An Introduction

Hey!

So, you're going to live in Heritage Halls.

I want you to know that you've made the right choice. As I sit at my dorm desk, boxes all around me with half my stuff packed up, I realize how great of a year I've had here in Heritage.

When I was in your shoes 12 months ago, I wished that someone would have made available a Heritage specific packing list. I had seen all the blog posts on Pinterest for "what to pack for your college dorm", which were helpful, but I wanted something that would show me what Heritage would look like and what I did/didn't need to bring, for Heritage. 

This page is here to be the resource I wish I had when I was trying to figure out what to bring. So, I'm glad you're here! And I hope this page helps. Get excited! You're going to have the time of your life here. 

Moving out is a really big step! Probably one of the bigger ones on the staircase of your life so far. You're leaving your comfort zone and everything you're used to. The idea of it all is simultaneously exciting and terrifying. That's college in a nutshell. You'll make a lot of decisions in college that are big decisions, and you'll a lot of "firsts": Your first time in a YSA ward, your first failed test, your first time having to take yourself to the doctor without your mom, your first date with an RM - its all exciting and terrifying, and it's all so-classically freshman year. So, yay for you! The adventure is about to being. 

The first step to it all is figuring out how to get there. My best advice for moving - don't stress! You'll forget things, you'll run into little issues - but you'll find a way to make things work. I promise.

So here's to you, and to the wonderful experience that awaits you in Heritage Halls. 
Take every moment in, because one day you'll move out and it will break your heart in two. 

I wish you all the luck in the world. 

Unpacking the packing list

If you haven't seen that BYU Housing provides a list of things to bring, here it is! If you're wondering 
about things on the list, hopefully this helps. Below you will find some snippets in bold taken directly from On-Campus Housing website (found here) that goes over suggestions for things to bring. This is a great place to start!

"Residents of Heritage Halls, Wyview Park, and FLSR are provided with an ironing board, refrigerator and freezer, oven/stove, microwave, kitchen table with 4-6 chairs, large couch or love seat, desk and chair, garbage can, shelf space, drawer space, personal closet, access to a vacuum cleaner, and limited cleaning supplies (please wait to purchase additional cleaning supplies until you have received cleaning instructions at check-ins)."

Ok, cool. So, this means all the basic furniture is provided. But you were probably expecting that. To this section, I would add this: 
You'll end up needing cleaning supplies for the once monthly cleaning check.  The essentials we ended up using were spray cleaners like 409 and Windex, Clorox/Lysol wipes (those are SO helpful), toilet bowl cleaner with a brush, and some rags (unless you want to go through paper towels like crazy. which is what we did.) The instructions tell you to wait because there are a lot of banned cleaning supplies that they don't want you using - ammonia, drain cleaners, abrasives, lime away, oven cleaner, green scotch brite pads. I think that's it for banned things. Now, I'm not telling you to buy all this stuff before.... but, this is what we ended up using. :)

Next up:

"Your suitcase sits open and empty on your bed. What will you need to live comfortably on your own? Here are some suggestions to start filling your bag:"

So, the next section has a lot of stuff to go through. Lets take it a few at a time.

Pillow Sheets - Heritage mattresses are extra-long twin. Get cheap extra-long twin sheets from target to fit your mattress, and if you cant find a quilt or comforter that you like that's "extra-long", just know that I ended up buying a regular length quilt and it works fine. If your mom tells you this, she's right. Don't fight it. Blankets Towels and washcloths - get an oversized plush towel. You'll thank me later. I brought one bath towel and one beach towel. Beach towel is good if you ever need to lay it out for picnics or floor parties, or if you have a guest that needs a towel. I dont think two bath towels is necessary. Decorating hooks - Not sure why the list says you can use Command Hooks - It's outdated. Heritage decided this year that Command Hooks are a no-go, so, take white poster putty if you want to hang pictures and things An apartment can only have 6 nail holes per room (including nails already present when residents move in). Residents will be charged a repair fee for each additional hole when they move out. - This means thumbtacks are usually good to go as well. Clothes for all weather - true. Pro tip - rain boots can double as snow boots. I wish I would have brought a rain jacket like the one below - one that will keep you dry on your walk to class or that you can wear when you go hiking but that isn't a snow coat. Snow coats are good for the winter, but one of these would have been nice during summer term/fall.    Alarm clock - eh, you have your cell phone for this. BUT, sometimes it is nice to have a separate one you can set up away from your bed to force you to get out of bed and turn it off. Can't do that with a cell phone if you charge it by your bed. Telephone  Sewing kit - ? This could have been helpful... maybe? Not really. This was always on my girls camp packing list too. If you know you're not going to use it, don't bother. Laundry bag Alright, I tried using a canvas laundry bag and after the very first time doing laundry, I was done. Fine, okay, try to stuff your dirty clothes in the bag day by day - not the biggest issue. But then, after you do your laundry, you have to stuff your big pile of fresh clean clothes into this bag just to get all wrinkly. Some people use pop up hampers, which works better than a bag, but there's not a lot of stability in the pop up or canvas kind of hamper- which makes carrying your heavy load of clothes to and from the basement laundry facility kind of a pain. I think your best bet is a small laundry basket like so. One this size is perfect. It's easy to carry all your stuff to and from the laundry room with this, it fits nicely sitting in between your desk and your closet space, and you can just toss your dirty clothes into it instead of stuffing them into a bag. Laundry detergent Study supplies - Alright, tangent. I'm a nerd, so here's my take on school supplies. There are lots of good Pinterest posts out there for this, reference those as well. The bookstore has those nice FIVE STAR sectioned notebooks for not very cheap, though, so if you know you'll want them but you won't be able to hit up a walmart when you get to provo, buy them at home. The best advice I have is to wait until you know you're not switching in and out of classes AND whether or not you'll need/want a notebook for your various classes. Some of your easier classes you'll probably be okay taking notes off your laptop with. I don't think this is usually the smartest way to take notes, but for some classes it works. Others, you won't end up needed a lot of notebook space for. Point is: Just go to a few days of classes with a notebook that you can write things down on, see what you need for the class, and copy your notes into another notebook later if you need. Toilet paper***Best advice: Don't doubt how much toilet paper your dorm will go through. Maybe you and your mom make a costco run once you get to Provo and you say, I dont know, that 48 roll pack seems like a lot. You will use all of it. I dont know where it all goes, to be honest, but many a times have I gotten home after a long day on campus and said "Seriously? I just changed this yesterday." Start the semester off right by figuring out a system of buying things with your roommates so that you dont end up playing the whoever-caves-and-decides-to-be-nice-first-gets-to-buy-it game. With stuff like TP, paper towels, dish soap and detergent- you'll go through a lot of it. Router**** Click here for more information. You only need one router. Again, if you have to, get all your roomates to chip in on it, or just have one person buy it and then get to keep it when they're done. You can get weak byu wifi signal from the first floor, I think, to get you through the first few days - but I would buy one as soon as possible, cause you're gonna need it. Umbrella - had to buy one from the bookstore. Its cheap and it broke pretty quickly. I'm on my second cheap one now. If you have a decent one laying around at home, bring it. Coat Snow gear - thin gloves for the walk to your 8am come November are pretty nice. Beanies too. Flashlight - ehh you've got your phone for this. Camera - and this Room decorations - DO IT. Your room and living room will be sad without it. I just barely put up a ton of pictures second semester and I'm sad I didn't do it earlier. It only takes a little time but once it's done you'll be so glad. Christmas lights with cheap ping pong balls on them from amazon looked AMAZING up all semester over our big windows - we left them plugged in from November until when they went out in April - It made the living room really home-y. Computer (or rent one from IT services) - I didn't realize BYU did rentals until I had gotten here. Definitely a good idea for those who know they will be leaving on missions and would rather wait to buy a new laptop when they get home. Iron (Ironing boards are provided) - Didn't think I'd need this, but I'm glad my roommate brought one, because I used it a lot. Dishes, cookware & utensils Different apartments have different systems. I think it's good to email your roommates before moving in, break the ice a little, and talk about things that people are bringing. Summer term, we had a million cutting boards but only one tiny frying pan. In our apt, we each have our own dishes and silverware, so each person is responsible for rotating running the dishwasher because eventually you will run out of your own dishes and silverware. But, we all share pots and pans and the toaster and blender and things like that. Sharing dishes and silverware might have made things easier, but not-sharing wasn't a problem. Makes people accountable for leaving dishes in the sink and stuff. Also, there is enough cabinets for each person to have a designated space and a few community drawers and cupboards for shared things, so that's a plus. Favorite recipes (if living in an apartment) - Or, you can bug your mom for them. Or Pinterest for new ones. Or, eat pizza quesadillas twice a week (life changing, people. so good). Entertainment equipment***** - Our apt was good with just watching movies on a laptop instead of having a TV. A TV would have been good for watching movies - just know you'll need something to put it on. First-aid kit - dont neglect the things sitting in your bathroom closet at home, like bandaids. Or safety pins for that one time that your slip just will not cooperate with the skirt/tights combo you're wearing. Financial and health insurance information - YES. When you end up having to go to urgent care for some stupid health thing, you'll need it. When you apply for a job or you need a background check for a place at Y-Serve, you might need your social security card. So, that's it for the items that the website suggests. Everything else you'll need in addition to this can be found on the posts below. :)

Pack This: Bedroom

Decorating your bedroom is one of the funnest things you'll consider when thinking of things to pack. It's the one thing that you really get to make your own (with your roommate, of course) and feel a little more like home. Some unsolicited advice - keep it simple. If you know you're not the best at keeping your room organized, having a ton of extra crap in your room might not be the best idea. Simple is good! 

You might be asking what you should consider bringing besides the decorations. You and I both know that you and pinterest have got that covered.

Below are some pictures that might help you get a feel for what you'll need, in addition to some things that I brought that I would've hated being without. (In some pictures, things have already been moved out, but in others, all the stuff is still there. Don't let it throw you off.)

If you haven't seen it yet, this is a heritage floorplan. The first bedroom will have the closets arranged differently, like seen below:

Right next to each other with the door to the left, instead of closet-door-closet

what the other two rooms' closets look like


So, what's helpful for inside of the closet? Here are a few things I've enjoyed having:

Notice the shoe racks!! I stacked two of them, so I have five rows for shoes. This might have been overkill, but if you're like me and enjoy wearing a variety of shoes, it's well worth it. Otherwise, they crowd the floor around your closet and you have a hard time stepping anywhere to pick out your clothes.

Also notice: there is space to store things above your closet! I've seen those canvas storage bins been but here, laundry stuff, suitcases, boots, blankets - its a good space to take advantage of.  

Close up: This space between the closet and desk is the perfect space to keep your laundry basket. The closet looks crammed but you learn how to make it work. (If you're worried about there not being enough space, it's really unlikely you'll run out. It takes a LOT to stuff this closet.)

This accessory hanger has been a lifesaver. Definitely consider getting something of the like to store your jewelry. My roommate uses the builtin board on the desk to hang her necklaces; that works well too!

Some space saving hangers like this are good if you're worried you'll be low on space!

Moving on from the closet. There are a few things around your bed that you might consider getting.

Here's a general idea of what things look like.

A few things from this pic to note:

- The small desk lamp: I brought this lamp thinking I would need it at my desk. Good news - the desks come with a light that runs underneath the top shelf, so there's no need to bring a separate lamp. So, I put this lamp on my bedside. There's a light that is separate from the main lights that is right above your bed (like a reading light) but it's still relatively bright and the switch is at the opposite end of your bed, so you have to sit up to turn it off. The laziness in you will thank you for buying a closer lamp. Not necessary but glad I had it :) 

The suitcase: There is a storage closet in your apartment, but I was able to store my suitcase sideways under my bed, which saved us room in the closet.

The garbage bucket: I probably should have bought a little garbage can, but I never got around to it and used this bucket instead. The dorm comes with three trashcans - one in the kitchen and one in each bathroom. I was always so surprised at how often I was glad that little trash bucket was there. Otherwise you have to take your stuff outside your room into the bathroom, which, if you're feeling lazy, means that it will sit on your floor or desk. (the trash bin would also work well by your desk.) Bring one!

The cords: Alright. If there is one thing that you look at on this page and say "ok, I need that", it's this.  I don't know how anyone else does without this. It's an extension cord with a few extra plugs at the end of it. The outlet by your bed is on the wall where your bed is up against it. If you wanted to plug your phone into the wall by your bed, you would have to have your phone on your bed while you slept. Which, I dont know, maybe you prefer that. For me, having this cord allowed me to run the plug to the other side of my bed, so I could have my phone charge on my makeshift nightstand. And, because there's multiple plugs, I could charge my laptop when I used it while sitting on my bed, and I could plug in my lamp into it as well. Super helpful!

- The Rubbermaid tier stacked drawers. Where would I be without this thing? It is the perfect nightstand AND Its three drawers were perfect for storing things like socks/underwear/sports bras/tights/slips/beanies, as my four under-the-bed- drawers were full of all the sweaters and workout clothes that I didn't want to hang in my closet. I think it was maybe $13 at WalMart - WORTH IT. I've seen this cart (the Ikea Raskog Turquoise Rolling Kitchen Cart) a few times. Its around $45 - you can't store clothes in it as nicely but it is really cute and would also make a good nightstand.

What else do you need to bring?

This doesn't do these hooks justice. They're really helpful. I've seen people hang over-the-door mirrors on the door as well, or those hanging shoe pocket storage things. Whatever it is, make sure you utilize your door space!

What else should I know?

There's a little room for storage between the drawers and your bed. Good for blankets, books, thin/flat storage containers. 

You get four of these bad boys. I've seen things like this drawer organizer below - places like Target sell them. Might have been nice to have, but by no means necessary. (if you're like me, your drawers will get messy quickly and that's okay. 

The desk:

Here's a desk! Four drawers and a builtin board. Like I said earlier, there is a lamp that runs underneath so no need to bring a desk lamp.

One other thing that I brought (definitely not necessary, but helpful) is a socket timer

This socket timer allows you to select how long (.5, 3 or 6 hours) the power will go for. I like it for plugging in my laptop. Apparently, leaving your electronics plugged in for hours longer than they need to be wares the battery down. So, I got one of these, so that I could plug my laptop in when I went to bed. That way, it was charged and ready to go in the morning, but it didn't get charged for 5 hours longer than it needed to be. Also good for wallflower plug ins - let them run for 30 minutes, so the scent is there but not too strong. :)

My roommate brought a small fan that she liked to use at night - if you're often hotter than everyone else (haha) you might consider that. 

I had a small speaker that I kept on top of my desk. It was nice to listen to music on when I was working, for watching movies on laptops with my roommates, for dance parties - I'm not quite sure if we're supposed to have speakers as to not blast music and annoy your neighbors, but we were mostly courteous with ours - if you bring one, do the same. :)

Pack This: Bathroom and Vanity

Wondering what you need to bring for the bathroom and vanity areas? Here's all you need to know. 

Spot the difference between these two showers. 

Yep. One of them has a nice hanging shower caddy to store everyone's things. The other shower keeps their stuff on the tile. You have options. (We both know which option you want).

The shower definitely needs a bath-mat towel, too. Otherwise your floor will get way gross. One of my roommates has a little caddy with all her stuff that she brings in every time she showers. That's fine, but in my opinion, that's what the other dorms are for! You're in an apartment style dorm - make yourself at home and leave your stuff. You'll be here for a while. :)

Some of the newer new-heritage buildings (like 9, 14, 25) have hooks on the door built in, Two tiny hooks on the door, and two mounted on the wall by the sink. Our building did not. So, we had to buy this thing. Lifesaver. 

You can see the hooks off to the side ^

Here's what the storage closet looks like. Good for storing canned food, laundry and cleaning stuff, extra small appliances (pictured: quesadilla maker. not pictured but usually there: crockpot, waffle iron)

The Vanity:

Here's what you need to know about the vanity! Everyone get's their own shelf. This is good for storing the things you use most frequently. 

Note the hand towel on the side - good to have.

Note the mirror to the side. We lived without the mirror for a month or so. It was a month or so too long! Definitely helped in trying to decide on outfits, or overflow mirror space for Sunday mornings when everyone is trying to get ready at the same time. 

 Close up on the shelf space. I use small Tupperware containers to hold all my small things together - helpful!

There is space underneath the sink where you can store things. This is important.  I bought one of these from Target: its a storage bin that has collapse-able dividers. (Rubbermaid Bento Box) This is perfect for storing hair tools, large bottles like hairspray and lotion, makeup that you dont use everyday, shower cap, - basically everything. Very helpful.

  

One of my roommates used  one of these things, which was equally as helpful, especially if you have more stuff. Just be courteous with the size, as your roommates will also likely want to store their stuff under there.

Pack This: Kitchen

What do you need to bring for the kitchen?

When I asked my roommates this question, the first thing I heard was "bring a doorstop!!!"

This is our makeshift doorstop. Here's the deal - you will walk in your front door and enter a smal space with two other doors. One leads to the kitchen. The kitchen door stays open if you leave it open. The other door leads back to the bedroom. This is known as the chastity door. It won't stay open - which, in it's defense, is a good thing when people are over. Imagine walking to your room out of the shower with a towel on only to realize your FHE family is chilling in your kitchen. When people are over, the door gets closed. 

BUT, for the rest of the time, constantly having to get the door gets really annoying. So, we prop it open. Note - you don't actually need to buy a doorstop. We used a duffel bag strap. A lot of dorms use hangers. You'll figure it, find something that works, or just leave it closed. (you could buy a doorstop though. You could. its your call, really.)  

View from the hallway, through the chastity door, and into the kitchen.

Detour! This is the storage closet. There is also storage available through your hall advisor in the basement! This is good news if you plan on bringing a bike to campus. 

You can see here how you walk in through the main door and then turn to get to the kitchen. 

Here's a pic of our fridge, as a reminder to you to bring magnets. You'll be glad you had them. (our fridge was never this empty - we just cleaned it for clean checks before this was taken). 

You've probably seen this picture before. Not my apartment.

I don't have very many tips of things to bring for the kitchen - it's mostly all the things you'd think of. Dishes, silverware, pots and pans, mixing bowls, cooking utensils, small appliances like a toaster (microwave is included) and blender, crock-pot. (crock-pots are incredible. You put frozen pork in when you wake up and then you get home from church and all you gotta do is add barbecue sauce for delicious, delicious pork. I don't know where I'd be without my crock-pot. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED. The possibilities are endless. It'll make your whole hall smell like what you're cooking, and that's a good thing when you get to eat it. :)

One thing that I lived for too long without was a silverware drawer organizer. I got mine at Marshall's (or maybe TJMaxx?) for probably $4. 

Some dorms put rugs in their kitchen by the sink. Ours never did, but I think its a good idea. Makes it feel more home-y.