5 Things You Shouldn’t Bring to a College Apartment

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5 Things You Shouldn’t Bring to a College Apartment

Staff Writer · Aug 25, 2010

If you are moving into a college apartment, it may be your first experiment in shared living. Lots of students who are packing up all of their stuff for a relocation to a dorm or apartment space have a lot to learn about what goes into a “communal living” or “group house” experience. One of the first considerations is what to pack—and what to leave at home.

Some Things You Shouldn’t Bring to a College Apartment

Although you might be tempted to bring all of the comforts of home with you to your new college apartment, here are some items that might be best left behind.

1. The Oversized Armoire

Large floor standing cabinets are not a great idea for a college apartment space. You may have a really hard time moving them in, and an even harder time making space for them in the small rental spaces that usually constitute student housing. Try to collect the most portable and versatile furniture available for your move, even if it means making concessions to IKEA.

2. Waterbeds or King Sized Mattresses

Your waterbed is likely to be a liability in a student housing  environment. Likewise, full-size mattresses can be tough to deal with in smaller college apartment spaces. You’re usually best off selecting a reasonably sized single bed for your temporary student dwelling.

3. Your Grandma’s Heirlooms – Or Anything Really Valuable

Another good idea is to stow away anything that has significant sentimental value for you and your family. Lots of college apartments have many people going in and out every day. Shared spaces may not have adequate locks on personal rooms, and even those that do may not be very reliable. There’s no point in bringing valuable items to this kind of housing situation and exposing them to risk. In a temporary college living situation, store these items carefully in a secure location, and they’ll will be there for you when you return with your degree.

4. Your Cat or Dog

Chances are your new college roommates while not like your pet as much as you do. This is one rule that lots of college students are tempted to break. After all, in the daunting newness of college life, you’d think Fluffy would be a good source of moral support. But bringing pets into a college housing environment can be extremely unfair to animals who thrive on space, greenery and fresh air, items that experienced dorm rats and college apartment denizens know is usually in scarce supply. And who is going to walk the dog when everybody has finals?

5. Your Plasma TV

Again, big electronics are not a great idea for a shared space. Even if your apartment is relatively calm, there’s always the outside chance of the overstressed bio major taking a mallet to your $1200 big screen at 3:00 am. Bring these items only if they can fit into your own room, and even then, think about whether making your own space into a personal home theater might generate some tech envy among the masses, or lead to a crowd of people “crashing” in your room every night.

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