It’s that time of year again… time to pack up and head back to school – which means it’s time to get all of the stuff from your closet into your car.
Over the past few weeks, I have found that there are all kinds of lists that help you decide what to take to college, but its a lot harder to find tips on how to get it all there!
As I prepare to head back for my senior year, I’d like to share some packing tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way to make your move to college easier.
These tips will give you more time to focus on making new friends or reconnecting with old ones your first few days back on campus.
(For more tips on packing, see our post, 3 Essential Tips for Successfully Packing for College.)
1. Keep Clothes on Hangers
You’ll save lots of time moving in if your hanging clothes stay on their hangers so all you have to do is fill your closet once you get there.
I separate my clothes by type (short sleeve shirts, dresses, skirts, etc.), punch a small hole in the top of a garbage bag and slip the clothes into the bag with the hanger hooks coming through the top of the bag.
2. Pack Bedding in Your Pillowcase
When you pack your bedding, it’s a great idea to slip the fitted sheet and top sheet inside the pillowcase so that you know everything is together and easy to grab when it’s time to change your sheets!
3. Pillows in Plastic Bags
Pack pillows in plastic bags in order to squeeze as much air out of them as possible.
No need for vacuum bags — extra large Ziploc or other sturdy plastic bags will do just fine. Just make sure to squeeze the air out of your pillow then seal the bag.
On the other hand, if you have delicate furniture or boxes to pack, sometimes it’s best to leave the pillows fluffy and use them as natural padding.
4. Pack Your Purses Like Luggage
I find that it works best to pack as many things as I can into bags I’ll use during the semester.
Keep in mind the fact that any boxes you take with you will need to be either stored or thrown away, so it’s a good idea to fill up as many everyday bags as you can.
For instance, fill your backpack with all your school supplies, your suitcase with all your jeans, and a purse with all your makeup.
Just make sure everything that can spill is tightly closed and put in a plastic bag first!
5. Secret Weapon: Cling Wrap
Cling Wrap is truly my packing secret weapon. Surprising, right? It works like a dream. Use it to:
- Keep mini plastic shelving units (like the ones to hold accessories and hair bands) together by wrapping them in Cling Wrap.
- Remember these jewelry storage ideas? Get everything organized at home and then wrap it up with Cling Wrap to keep it organized on the way to school.
- Shelving units that require assembly can be held together in transit with Cling Wrap. I use this for both my kitchen shelves and my closet shoe racks!
6. Be Smart About Packing the Car
Put heavy items on the bottom and build up from there. Once you have the big things in place, use softer items like clothes and bedding as cushioning between bulky items.
Your turn!
Are you ready to move back to school? Do you do any of these things when you pack? What are your packing shortcuts?
I know that there are lots of other great other packing tips out there! Share them will your fellow CF readers (and me!) in the comments!
Thanks, these tips are great! I’m leaving next week and haven’t even finished packing
SPACE BAGSSSSS!! they are cheap enough and save soooooooo much room! im able to fit a whole closet in a suitcase and all my bedding including a bed foam in a box. its super easy to use and you’d be amazed at how much space you’ll have!
How many purse/bags should you bring to college?
A tip about keeping clothes on hangers:
For most items, you dont have to cut holes in the garbage bag if it has drawstrings. Leave clothes hanging in your closet, slip the bag over and pull the drawstring out, lift and over lap the loops onto the hangers. For longer items like dresses that you dont wan to crush the bottom of, the previously mentioned method is recommended.
Last year when I moved in for the first time I had unpack my car and my entire room in about 30 minutes. I was really organized. I labelled every box with what was inside because my boxes all looked the same. (I know this seems like a duh but my roommate didn’t do this and it took her like two weeks to fully unpack and find everything). This helped because I was able to put the boxes where they needed to be and made it super easy to see what silly things I forgot (like pillows). It also kept like things together and didn’t let them be all over the place. I’m doing this exact same thing this year.
My friends moved from California to Texas and flew. One packed many suitcases (I think she had like four) and had her family each check one so they didn’t have extra bag charges. In the suit cases she packed her clothes, bedding, and in her carry on she packed her essentials like tooth brush, contacts, etc,. Another shipped everything (expensive I know) but he did that bed, bath, and beyond buy here and pick up there thing they do.