I am out of the office for the next several days, so I am pre-posting some Daily Deacs to run in my absence.Today we are going to talk about packing for college.
We are at mid-July, and our incoming ’26 Deacs will be thinking about making a packing list for college. Similarly, any Deacs going abroad this fall are likely starting to think about what they will need for their abroad semester.
The best packing advice I can offer was given to me by my former French professor who took a group of us to Dijon, France for the fall semester of 1990:
“Put the absolute bare minimum you think you need for the semester on your bed. Then pack half of that.“
He was 100% right. Students – and I was as guilty of this as the next person – tend to overpack.
Encourage your Deacs – of all years! – to be really intentional about what they take to college. There is a finite amount of drawer/closet/underbed space in our residence halls. Things they like now (a favorite high school t-shirt) might not be something they ever wear once in college. And know you can swap out some colder-weather clothes if you come for Family Weekend (and take home things they no longer need/wear), or mail some of those clothes later.
For those with students going abroad, there is also a finite amount of luggage space/what you are willing to carry through airports and cities. When I packed for France, I had a few warm weather outfits, a few cold weather outfits, an all-weather coat, and a lot of things I could layer if I needed to. Because I had a limited supply of clothes that I had to wear over and over again, I was so sick of them at the end of the semester that I never wanted to see them again. I wish I had thought of donating all those clothes to the local Goodwill equivalent at the end of the semester, and just brought home souvenirs in my suitcase. That’s an approach to consider for Deacs going abroad.
