You should bring two to four hoodies to college—just make sure that one of them reps your alma mater!
You should make sure to bring a hoodie or sweatshirt for each of the following use cases:
- Something ratty you can wear to the gym or in inclement weather
- Something “nicer” you can wear to class
- Something you’ll want to wear when hanging out with your friends
- Something repping the school for sporting events and campus activities
You might be able to bring just one or two sweatshirts that do double, triple, or quadruple duty. For instance, your “hanging out” hoodie might be in good enough shape that you don’t mind wearing it to class. Or perhaps you like your college sweatshirt so much that you don’t mind wearing it around the dorms.
At a bare minimum, we recommend having one “nice” hoodie that you keep in pristine condition, and one hoodie you don’t mind getting dirty. This way, you won’t be terrified of ruining your favorite hoodie if you, say, are invited to go play soccer in the mud. (Yes, a real thing—swamp football—though perhaps not the most common reason sweatshirts get ruined in college…)
We recommend stopping my the campus store during your first week to pick out a hoodie or two. These may be expensive (easily $40-$60). If you don’t mind gambling on the quality, look into cheaper alternatives. For instance, you may be able to find some good deals on sites like Fanatics Outlet, or even Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, or Walmart.
Want more advice on packing for college? Check out our guides below:
Noah graduated Summa Cum Laude from Worcester state University with a Communications major and Writing minor. At school, he was the Executive Editor of the online newspaper, a tutor at the school’s writing center, and an all-around good guy. He is the Founder and Content Manager of Edu FAQs, and is here to clear up your questions and make your college experience as exciting as it is educational.