15 Items I Regret Bringing To College | What You DON’T Need for Your College Dorm

This post shows you 9 items you should NOT bring to college.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. See our full disclaimer here.

When I started college, I brought an overwhelming amount of stuff for my dorm. While I was moving out at the end of the year, I realize I didn’t even use half of it!I recently helped with freshman dorm move in as an upperclassman. We simply helped the new students unload their cars, and put all of their stuff into bins. I helped one person unload two cars, making a total of five bins.

Do not be this person! Your dorm room will feel super cramped, and move-out day will be a disaster.

Living a more minimal lifestyle is always a good idea, and when moving into a tiny dorm room, keep these tips in mind!

In this post, I show you exactly what you shouldn’t bring to college – from personal experience! Then, I show you exactly what you should get instead. Consider it your go-to guide! 

Here’s 15 items I regret bringing to college. 

THINGS I REGRET BRINGING TO COLLEGE

1. SO MANY THROW PILLOWS

I literally had 8 pillows on my dorm bed. Although I’m all for decorating with throw pillows, keep it to like 3-4 max.

Here’s my actually recommended throw pillows, and favorite sleeping pillow. Make sure to consider where you’ll be able to have throw pillows. If it’s just your bed, get fewer pillows, but if you have a futon or other seating area, you can comfortably fit more. I probably had enough throw pillows to fill two futons and my bed! 

2. TOO MANY DRAWER ORGANIZATION UNITS

I’m all for a drawer organizer for a nightstand, and an additional one for somewhere else in your dorm. However, I had three. Three is not necessary.

Here’s the three I had – all wonderful, but you do not need all three! I would pick one or two that works best for you. Trust me, all of these organization units performed wonderfully, but I just simply had too many.

3. DESK DECORATIONS

I needed to use my desk, and I just had way too many TJ Maxx impulse purchases that matched my dorm theme.

Not needed! Use your desk as a workspace, and add decor after you’ve been using it for awhile and you have the space.

Remember, you’re at school to learn, work, and study. I know that college brings a ton of fun, but keeping priorities straight is key to a great work-play balance.

4. MORE CLOTHES THAN NEEDED

I know you might be freaking out about how you’re going to fit everything into your tiny dorm closet.

Let me spare you the pain, you probably need like half of the clothes that you have. When you’re packing, just bring the things you wear regularly.

You can also pack for seasons – bring all of your summer stuff to move in with just a few cold weather items, and swap some out for winter clothing over fall break. This saves a lot of space!

Try on everything before you bring it, and know that you’re not suddenly going to want a new type of fashion that’s been sitting in the back of your closet. Leave that stuff at home, or donate it.

5. BINDERS

Wait until after the first week of school to buy these. Instead, just get some notebooks and see what’s worth using a binder after you’ve attended the classes a bit. There’s no sense in spending a bunch of money on organization tools you won’t use. Get the basics, and buy stuff as you need it.

Here’s my favorite notebooks:

 RELATED: 21 THINGS YOU ACTUALLY NEED FOR YOUR DORM

6. TOO MANY SKINCARE PRODUCTS

I brought every single skincare and makeup product I owned, and I promise you, you don’t need to do this!

Think of packing these like packing clothes – only bring what you use regularly. Even bring some products you use sparingly. Products you haven’t touched all summer? Donate or throw!

7. MORE THAN ONE WATER BOTTLE

I ended up with…. seven. What? Invest in a good water bottle, and maybe keep one cheap spare for events you don’t want to bring a nice water bottle to.

Here’s my favorite water bottle – worth the investment, and you won’t want any others!

8. ALL YOUR SHOES

I am notorious for having tons and tons of shoes, and you just don’t have the room for that in a dorm room.

Only bring the shoes you will for sure need. Think of the events you could be attending, and bring one pair of shoes for each event!

9. ANYTHING FROM HIGH SCHOOL

Trust me, you’ll feel super stupid wearing your high school sweatshirt or t-shirt anywhere around campus.

Instead, invest in some nice comfortable clothing and as much campus clothing as possible – it will fit in a lot more!

Here’s some holy grail sweatpants I need more of, and a sweatshirt to match.

10. YOUR OWN DISHES

I remember bringing my own silverware and mugs to my first dorm room…then never using them! I mostly used the silverware from the dining hall and to-go cups from coffee shops. Storing dishes or silverware in your dorm will just take up space.

11. KITCHEN APPLIANCES 

Many new college students think they’ll need a microwave, air fryer, hot plate, or other appliances in their dorm room, but that just isn’t true. Some dorm buildings don’t even allow kitchen appliances, and even if they do, you’re probably not going to spend much time cooking or eating there.

12. TOO MANY TOWELS

Of course you’ll need bathroom towels, but you won’t have much space to store them. I recommend bringing only two towels and swap between using and washing them. These hooks will give you a little space for you and your roommate(s) to hang your towels.

13. A PRINTER

Most colleges and universities have free access to a printer in the library. So there’s no need to take up your desk or dresser space with a clunky printer!

14. TOILETRIES WITHOUT AN ORGANIZER

My freshman dorm had a communal bathroom, meaning I had to walk down the hall to take a shower and brush my teeth. I don’t know what I would have done with a bathroom organizer! You’re definitely going to need one these to keep your shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and other toiletries in one place.

15. TOO MANY BAGS

In my opinion, all you need is one backpack for class and one purse for socializing. Closet space is super minimal in dorm rooms, and you’re going to want to save that space for clothing and shoes. A bunch of bags are totally not necessary!

THIS POST SHOWED YOU 15 THINGS I REGRET BRINGING TO MY COLLEGE DORM.