Dorm life doesn’t provide you with a lot of closet space. You barely have enough room for the essentials like a desk, a chair, and a bed. So when you’re shopping for college clothing it makes sense to stick with the basics. You’re probably not going to need a lot of evening wear as much as you’re going to want to have plenty of jeans and sweatshirts.

Remember, you’re at college and depending on the institution you’re attending; you may not have a lot of places to go beyond campus and the small town surrounding it. If you’re attending NYU, then yes, you’ll have all of New York City at your disposal, which still doesn’t mean you need a clothing collection to rival a Kardashian. So here are the five most important college clothes shopping tips to keep in mind before you start the fall semester.

1. Dress for the Weather

   The first thing to think about is the climate you’re going to be living in for the next four (or more) years. If you’re moving someplace where the average temperature doesn’t get much above 50 degrees for much of the school year, then you’re obviously going to want to focus your efforts on warmer clothes. Headed to Miami? Then you’ll want to buy shorts and a yall need science shirt for the beach.

2. Jeans

   This staple of every wardrobe is going to be your go-to garment because you can wear them to class, to school functions, campus parties, pretty much anywhere you go. A good pair can be inexpensive without the fancy name-brand labels stuck to the posterior, so you can buy a few pairs and worry less about doing laundry.

3. Sweatshirts

   Zipper hoodies or pullovers. It’s up to you, but whichever you choose you’re going to be comfortable anywhere. You can pick up a few with the school logo and mascot on them at the campus store. This is a definite essential for college life.

4. Professional Attire

   Some of you may be picking up a part-time gig to make some cash between and after classes. Depending upon what that might be, you may want at least one outfit that you can bring along and wear to job interviews. These garments can also double as fancy clothes you may need for a night out or some other school function where you need to look cleaned up and presentable.

5. Don’t Go Overboard

   You don’t need nine scarves and twelve pairs of sneakers. It’s always good to pick up a few new items before the semester starts but if you’re about to start freshman year, you likely have plenty of clothing in your closet already that you can bring with you.