When you are preparing for college for the first time it can be very overwhelming, from worrying about academics to wondering what you will be involved in on campus. One thing that I know I stressed out about when preparing for college was what to bring and what to leave at home. A lot of incoming freshmen tend to overpack and bring things that will not be used more than one time. The most difficult thing that you will find to pack is your clothes. This will vary depending on where you live, because if you live far away then you will need to bring all your cold-weather clothes as well as your warm-weather clothes. However, no matter where you live you should not overpack your clothes because you will definitely end up running out of space and will have no room for other fun things in your room. What I have noticed in my four years at Grove City is that you will wear mainly the same things every week, with an exception of a few outfits. Also, do not bring too many fancy clothes because you will only have to wear them a few times throughout the semester. For guys, bring a couple of collared shirts and a suit just in case, and for girls, it is always good to have a couple of nice dresses for any event that might be happening on campus. It is good to have options but if you wear something one time in a month then it is not worth bringing to school.
Now, for decorations in your dorm room. It is easy to get carried away looking at the advertisements from Target and buying all of the fun dorm decorations. However, all of the decorations that are in those advertisements take up space in the dorm rooms and are not very practical. The dorm rooms are a good size, but they are not overly big. You can fit a seating option in the rooms if you want to, but it is not always necessary. My recommendation is to get things in your room that will make you feel at home, but not feel claustrophobic. For example, nice string lights or a lamp, a futon/small couch, and some way that you relax whether that be a reading corner, TV, etc.
My biggest advice is to not overpack, because it becomes very difficult to find space for all of your things. You want your living space to be comfortable and homey, so do not worry about filling it with things that you will regret having by the end of the first month. Fill it with pictures and things that make you happy!
