To pack or not to pack?

5 things to be sure to pack

1. 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,” senior Hillary Simon said. “It was really special. ”

2. 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,” senior Ryan Bays said. “Having a flash drive was an easy way to keep track of your saved work.”

3. Stapler and 3-hole punch
These two items are helpful tools in keeping organized and avoiding lost paperwork.

“Stapling your papers goes a long way,” senior Nate Troscinski said. “It keeps you organized, and a lot of professors won’t take work if it’s not stapled.”

4. Rain boots
Rubber rain boots 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,” senior Alex Schenk said. “I was glad I had cute and comfortable rain boots to save the day.”

5. 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,” senior Ben Backes said. “I could have spent that time practicing if I had brought it with me in the beginning.”

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,” senior Hannah 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,” senior 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,” senior 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,” senior Sarah Kusisto said.

5. Things you’re not likely to use
Carefully consider which items are necessary and which could become dust collectors.

“I thought bringing my telescope down was a good idea but quickly figured out I was wrong,” senior Jory Kleemann said. “It took up way too much floor space, and recreationally learning astronomy was one of the first things I sacrificed.”