For example, if you’re attending the University of Florida which is probably one of the hottest & humid college campuses ever, you’ll most likely need to change your outfit a lot more frequently than if you’re going to college in London or Sweden.
So make sure to look up the weather of the city where your college is at, and plan your packing list accordingly.
2. Laundry Schedule
How often do you plan on doing your laundry? Every week or bi-weekly (please don’t tell me every two months haha!)
Obviously, the more outfits you bring, the more you can get away with not doing laundry as frequently.
So if you know that doing laundry will be pretty inconvenient for you (not having a washing machine/dryer near your living space), or that you want to save money and time.
Then you should consider packing at least two weeks’ worth of outfits, socks, underwear, and other essential items!
3. Personal Routine
Do you workout a lot? Are you a homebody or a frequent party-goer? Are you planning on working at a part-time job everyday?
Your routine and your level of activity is definitely a deciding factor in how much clothes you should bring to college. Especially if you will be partaking in activities that will require that you wear outfits that are different than school outfits.
???? General Rule of Thumb: When in doubt, pack at least 2 weeks worth of clothing
Of course, this is just a general rule of thumb and you definitely don’t need to follow it strictly! Depending on how often you do your laundry, the climate, and your personal schedule, the number of outfits you need to bring to college will vary.
But if you literally still have no idea how many outfits you should bring. Just pack 2 weeks worth of outfits. You can always buy more when absolutely necessary.
Also, who says that you can’t wear the same outfits a few good times before washing them (do what you gotta do, amiright?????)
College Clothing Packing List
✔ Basic Essentials:
- Underwear
- Socks
- T-shirts
- Tank Tops
- Shorts
- Pants
- Pajamas
- Jeans
- Sweaters/Hoodies/Cardigans/Jackets
- Casual tops & Blouses
- Leggings/Yoga pants
- Formal Business clothing (For interviews or presentations)
- Workout clothes
- Waterproof jacket
- Swimsuit
- Heavy winter coat
✔ Accessories:
- Scarves
- Baseball hat/Cap/Hat
- Belts
- Beanies/Gloves/Ear muffs (colleges in cold climates)
- Tote bag/Backpack/Side Bag
- Purse
- Sunglasses
✔ Footwear:
- Casual everyday sneakers
- Formal shoes
- Heels
- Rain boots
- Flip flops
- Shower shoes
- Running shoes
- Snow boots
✔ Clothing for Special Occasions:
- Cute outfits for college parties
- Halloween costumes
- Sundresses or formal dresses
- Pencil skirt/blazer/slacks for interviews or presentations
Don’t Do These Three Things
1. Don’t Overpack
I totally understand how tempting it is to bring everything in your closet with you to college. But the fact of the matter is, dorm room closets are TINY!
Even if you somehow manage to stuff your entire lifetime-worth of clothing into boxes, you probably won’t be able to fit them into your dorm
(Exception: If your dorm is humongous or you’re a minimalist with only 10 outfits)
2. Don’t Bring Outfits That You “Might” Wear
“Oh I wore this gorgeous gown two years ago on New Year’s Eve, let me bring it to college just in case I need it.”
Yea, no. That makes absolutely no sense but the crazy thing is, I’ve actually made excuses like this several times just so that I could pack unnecessary stuff with me because, you know…JUST IN CASE.
If you haven’t worn that outfit for more than a year, then there’s an 80% chance you won’t need it in college.
3. Don’t Bring Super Expensive Items
Girls, no matter how loaded you are, please do not bring a Birkin bag to college. That’s just not it.
Unless you genuinely trust your roommate (or you live alone), then I would definitely not risk it.
One of my friends in college brought a Coach bag with her to college, and guess what, her roommate stole it and moved out right afterward.
There was no surveillance camera or anything in the dorm room, so no evidence… Ugh! Would hate for that to happen to any of you.
So be smart! Leave those expensive clothes and accessories safe at home.
Conclusion On How Much To Pack For College
I know packing for college can be super stressful, but don’t worry, the worst case scenario is that you under pack and will need to do some extra shopping. Or that you overpack and will need to get rid of some stuff.
And both of these scenarios are not the end of the world! The most important thing is that you’ve made it safely to your dorm and are enjoying your life on campus!
So hopefully, this post was able to help you answer the question of “How much clothes should I bring to college?” And help relieve some worries and stress about moving to college.
Do you have any other college-related questions that you’d like me to answer or touch on? Let me know in the comments!
Xoxo
