Lol @bisouu ! My daughter is starting her third year and I think she has finally figured that out this year-at least I hope so. I know part of it is because she’s so far from home she felt she needed some of her memories/mementos with her. Then there was the clothing and shoes for all the seasons. The one thing that seemed excessive but ended up not being were the bulletin board type things and wall decorations because it made her room feel homey.
Listen to bisouu 
Son gave away a lot of the extras, lamp, clock, etc. I know I didn’t want to feel he would be without and definitely over-did it
Boys only need a laundry basket, a few clothes, a NICE pillow, blanket and ONE set of sheets, dance shoes and a few extra dance belts. The bicycle got heavy use. Heavy coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots and umbrellas are over-rated - one hoodie will cover all contingencies (maybe two hoodies if he’s fashion conscious). One towel is all that is needed for showering, cleaning up spills and “mopping” the floor. Everything else will come home just as it left - with a layer of dust - or will get “donated” at the end of the year. A smart “donation center” would open shop in August right next to campus.
Well, my daughter is definitely not a minimalist. She is the roommate with all the STUFF, lol. She used all of it except for 2 items. It’s all in storage waiting for her to return!
God bless grandparents that happen to live Out of State near D’s U. Just went up for freshman orientation and purchased bike and other dorm items and dropped off the lot (including the mini fridge that was collecting dust in my garage) in their garage. Come Move In weekend, we just need to drive to their house and pick everything up and drive to campus. I’m going to miss this child something awful. Thank goodness for social media!
Amazon Prime, absolutely. Also a strong yes on the electronic piano. My d was sure
she wouldn’t use hers, it wouldn’t fit in her dorm room. Wrong on both counts! It’s one of the favorite things she brought to school and she tells us all the time how useful it is. And relaxing as.she also likes playing for fun.
Just remember, whatever you take you need to bring back with you in May/June. It’s fun and exciting now, but a real drag come the end of the term. And yes, they need a whole lot less than they think!
Except for the ones who never come home (and learn about storage lockers and summer sublets and so forth).
Some schools may provide storage facilities to students free of charge. My institution does.