Please Share!
Are there any products your college student just can’t live without? Is there a seemingly random item that has proven indispensable or more useful than expected ? Is there anything that has made dorm/college life better/easier than the good old days? What’s on your Amazon/Dormify shopping list!
My main advice would be to give your child a finite space (our daughter’s Ford Fiesta worked perfectly) for the amount of stuff they haul off to college. They will thank you for it! 
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If you’re in a rainy or snowy location, my guy will tell you a mat for wet shoes/boots is a necessity many overlook. A good umbrella too. I had kids in the north and south repeat this tidbit, but rarely see either on a list.
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Printer
Make the bed as comfy as possible (memory foam topper)
Tupperware to sneak food from the dining hall
Depending upon location, an Uber Gift Card.
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Mattress topper. Brita water pitcher.
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Sleep headphones - either the soft foam/silicone earbud type, or the headband type.
For lofted beds, a secure laptop caddy that hangs on the side (prevents both droppage and overheating in bedcovers)
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+1 for these.
Freshman year is like the first week of preschool, get every OTC medication, including pedialite (for hangovers), and a thermometer. Look into close urgent cares, parents seem surprised that on campus health clinics are a Monday - Friday close at 5 facility, sometimes they don’t even take walk ins. I’ve had kids in 7 different dorms and just as many off campus apartments, it’s best to know what dorm they’re in before making purchases.
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Mattress topper and a good surge protector.
Also agree not to over buy. If it doesn’t fit in the car, it won’t fit in the dorm room. And Amazon can delivery just about anything if you forget something.
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My son’s advice. Put everything you THINK you need in one room of your house (most use the living room). Then take half of what’s there. You probably will use only half of that amount.
Dorm rooms are small….less is more.
My kids used a thumb drive and went to the school’s printers.
One kid had a brand new and comfortable mattress. So no topper was needed but we got annextra thick mattress pad.
+1 on the surge protector. Actually, get two. Most dorm rooms don’t have very many outlets.
The one thing we got second kid was a chair cushion for the wooden desk chair…and that was a big hit. Our kids also had small handheld vacuums…and used them.
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Things my daughter ordered after she moved in and said were great:
A drying rack for athletic and hang dry clothes, rug, a shoe rack that fit under her higher/not lofted bed and a standing tall coat rack to hold wet coats - all shared with roommate.
What we sent with her that she liked: 2 sets of sheets and 2 duvet covers (Ikea - $15 each) - she told us she would change her sheets/duvet cover every 2 weeks and wash both sets together. Same with towels - 2 sets. Saved time in laundry room. Lots of hangers - good way to meet your neighbors, as many kids were asking who had extra hangers.
2 x surge protectors (this usually shows up on the college suggested packing list)
She used a combo of the zipper Ikea blue bags (doubled) and the Samsonite Tote a ton duffels for all her checked luggage. All fold down to almost nothing and were pulled out to pack everything back up again for summer storage.
As mentioned above - know where to get health service, program in the phone number and the campus safety (seems like the school covers this during freshman orientation) and send a container with tylenol, cold meds, thermometer + we included the finger oxy meter due to covid.
Another thing we did was gather up her important papers, power of attorney, insurance card, her passport, TSA card etc and put in a fire proof envelope - (many on Amazon) and added some emergency cash.
At the end of day, you can order most things and it is way easier to add vs take away.
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Ditto. I was shocked when my boarding school kid asked for a doormat for Christmas. But he was sick of people tracking mud and dirt into his room.
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My kid basically packs duck tape, Command hooks, a desk lamp, a waste basket, bedding and his clothes. Everything else is available on Amazon once he gets a feel for the space.
He underpacked his first year with the thought that we’d bring him everything else in 2 weeks after he figured his space out only to get a call saying he was happy he brought so little as it was so much easier to manage and not to bother with all the “extras”.
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If target, Walmart etc is close by you can get lots of stuff there. Listen to the above advice. We got an extra thick topper. Not expensive. They have to be comfy. My daughter needed her plants and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows for her.
Have your kid bring a good attitude and the ability to go out of their comfort zone! Trust me. This is more important then just about anything they can bring physically.
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A rubber door stopper
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Electric hot water kettle (especially if kiddo likes to make tea)
If you are going to a northern school a high quality rain coat, umbrella and pair of water proof boots are a must (we ordered LL bean boots)
Also if at a northern school a quality winter coat (spend the extra money on something waterproof, lightweight and very warm).
Final suggestion, don’t bring too many clothes and extras. Most dorm rooms are tiny and 2 people have to live in them.
Amazon locker is awesome
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Check the school’s dorm policy on electrical appliances. Some don’t allow kettles and things with heating elements.
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Some schools ask that you don’t use rubber door stoppers either. If doors close automatically, it’s for fire safety. Ask me how I know!
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I can’t resist…How do you know?