As many have pointed out in this long and interesting thread, it’s obviously preferable to take just what one needs- the devil lies in the details of what one exactly means by “needs”. What we’ve found is that our D’s residence hall has two types of modular furniture: one allows for half-lofting while the other doesn’t. The university says they have no record of which furniture type is in which room (“treat it as an adventure” were their exact words) which would normally be fine. However, the ability to half-loft or not really dictates the type of storage bins our D can take. With a half-loft she could have taken the taller stackable storage bins but, since we have to err on the side of her bed being on ground level, we’ve opted for a single large flat roller type bin that fits under any bed. In addition to that, she’s got a 4-drawer fabric roller storage cart. Whether she can fit everything into these along with the provided (small) closet space & 3-drawer chest will be interesting but, as someone said earlier, I believe that rooms absorb a little more “stuff” than what one might imagine at first blush. And, if not, we can always take stuff back with us.
With that in mind, our D is taking the following:
- Electronics: laptop & affiliated equipment (surge protectors, extension cords, etc). Decided to leave printer at home - will use school’s. Cell phone & tiny speaker- she refused to take the larger blue tooth speaker (“why would I need it? someone might steal it”.)
- Table lamp & one floor lamp.
- School supplies (binders, writing instruments, notebooks, etc.). About 4 standard grocery plastic bags (not including text books).
- Largish school backpack for lugging stuff to classes. Water bottle & umbrella fits in side-pockets
- Toiletries (body wash, shampoo, cream, etc.) Should last at least one term- fits into about two standard grocery plastic bags.
- Two sets of sheets. Blanket, bed pad, & foam. Pillow & “back pillow”.
- Two sets of towels & 1 bath robe.
- One large suitcase and one small suitcase worth of clothes including shoes. I think she has about 7-8 shoes.
- Fridge & ironing board (roomie is bringing microwave & iron).
- Previously mentioned 73 Qt flat-style under-bed roller bin.
- Previously mentioned 4-drawer fabric storage cart.
- Caddies: shower caddy, shoe caddy (space for 20 shoes but will also use for misc items), bed caddy (pocket hangs off of bed so you don’t have to get down to access phone, etc. if lofted), & fridge caddy. Yes, they have fridge caddies: it basically straddles your mini-fridge and has pockets so you can store (small) dishes & cutlery on side of fridge.
- Plate, bowl, mug & cutlery. Can opener. Misc cleaning supplies.
- Two picture frames: one painting & one small of family.
15, One tower fan. No ac in dorm. - Large fabric laundry hamper (has 2 partitions for darks & lights). This appears to be one of the largest items (along with the mini-fridge): it’s much larger than the standard mesh laundry bag I used back in the day. Laundry supplies.
- Hangars. Lots. Also one of those “multi-hangars”- looks like a flower pattern hanging on a hook so you can thread multiple scarves, etc. through it.
- Tall mirror. I know some say “why would one need a mirror when they have them in the bathrooms” but, other than the obvious convenience of having one in the room, it opens up the space and allows small rooms to look a little larger.
- Command-hooks/double-sided-tape/3M-velcro to hang things up without putting holes in the wall (not allowed).
- Medical stuffs: cough syrup/NyQuil, ibuprofen, band-aids, tummy-med, etc.
Hmm. think that’s about it. It looks like a lot of stuff sprawled across the living room but I believe that’s partially because none of it’s been packed: they’ve been literally dropped off after shopping runs. I believe that much of it will fit inside of other items: in the storage bin, laundry bag, & even the fridge during transport. Bed-stuffs compress.
For the two of you still reading, I listed our items (in excessive detail) to provide an idea of what we consider “normal”. Your miles may vary. I pack very efficiently- our D less so. While I think that this may lead to more stuff than we would want when attempting to pack things up at the end of the year, neither do I consider it excessive. For those who get by on less: well done. However, I would caution those who appear to be on their high-horses in essentially scolding the original poster: that’s great if you & yours can get by on a pair of jeans, two hangars, and a toothbrush. Gold star for you. Feedback is obviously what was requested so if you think their D has too much stuff then say so but no need to get too sanctimonious about it. 
Just my two cents. Life in general, and first-time dorm moving more specifically, are indeed learning experiences and we often learn more from our mistakes than from when things work out swimmingly. So, if OP’s D eventually says, “Whoa! way too much stuff this time!” great. Or, if she finds that it all fits, great. All the best to everyone! Hope everyone’s D’s & S’s enjoy their move, academic year, & entire university experience!!