A Minimalistic W&M Move-In

Your Ultimate Last-Minute Packing Guide for "2-3 weeks" of College at William & Mary

By: Dana Armstrong'21

For those of us brave (or terribly naïve) students planning to return to campus this Fall, our packing lists should be looking a little different than in years past. Still, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, William & Mary’s Residence Life is advising students to “pack items for 2-3 weeks rather than the full semester.” Pushing aside the less than reassuring undertones in that statement (and the fact that the Kallaco test results essential for move-in aren’t nearly as easy to receive as originally advertised), it begs the question: what should 2-3 weeks’ worth of items for a college dorm include?

My strategy for packing this semester is modeled off of my three years of college move-ins and what I packed, and what I bought during my abridged study abroad experience last Spring. Of course, I’ll be keeping in mind that the climate of Williamsburg in late summer/fall is vastly different than Wales in late winter/early spring.

Under normal move-in conditions, my items would fill the back of our family’s minivan nearly to the roof. When I packed to study abroad, luggage fees strongly encouraged me to downsize. For the flight over, I managed to fit a good amount of my essentials into a single medium-sized suitcase and a carry-on-compliant backpack. Going into this semester, I’m planning to pack the same base items plus a bit more to account for the essential items I bought while abroad. After all, I am still planning to study abroad in a way. This time it just means I’m at William & Mary instead of at home or in Wales.

I’m lucky to have a rough guide on how to pack (an intended) five months’ worth of college essentials in a condensed way, and I figured sharing my guide might help others figure out how to downsize their dorms this semester. Plus, I can assure you from experience that you can repack all of these items in just a couple hectic hours in the case of a sudden evacuation. But let’s hope we all won’t have to do that again…right?

---

Suitcase:

Following in my study abroad packing footsteps, I’m planning to pack only one suitcase of clothes. Maybe this is normal to some, but I typically packed a lot more than this for past move-ins. This semester I’m only bringing my most regularly worn clothes that I can wear in multiple outfits. Accommodating for the warmer late summer to only slightly cooler early fall climates of Williamsburg, here’s what I’m bringing.

Tops

· Tanks (casual/work out) x 5

· Short-sleeved x 5

· Long-sleeved x 10

· Sweaters x 2

· Cardigan x 1

· Dress x 1

Bottoms

· Jeans x 4

· Lighter patterned pants x 2

· Leggings x 3

· Shorts x 3

· Skirt x 1

Outerwear

· Crew neck sweatshirt x 2

· Fleece jacket x 1

· Warmer water-resistant coat (not winter coat!) x 1

· Light rain jacket x 1

· Light jacket x 1

· Gloves x 1 (Will we make it long enough for these?)

Shoes

· Sneakers x 2

· Sandals x 1

· Rain boots (a Williamsburg essential!) x 1

Plus: 2 weeks’ worth of underwear and socks (+ a couple pairs of heavier socks just in case), a couple of belts, and at least 5-6 washable, reusable cloth face masks

Backpack:

This will carry the majority of my essential school supplies.

· 3-subject notebook x 2

· An empty folder for each class

· Pencil case w/ assorted writing supplies

· My planner

· My laptop, cell phone, chargers, ear buds, flash drive & hard drive

· My purse

· Reusable water bottle x 1

· Reusable thermos x 1

Plastic bins:

These will contain most of the items I couldn’t take abroad, but I absolutely needed to buy when I arrived. Since I already have these items at home and I’m able to pack more in my car, I will be bringing these items with me. This is your no-fuss list of dorm essentials written by a real W&M student with years of move-in experience. Disclaimer: I’ll be living in a Ludwell apartment with its own kitchen, and I’m planning to cook my own meals the majority of my time at W&M. You can omit the kitchen supplies if you’re on a standard meal plan.

· Pillow—only 1 is essential but I’ll bring 2 more for some extra comfort + a little décor

· Sheet set x 1

· Comforter/blanket x 1

· Towel set (hand, bath, washcloth) x 1-2

· Shower caddy & shower shoes for everyone with shared bathrooms!

· Laundry detergent (standard-sized, not in bulk)

· Collapsible clothes drying rack & collapsible laundry hamper

· Clothes hangers

· 1 standard-sized bottle each of shampoo, conditioner & body wash

· Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, skincare, hair products, etc)—aim to bring just 1 months’ worth—again try not to pack in bulk!

· Medicine (This is the only item I’d advise to pack enough of to last a full semester.), first aid kit, and thermometer

· Cleaning supplies (bathroom cleaner, disinfecting wipes, mini broom/dustpan, etc.)

· Frying pan, medium cooking pot, roasting pan, wooden spoon, paring knife, butcher knife, cutting board, colander, reusable food storage containers

· 1-2 sets of silverware, 1 pasta bowl (This is my ultimate minimalist tip! Pasta bowls are so great because they’re the perfect combination of a plate and a bowl. You literally do not need another vessel to eat out of.), 1 mug (You can use both this mug and your reusable water bottle as a “drinking glass.”)

· Power outlet strip (Make sure it follows W&M guidelines though!)

· Desk lamp (I really think this is worth it if you want semi-decent lighting for schoolwork.)

· A minimal amount of easy-to-pack pictures/mementos for a ~little~ décor

---

As extensive as this list is, I’m sure I’ll still add a few more bits and bobs onto it—I still consider myself an overpacker. Feel free to alter it and/or simplify it further to suit your individual needs. Nonetheless, if you stick fairly close to these guidelines, you’ll hopefully find yourself bringing less than you normally would. I’d say the main takeaway is to really limit the amount of décor and “fun items for a rainy day” that you bring this semester. That being said, we’ll probably be staying in our dorms a lot more than usual, so I’d advocate for bringing 1-2 fun, easily packable items that can help you de-stress when needed.

Here’s to hoping that all of us who want to will actually get to move in and, if we do move in, we’ll be staying at W&M safe, healthy, and longer than “2-3 weeks”.

*Note: The article was republished due to website maintenance. The original publication date is August 8th, 2020.