John’s Guide to Seminary Life: What to Bring

Congratulations! You got into seminary! If you already went to college and experienced dorm life, you have a good idea of what to bring, but if (like many new seminarians these days) you’re fresh out of high school or never experienced dorm life, here is a guide for you:

First of all, be advised that your rooms are going to be relatively small, and moreover you’re going to naturally accumulate more stuff over the years. Pack no more than a couple of boxes.

1. Books

Nearly all the rooms are equipped with three-tier bookshelves, so you can bring a few books. I’ll give book recommendations in a subsequent post.

2. Clothing

It gets very cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer. You need to layer appropriately. Here’s a basic starter list:

• a few t-shirts and pairs of underwear
• 2-3 nice collared shirts
• 2-3 pairs of pants (dark colors)
• 2-3 dress shirts
• at least one matching tie and a sport coat/blazer (for those times you want to impress your future matushka)
• a cassock, or if you can afford it, two cassocks: one made of wool for colder months and one of cotton for warm weather
• an overcoat or jacket
• winter hat, scarf, gloves
• several pairs of shoes, black

3. School supplies

4. Food supplies, etc.

• A small refrigerator. There is a common refrigerator in the kitchenette, but it is better and more convenient to store your food items in your own mini-fridge. 
• Snacks, tea, etc. This is good for when you have friends in your room, so you can offer them something to eat or drink. Hospitality is a good virtue to cultivate in dorm life.

5. Electronics, etc. We have wi-fi, so bring your laptop. Don’t forget to bring a camera to capture all of those precious moments.

6. Basic medical supplies: band-aids, pain relief, etc.