Moving away from home for the first time is a big deal: Its time to fend for yourself.

The last thing you want to do is forget something, but when moving into a residence hall, it is also very important that you don’t overpack.

Almost all freshmen are guilty of overpacking. It is difficult to know what you need and what you don’t need.

“I brought two car loads of stuff to school,” said Britleigh Martin, freshman in kinesiology. “I brought clothes, a futon, bedding, my own desk chair, TV, all my shower and beauty supplies, DVD player and some trinkets, shoes and towels.”

Many new students are going to be sharing a room with someone else.

The best trick to not overpacking is splitting the large items – such as refrigerators, futons, and televisions with your roommate.

These larger items take up a lot of room, and by delegating responsibilities you will save a lot of space in both packing and your room once you are all moved in.

The key to packing light is realizing you will probably be going home at normal intervals.

“When you arrive in August, bring a mix of some summer clothes with a few pairs of jeans and sweaters as the weather begins to change. It will be warm throughout August, September and the beginning of October.

Just make a trip home before this time has passed completely to get more things,” said Reghan Markert, freshman in pre business.

“At the beginning of the year I brought all the jeans and shorts I own, but it really got cold pretty fast, so I didn’t need all of the shorts.”

There is also a limited amount of storage.

“I sent knickknacks and bedding home,” Martin said. “You really do not have room for all of the little things like picture frames and figurines. It also is really hot in the dorms, so I shouldn’t have brought all of the blankets I did.”

It is not a worse way of living, it is just much different. It is important to always respect your roommate’s space.

“My closet was overflowing the entire first semester, and you don’t have room for it when you have a roommate,” Markert said.

Packing is not impossible, just relax and think about what you’re bringing as you pack your things.

“My advice is to only bring the essentials, you can always bring more,” Martin said. “Remember to bring the small stuff you wouldn’t think about in everyday life.”