A to Z: What To Bring To College

<p>Oh wow this makes me appreciate how far technology has come.</p>

<p>you rock kate! virtual hug–*thank you so much!</p>

<p>Nice list. I never thought of a lot of those things in that list. I like that you listed the George Foreman Grill lol.</p>

<p>But to actually bring all of those things to a dorm room, hopefully you leave some space for your roommate/s because that’s a LOT of stuff. You’d hog the whole room to yourself. Extra desks if you don’t like the one the school gives you, chairs, etc, man that better be a big room lol.</p>

<p>This list rocks! We went through it methodically and left out a few things (like the Foreman grill, toaster, etc.) that weren’t allowed by the dorm. My d is in a double and she and her room-mate discussed what each person would bring. As it turned out, the roommate donated a small fridge and little else. My kid brought the lion’s share of things that are on this list and it’s been a real blessing to them both. She’s brought food from the dining room several times already and having her own microwave, a few dishes and her own utensils are a real blessing. Taking the stuff out of its boxes (like over the counter meds) make a real difference in the ability to store. She’s got two plastic storage drawers on wheels and they hold a lot. If you’re on campus in a rural area without a car it feels good to have everything you think you’ll need. </p>

<p>My sincere thanks to the people that put this list together. As much as it was a hassle to take all the stuff (we rented a 4 by 8 ft trailer because we have a t-i-n-y car!) the 700 miles to school, it beat shopping with the hordes who waited until they got there to buy what they needed----the stores were like war zones and lots of things were sold out. </p>

<p>When the term is over at the end of the year, D will store the stuff locally. </p>

<p>It worked out for us and we’re thankful.</p>

<p>A new laptop is the most important</p>

<p>You have a great list. Personally, i’m just bringing:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>My car</p></li>
<li><p>Two big garbage bags jam-packed with clothes (One for boots/shoes/socks/flip flops, the other for shirts/pants/underwear/gloves/hats and one professional outfit for potential interviews)</p></li>
<li><p>Bookbag with Wallet, Phone, MP3 player, Laptop, Camera, Scientific Calculator and basic school supplies.</p></li>
<li><p>Two normal-sized supermarket bags (one filled with sanitary products like soap, lysol, wipes, etc: the other filled with lotion, toothpaste/listerine, cologne, contacts/eye drops, hair stuff)</p></li>
<li><p>Maybe a random stuffed animal for something to hug at night in case I don’t get laid</p></li>
</ul>

<p>As for stuff like school supplies, a mini-fridge and other little things; I would just buy it out there since it will be too annoying to bring with me. <strong>I view college as a rejuvenating experience.</strong> Dorm rooms also tend to be very limited in space</p>

<p>Anyone who didn’t bring extra cords…good luck with that if you lose it. That’s like losing your soul.</p>

<p>I feel like I overpacked when it came to clothes, and then I saw everyone else … I only brought clothes I would wear on a regular basis but my mother crammed a few dozen extra without my knowing and, true to my word, I have never worn any of them. </p>

<p>All my clothes (including the unwanteds), undergarments, school supplies, electronics, and toiletries fit a 10x18 suitcase – fairly small, it turned out. </p>

<p>My extensive collection of books and records, as well as a few dearly beloved tchotchkes came in a moderately-sized steamer trunk. </p>

<p>I’m definitely sizing down my wardrobe when I move out this spring. There’s a Trader Joe’s and a World Market close to where I live, so I’ve never been wanting for anything. Definitely prefer minimalist packing to the two-cars-and-a-trailer approach.</p>

<p>Holy mackerel! Bring the U-Haul! But nice list.</p>

<p>There’s one VERY important item I didn’t see: A 2-way dual window fan. One blows out, the other blows in. Paired with an oscillating fan inside, those non-air conditioned dorm rooms will be comfortable in the inevitable hot weather.</p>

<p>You can’t install window fans at my school; we have screens behind the windows that we’re not allowed to remove. I’m sure there are other schools where this is true.</p>

<p>Watertight Pelican Case</p>

<p>Ethernet cord - for when the wi-fi is slow.</p>

<p>Shower shoes - so you don’t get athlete’s foot or toenail fungus in the showers.</p>

<p>A pair of pliers and a couple screwdrivers.</p>

<p>First aid kit.</p>

<p>LOL address book and map. But otherwise, this list is still up to date. Hard to believe that it was compiled just prior to beginning the 5th grade…</p>

<p>First - I want to thank the OP and everyone else with positive contributions. It was all incredibly helpful. My daughter started in a tiny double at a college 3 hrs. away, then in a suite (private bedroom, shared bathroom, small shared common room), and then transferred to a college over 6 hrs. away with a 2 bedroom on-campus apartment (private bedroom & bathroom, living room & full kitchen). Now my son is getting ready to go 6 hrs. away and will probably be in a double or triple. So - random thoughts:

  1. take the good advice offered - copy everything and then edit to your taste. Everyone’s needs, room, and situation differ.
  2. it is not my intent to be sexist, but common sense will tell you that lists for female students will differ from male students, just as the list for art students will differ from engineering students.<br>
  3. take into account car vs. plane. If you’re driving in, bring as much as you can to avoid shopping near school. Shopping might take more time than you’ve allotted for your trip. If you leave the shopping to the student, it might not get done before the items are needed. Unlike high school, college classes tend to hit the ground running and the student also needs to find their way around, meet people, buy books, etc. Not all schools offer free shopping busses or access to shopping and your student might not have their own car. If you’re flying in, allow enough time to shop. Also take into account the dorm room itself. There is very little space in a typical double or triple, whereas apartments or suites will allow for more kitchen/bathroom/decor
  4. Amazon prime rocks! Amazon carries everything and their prices are really good. Invest in a one-year membership in Amazon prime (I think it’s about $74) and parent or student can order what they need on-line and have it delivered for free in 2 days. If you’re flying this is especially helpful since you can time the deliveries to arrive as needed. Also, many colleges have “deals” with various services or shops that you can take advantage of. For example Syracuse has a deal with bed bath & beyond that allows you to order in advance and pick up at school for no extra charge, and many colleges have arrangements with rhl.org or similar sites that provide free shipping for college essentials like bedding
  5. again, not intending to be sexist but my son never hangs up anything but coats. I’m getting him some stackable milk crates or cubes to put in his closet for jeans and shorts, etc.
  6. a small set of drawers (3 or more) that can either be used as a nightstand or tucked into a closet will be really useful. This is where you can store meds, tools, flashlight, school supplies, etc.
  7. most dorm rooms have one thing in common - limited “surface space”. There is very little space to just drop stuff so you might want to limit things that aren’t going into a drawer or closet if you’re dealing with a typical dorm room (as opposed to an apartment or house)
  8. Heavy duty command strip hooks come in really handy for hanging up robes and wet jackets in dorm rooms too small for a coat tree
  9. pack in collapsible boxes and bags if you can. They take up less space in your car going up and aren’t as much work carrying back to the car</p>

<p>Again - many thanks to all the contributors who made my packing lists so easy for the past 3 years!</p>

<p>In college towns, the local Walmart and Target (and grocery stores) can be overwhelmed on move-in day, and they can be crowded and can run out of items. If you are traveling from a distance, for last minute items, you might search for a store that is on the way, but not in the college town.</p>

<p>I found that [What</a> to Bring to College](<a href=“http://www.whattobringtocollege.org%5DWhat”>http://www.whattobringtocollege.org) has the best list!</p>

<p>I think some of the information need to be updated to fit our time:
These include:
-Blu-Ray/HD DVD instead of VCR/DVD
-Google Earth/Map instead of Altas
-adding on to Band-Aid: med-kit
-Bulletin board… or Mortar board
-wireless router in addiction to computer/laptop cables
-You should bring both a regular calculator and a graphing calculator
-foam beanbag felt nice (just saying)
-Cell Phone/Smartphone
-Foreman Grill? Not going to change that but do people actually still use that?
-laser light mouse (wired or wireless/much more efficient especially with laptops)
-HD/Led TV (more people have these types of TVs nowadays)</p>

<p>Other than that most of the list is exceptional.</p>

<p>What about dolls? :3</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.whattotaketouniversity.com%5B/url%5D”>http://www.whattotaketouniversity.com</a> has a great list. My orientation leader recommended it to me. I can’t wait for the fall!</p>

<p>Never forget your handy dandy blanket. It’s comforting to have!</p>