@takeitallin Happily (??) ceramic pineapples ARE available on Amazon!!! LOL.
Amazon has the pineapple covered:
fwiw - pineapples are signs off hospitality. that being said, don’t think I would waste precious dorm space on a ceramic version.
but here are a few things that may come in handy. Ziploc bags, tissues, roll of paper towels, lint roller, double stick tape, safety pins, umbrella, roll of quarters, stamps
We never needed a steamer or iron (my boys just wouldn’t use such a thing). One is now a second year PhD student and the other is a third year undergraduate. Both still in dorms. Definitely stock basic first aid. Add a thermometer (and some meds) and tweezers (especially if your child will be anywhere in Lyme disease tick country - sitting/walking in the grass is sufficient here in NJ and most of the NE). Small vacuum and/or Swiffer products. Additional cleaning products and such if the kids are responsible for a bathroom (we have to supply everything including hand soap and toilet paper in the dorm suite).
No ceramic pineapples here, but both kids have Tardis cookie jars. One also has a gnome (to make the room feel cozier). Goes well with his Gandalf poster.
I agree a fan is important, and if move in day is really hot it helps to have it packed where you can grab it quickly and plug it in first thing. The rooms can be incredibly hot after being closed up for weeks.
For first year students, a door stop to keep their door open as a way to meet people, and a cute container to put candy in to offer kids a jolly rancher or some type of candy. (Just not in a ‘Want some candy, little girl creepy way’ 
) I found that idea on CC. My daughter liked it and said her door stayed open automatically, but it is an inexpensive item just in case.
Your insurance card or at least a copy of it, refillable water bottle, umbrella, sleep mask, overnight bag, ear plugs, flash drive,
@525600minutes a door stop is an excellent idea. Last year RA encouraged kids to keep doors open when they could and it really helps build community on the hall
Bottled water, granola bars/fruit, and cleaning wipes to make move in day easier on everyone.
The one thing we didn’t think of- and D1’s roomies had- was a collage of pics of friends and fun moments together. Yes, they have pics on their phones and social media, but they liked having something visible. YMMV. I had fun making these for them. We still have them.
Dorms usually have irons, etc.
I thought this would be provided but all the upperclassmen told my daughter not to forget to bring a garbage can. My son loved his over the door hooks for hanging damp towels. I think it was the only time in history they weren’t left on the floor!
Look around the house for those items you only need one of because everyone can use them/share. Some mentioned already. Some used infrequently.
OTC meds, thermometer, first aid stuff, nail care, office supplies, kitchen stuff, tools, laundry items…
Much may not be used but- when sick/injured is not the time to shop for Tylenol or Bandaids. By now your kid knows what they used for HS projects- a stapler??? They may not be able to acquire silverware et al from the dining places. They likely will not want to go shopping during the school year so laundry products and toiletries may be better in full sized amounts than smallest.
Check with the school regarding vacuum cleaner availability. Shelving that fit in the closet was useful for son as he had very little hanging stuff and it gave more vertical storage (plus easy assembly/disassembly for moving). Figure out dirty laundry storage- bag/basket…
Above all, be sure your kid is involved so s/he knows what is being taken. Not knowing may mean stuff brought home in the spring they never knew they had and could have used…
My D never used the small travel iron she brought freshman year. She uses Downy Wrinkle Releaser - she says it works really well.
I love the idea of the bag of rice. On our first trip to visit what is now D’s college, she dropped her phone in the toilet, and storing it in the bag of rice when we got home is what saved it.
Paper for their printer, if they take one.
Just don’t overburden them or create anxiety. Cold meds or aspirin are good, no one wants to traipse across campus when they feel lousy. But they aren’t moving to Antarctica. And some problem solving is part of the fun.
I’ve joked that, when I first moved to CA, Doonesbury’s Joanie Caucus was moving to Berkeley, for law school. She freaked out over, “But will they have Crest in Calfornia?!” And I was at that same point, also worried about the toothpaste.
Plus many parents will see their kids a few weeks later, at parents weekend.
A door stop and a tape measure. Photo of front and back of insurance card, drivers license, and passport on phone. Box of shout color catcher sheets. A reading light that clips onto a bed can be helpful. And power cords, extension cords, plugs that flip for access from a different direction. With all of the last few, leave price tags on so you can return if you don’t need them. (If you do, local stores are likely to be sold out.)
Also, have a health care proxy on file in the health office.
I can assure you that there is nothing parents haven’t thought of to send with their kid!
Amazon changed the dynamics here. To me, critical things are that which cannot be easily replaced (such as glasses or contacts). For some things, I think its better to get to college and see what you need and how you will live. Some things that you thought would be critical, you never use. Other things that you thought you would never need become daily use items. But what fits in one category for one person will fit in the other for different people. Tough to know which camp you are in until you get there and live for a couple weeks. Amazon can have pretty much anything you need/want to your kid in 2 business days.
An assortment of office supplies. Tape, stapler, good scissors, three hole punch, duct tape, etc.
But I’m a year away, so take that with a slice of pineapple.
My daughter brought hangers with her last year but found the “normal” ones she had purchased were too thick and took up too much rod space. The thin ones were a big deal for her. Also, she brought more things she didn’t need than forgot things she did. Half the stuff that came home at Christmas was never going back.