You may be an incoming freshman in college and wondering what to bring. As someone who had a lot of questions as a freshman, I am here to give you a run-down as to what I wish I knew to bring versus what I brought to my college dorm.
First, I want to go over what I found to be my essentials. Here is a list of my essentials for freshman year:
- Ikea Bags (move-in and move-out)
- Plastic bins (storage)
- Shoe Organizer
- Dorm Fan
- Air Purifier
- Tower Bins (storage)
- Pack of tools (nails, hammer, ruler, level tool, flashlight, etc.)
- SCISSORS
- Basic School Supplies (tape, paper clips, stapler, thumb tacks)
- Clothes
- Under Garments Â
- Clothes Steamer
- Water bottle
- Personal Care Items
- Feminine Products
- Paper Products
- Laundry Products
- Hand Soap
- Dish Soap
- Small Weekend Travel Bag
- Lighting (LED, lighted desk mirror, tape up press lights)
- Hangers
- Clothes Storage Bin (closet compact)
- Mini Fridge (if no fridge)
- Microwave (if no microwave)
- Extension Cords (power surge protected)
- Room Decor
- Bedding
- Towels
- Slippers
- Shoes
- TV
- Electronics
- Electronics Charger and Cords (extra-long cords recommended)
- Backpack
- Cooking Materials (if necessary)
- Command Hooks
DON’T HATE ME IF I FORGOT SOMETHING!
Anyway, those are the tops things I used while I was a freshman in college. The few items I would like to speak more on are lighting, all the home products, and scissors. Lighting is important because the dorm rooms tend to have terrible lighting. Having mood lighting like fairy lights or LED lights can be a nice change from the standard fluorescent lights. Or maybe you like to do your makeup at your desk, well you will need better lighting. Having a light up mirror is a great way to improve the lighting to successfully do your makeup. The home products are important because once you move to school, especially if you are out of state, you won’t want to buy things like paper towels, dish soap, and Feminine products. Sometimes you won’t even be able to get your favorites in these products because so many people are buying them leaving the shelves empty. I would just recommend stocking up on these products and bringing them to college, so you have nothing to worry about. Lastly, scissors are so important to have. It is one of those things you don’t think to bring and then need. Just bring scissors.
Now things I would suggest not bringing because they weren’t that useful for freshman year. Disclaimer if you want to bring these items then you can, this is just my opinion. I also believe some items work better for different semesters (fall semester vs. spring semester) so keep that in mind too. Here is the list of items I found to be less useful:
- Scooters, Bikes, Skateboards
- Large TV
- Extra Storage Bins
- Too Many Shoes
The goal for your freshman year dorm is to have everything you need and minimize the things you don’t. I would say a good rule of thumb is you can stock up on things that will be used over time. I would not recommend stocking up on things that aren’t being actively used, like room decorations. Room decorations are nice, but don’t go overboard. You just spend a lot of money for stuff that ends up getting tossed by the end of the year. My thoughts on outdoor human powered vehicles is that they are bulky and sometimes embarrassing. You may be saying there are bike racks where you can chain up these items, but sometimes they are full. Are you willing to keep your bike in your bedroom? There aren’t many other places you can put it if you don’t have a bike rack space. If you don’t use a bike rack space and you chain a bike up to something else, it will get bolt cut and taken by the university. That seems like more hassle than it is worth. Just walk to class or ride the on-campus bus as a freshman. You will learn the campus better and you won’t have to worry about another item. Just trust me!
I hope this blog post has helped you narrow down your packing list. Another great thing I would suggest having is a packing list you print out to double check you have everything you need. Pinterest and Canva have free templates you can use. Take time when making this list so that you can account for everything you use often and things you’d need to live on your own. Each person will have slightly different items that they will bring, so think about your personal needs. Good luck freshman you got this and pack smart. Best wishes from the College Survival Team.
