You'll be packing for college in just a few short weeks! Before you go on a shopping spree or start boxing up every single thing you own, I urge you to remember one essential reality: your college residence is likely to be TINY and is usually smaller than the amount of space you have at home. The average amount of living space given to each resident in a standard residence hall is about 120 square feet, and that has to accommodate your bed, your desk, and your clothing storage (closet/dresser or armoire is usually the set-up), and all your stuff!

I therefore encourage you to take the "comfortable minimalist" approach to packing for college. With this approach, you take everything you need to make your college home away from home comfortable and functional, you buy some specialized items once you get there and understand what will be best, and you strive for a totally comfortable, but uncluttered, room.

What You Should Take:

Here is my list of what the "comfortable minimalist" would take to college (these are the things you will need no matter what and that you probably already own or would like your parents to purchase!):

1. Key Documents & Lock/Fireproof Box: You'll need your drivers license, your passport, your Social Security card, your birth certificate, your insurance information, your medical information, an emergency credit card, and all the key correspondence from the school (your admit letter, your housing info, etc.). Put it in a locked/fireproof box. This is your identity and you need to safeguard it!

2. Clothes: College student chic does not require an elaborate wardrobe.  Besides, you can always bring clothes back with you after a break or have your Mom ship you something if you discover you need the clothes you left behind.

You can easily get by with:  21 pairs of underwear (and 7-14 bras for women), 21 pairs of socks, 7 jeans/pants/skirts, 14 shirts, 3-4 sweaters/fleeces (if cold weather location), 3 pajamas (yes you sleep in pajamas in college — for everyone else's sake), 3-5 sets of gym clothes, 1 outfit suitable for a semi-formal/dress-up event and 1 outfit suitable for an interview/night out with parents, 1 bathrobe, flip-flops or slippers with soles, 2-3 pair sneakers/walking shoes, 1 pair dress shoes, 1 pair boots (if cold weather location), 1 light weight jacket, 1 medium weight jacket/coat, and 1 heavy weight jacket/coat (if cold weather location), 2 pairs gloves, 2 hats, and 2 scarves (if cold weather location), rain jacket with a hood and umbrella and last but not least, a good baseball cap for those bad hair mornings.

You might think I've really loaded you up on underwear and outerwear, but honestly, that is the stuff you want lots of.  Underwear because it is what determines how frequently you have to do the laundry and outerwear because you are going to be outside a lot — walking to class, activities, etc. — so you need to be comfortable and prepared for all weather conditions.

3. Laundry Supplies: At least 1 laundry bag.  A first supply of detergent and fabric softener sheets.  Quarters if you need them for the washer/dryer (some now take swipes of your smart college ID).  If you don't know if you need quarters, post a question on the college web site and they'll tell you!

4. Other Miscellaneous Stuff Related to Clothes: A sewing kit, a lint brush and perhaps an iron (although I know very few college students who actually iron).

5. Linens/Bed Supplies: 2 sets of sheets and pillow cases.  You usually need the extra-long fitted sheets.  A blanket.  A comforter.  2-3 pillows.  Also splurge and get one of those egg crate mattress pads — it makes all the difference and turns the average college cot bed into something almost worthy of a decent hotel.

6. Shower/Personal Grooming Supplies: Get some sort of shower tote (even if you share a bathroom in a suite rather than have the down-the-hall set-up, it is good to have a place to store all your personal grooming supplies) and then fill it with whatever products you use in your face washing, body cleaning, toothbrushing routines.

7. First Aid/Medical Kit: Put together a basic first aid/medical kit with something for upset stomachs, a pain-killer, decongestant, cough drops, an antiseptic cream or spray, and some band-aids.

8. Personal Medical Prescriptions: Make a last visit to your hometown doctor and get new prescriptions for your meds so that you can take them to the school pharmacy right away.  Allow for transition time and arrive at school with at least a 30-day supply of your meds.

9. I-Phone/Droid/Other Smart Phone: It is your primary tool for communication, personal entertainment, and organization.  It can also function as an alarm clock.

10. Laptop Computer with Printer: It is your primary tool for getting your school work done, so it is great to have one at your disposal 24/7.  Further, it can store all your music and be a TV/DVD player too.  Remember that you are going to be lugging it around with you a lot, so go for the lightest weight one you can afford.  You may also discover you need an Ethernet cable because wireless in some residence halls is tricky.  But, you can buy that when you get to campus and discover whether you really need it or not.

11. Headphones and Earplugs: The key to peaceful coexistence in a roommate situation — you can listen in peace to your music/DVDs while you are awake and you can sleep in peace even if everyone around you is going wild.

12. Extension Cords/Power Strips with Surge Protectors along with Duct Tape: Your electronics will require charging and you'll have a few other things to plug in, but you'll have a precious few plugs, so stock up on these things and TAPE down your cords (stumbling through your room in the dark is likely and no need to have major injuries).  Make sure your power strips plug into 2 prong outlets or get some 3 prong to 2 prong adapters to take with you.

13. Swiss Army Knife, Phillips head screwdriver, and Hammer: These are the full toolkit you'll need to do just about anything.

14. Supply of 3M Command Hooks and Poster Strips: Walls are the place for art and backs of cabinets/doors are great for hanging coats, robes, hockey sticks, etc.  These are great products and meet all residence hall requirements of doing no damage to walls, furniture etc.  Load up.

15. Sports Equipment: Balls and Frisbees are perennial favorites, but also include any specialized sports equipment for sports you will be playing — lacrosse stick, tennis racquet, golf clubs, etc.

16. Entertainment Systems: TVs, DVRs, Wiis, and sound systems .  I personally suggest you limit this stuff  and use the stuff provided in the community spaces of the residence halls — it makes for a better social life.  But if you must have it in your space, you definitely only need one of everything.  You should negotiate with your roommate in advance who is bringing what.  Make sure you know whether you have cable connections in your rooms or not; it is a major expense that you probably can't afford if you don't.

17. Some Personal Photos: Make sure you have photos of your family, your friends and your pets.  Just seeing their faces can make you feel all warm and fuzzy and keep homesickness at bay.

What You Should Buy There:

Wait to purchase major furniture, appliances, and storage.  Allot some time for a shopping spree during the first week once you know what you (and your roommate) want. Trust me,  the last thing you want to do your first week of college is figure out how to ship a small refrigerator back home!

1. Loft Bed Set-Ups: At many colleges, you can rent a loft bed set up from a local rental place. It can be a great space enhancer — giving you the area below your bed as living space.  You want to use the local company — they'll deliver and come back and get it at year end.

2. Futon/Sofa etc.: You may have room for some sort of seating, so you may want one of these.  But buying it together with a roommate both cuts costs AND ensures that no one sensibilities are offended.

3. Storage and Waste Baskets: You'll probably need hangers, some storage cubes or boxes, and a waste basket.  But you may discover that the college supplies waste baskets or that the cute stacking baskets you were going to take don't fit.  So buy once you get there.

4. Your In-Room Dining/Kitchen Supplies: You may want (and have room for and be allowed to) have a mini-kitchen complete with microwave, hot pot/coffee maker, and mini fridge, but once again you'll be better off to get the lay of the land and then decide whether you want a set up this elaborate (and see what your residence hall permits in the way of kitchen gadgets).

5. Lighting: You'll probably need additional lighting, but you won't know where until you've got your room set up.  Budget assuming you'll need a desk lamp and a bedside lamp.

6. Extra Cooling/Heating: I know you'll be shocked to learn that residence halls are not noted for their perfect temperature control.  You may need a fan or a portable heater or both.

7. Art for Walls: It is a great first roommate outing to buy art; also, you may want to decorate with posters from school activities, etc.  So wait and make art a bonding experience.

So even though I've taken the comfortable minimalist approach, you can see that you will have a lot of stuff to cram into that small space.  So before you expand on my list, ask yourself, "Will I really want this if it has to be stored on my bed when I'm not sleeping, and on the floor when I am sleeping?"  If you can't answer yes, leave it at home or in the store!

Comments or Questions?

Too minimalist for you?  What have I left out?  What have you heard you need?  Share your ideas and let's get some crowd wisdom on the subject.  Post it here!

Alison Cooper Chisolm writes the series 52 Weeks to College. She has worked in admissions at Southern Methodist University, the University of Chicago, and most recently Dartmouth College. She is a graduate of Yale College and the University of Virginia Law School. As part of the Ivey Consulting team, Alison works with college applicants and their families as they navigate the college admissions process. Read more about Alison here.