Fall semester is upon us, and if you haven’t started school yet, you are likely preparing to leave. We’ve shared some common sense packing and preparation tips on our blog, but which items do you need to pack for a school year away? What are the most important things for a student to bring along from home to college?
Every student’s situation and needs are different, but a lot of the same items are needed to survive at school. When planning what you’ll need in college, consider these questions:
- Which items should be brought from home?
- How much space you have to pack? Does it need to fit into the trunk of a car? Will you need to pack it in luggage to bring on the plane or train?
- How much storage and closet space will you have available to you at your new home?
- Which items can be purchased once you arrive at school?
From A to Z, the following items are needed for most college students.
A – Alarm clock
B – Bedding, bike, birth certificate, blank DVDs, bathing suit, backpack, blankets, batteries, bed risers, bathrobe, binder clips
C – Computer, can opener, calendar, calculator, camera, charging cords
D – Dress clothes, debit card, drivers license, duct tape, dictionary, disinfecting wipes, dental floss
E – Envelopes, extension cord, earplugs, external hard drive, ethernet cable, emergency contact info
F – Flash Drive, First Aid Kit, fan, flashlight, family photos, flip flops, Febreeze
G – Gloves and winter gear, garbage can
H – Headphones, HDMI cable, hangers, hats, hamper or laundry basket, hand sanitizer, highlighters
I – Ipad, ipod, insurance papers, iron, index cards, immunization record
J – Jacket, jeans, jewelry
K – Keyboard
L – Lamp, laundry supplies, lotion, lint roller
M – Mattress pad, mouse, mirror
N – Notebooks, nail clippers
O – Organizational supplies
P – Pajamas, pillows, pillowcases, printer, pens, pencils, paperclips, postage stamps, prescription medications, plastic utensils, printer paper, passport
Q – Q-Tips
R – Razor, reading light
S – Social Security card, sewing kit, sunglasses, sheets, surge protector, scissors, speakers, safety pins, stain remover, sticky tack, socks, sweaters, storage bins, shower caddy
T – Toiletries, tv, tool set, tissues, towels, tweezers, thermometer
U – USB cables, umbrella, under-bed storage, utensils
V – Video game console and games, voice recorder, vitamins
W – Water bottles, washcloths, winter gear, workout clothes, water filter, watch
X – eXtra long twin bedsheets
Y – Yoga mat
Z – Ziploc baggies
If you will be living in an apartment with a kitchen and will be cooking your own food, you will obviously need to plan for dishes, pots and pans, and other cooking implements. Some rooms will come furnished, and others you will need to provide your own furnishings. Check with your housing office or new landlord so you can prepare accordingly.
Do you have any ideas for college packing items that we missed?
