To be honest, packing your clothes isn’t high on the list of the best parts of the college experience, but it’s something you’ll have to do a few times through the years.
But it’s not all bad news! Collegeboxes is here to help you ace packing your clothes for college. We have supplies, techniques, and tips to make the process as easy as possible. The first couple of steps to packing for college are knowing how much to pack and what to pack.
Key Takeaways
- Pack smart, not everything. Aim for about 2–3 weeks’ worth of versatile clothes, plus plenty of underwear and a few pairs of shoes you can rotate.
- Don’t forget the “just in case” outfit. One nicer look for interviews, events, or even a date will save you from scrambling later.
- Use the right packing methods. Boxes, folding tricks, and wardrobe boxes can make moving way easier and keep your stuff organized when you unpack.
1. Decide What to Pack
What should you bring? That depends on a few circumstances. Where is your college? What are you going to be doing? What clothes do you love and can’t live without?
If your school is in Arizona, you’ll need more shorts. Heading up to the Midwest? You probably need to bring a few jackets and coats for the winter weather.
Ultimately, your wardrobe is up to you. If you go to the gym a lot, you need multiple workout outfits. If you love wearing baggy sweatshirts to class, make sure you pack two or three for when the shared laundry gets backed up (spoiler alert: it will.)
Remember, you’re likely to go home during semester break and can always switch out clothes. So, don’t overthink it too much!
2. Packing the Right Amount
Whether you’re moving to a dorm room or renting your first apartment, the closet there isn’t very big. It’ll be impossible to bring your entire wardrobe from home to college with you. But how much of it should you bring? We recommend bringing about 2-3 weeks’ worth of clothes to wear while at college. The versatility of your outfits will determine whether you have more or fewer clothes.
We strongly encourage you to bring enough underwear for three weeks, and multiple pairs of shoes that have different uses. Try to stay basic — the more a shirt or a pair of pants can be used for various outfits, the more outfits you can put together without having too many clothes. And if you need a new piece for your closet, don’t worry. Everyone buys more clothes once they get to college, too.
3. Pack an Outfit for Special Occasions
Another thing to consider is your routine during the school year. Are you planning on working during the semester? Will you try to be a part of a fraternity or sorority? If that’s the case, you’ll need a few classier outfits for Greek life or job interviews.
Even if you don’t plan on doing those things, you should still pack one nice outfit. College is about experiences, and those experiences show up in a variety of ways. An internship related to your dream job could open, or you might have to put on your best look for a date. It’s better to have an outfit ready than to scramble to find one.
4. How to Pack Your Clothes in a Box
Duffel bags, suitcases, and other types of luggage work wonders for packing clothes for college. But don’t underestimate the extra space and versatility provided by cardboard boxes!
When using boxes, avoid over-stuffing. Using another box won’t hurt anyone. This keeps your boxes light and prevents the bottom of the box from falling out. Although a medium to large-sized box can fit a lot of different items, that doesn’t mean you have to throw everything into one box.
Separate the boxes based on shoes, clothing, or other accessories to make them easier to unpack. Try the “military fold,” which essentially means rolling your clothes into tight bundles, when it comes to lightweight clothing. Do a standard flat fold for jeans, sweaters, and other larger pieces of clothing.
Pro Tip: The Collegeboxes Supply Kit has everything you need to pack your wardrobe and then some!
The kit comes with 5 double-walled boxes, 1 roll of packing tape, 5 zip ties, 1 marker and 10 label pouches.
5. Keep Clothes on Hangers
If you don’t want to fold all your shirts and other items that hang, wardrobe boxes are a great choice. Wrapping a trash bag around hangers is a useful trick…until the bag rips and makes life harder on you. Wardrobe boxes are like portable closets that let you store clothes on hangers, and you won’t have to deal with any tearing or breaking.
6. Consider Shipping Your Clothing
Are you shipping your clothes? You need to know how much fits into the box if you’re using services like Ship to School and Direct Shipping through Collegeboxes. How much can you fit in one Collegebox? You can fit a lot of clothes. Just as one example, you can fit five t-shirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of shorts, one hoodie, and a winter coat.
If you dedicate certain boxes to clothes only, you can probably fit everything in five boxes, which you can get and more in a Collegeboxes supply fit.
If you need more help, don’t be afraid to ask your parents. Parents, here are 10 tips for your freshman to learn how to pack for college. When you need to move to school, Collegeboxes is the #1 student storage and shipping provider, powered by U-Haul. We serve schools across the country for all your college needs. After you pack your clothes, sign up with us, and we’ll handle the rest.