Ah, the joys of college shopping. Get ready to raid Bed, Bath & Beyond! This list may vary for boys and girls, so bear with me on that, but overall, this should help you with packing every last essential thing.

1. Your Bed: Who knew your bed required so much work??

-Two sets of TWIN XL sheets [yeah, you should really change your sheets]

-Pillow shams

-Pillow(s)

-Bed bug protector

-Foam mattress pad [unless you like sleeping on hard/flat mattresses]

-Comforter TWIN XL

-The stuffed animal you can't sleep without [who really cares who judges you, they probably have one too]

-Backrest pillow [SO helpful when on your bed doing homework or procrastinating on Facebook]

2. Your Bathroom/Toiletries/Cleaning Supplies: Most of these things you should STOCK UP on, especially if you are without a car. Calling mom to ship your favorite shampoo scent may not fly for too long.

-Shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, body wash/soap, hand soap [STOCK UP!]

-Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash

-Razors

-Q-Tips

-Shower caddy and shower shoes

-Perfumes/colognes/body sprays/lotions [smell nice people!]

-Makeup/makeup remover [mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, foundation, chapstick, lipgloss, blush, all of the above].

-Straightener/curling iron/hair dryer

-Febreeze or some type of air freshener

-Small garbage can

-Specific medications/prescriptions

-Over the counter medicine, such as: Motrin, Tylenol Cold, Sudafed, Robitussin, Immodium, Zyrtec/Claritin, Advil, etc.

-Bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths

-Robe [personal preference]

-Toilet bowl cleaner and toilet brush/plunger, bathroom cleaner and sponges

-Lysol wipes/dusting spray and dust rags

-Vacuum

-Maybe a chair to sit in while you study your Spanish vocabulary??? {as seen below} *disclaimer- chair was moved from dorm room to bathroom for intense study purposes by my kick butt roomie. Instead, take note of all of our cleaning supplies along the window.

3. Desk Supplies: You need more than you think!

-Desk drawer organizers [will help you keep everything in one place]

-Agenda

-Folders/binder [whatever keeps you best organized!]

-Notebooks [some professors don't allow laptops for taking notes!]

-Desk calendar

-Post Its/notecards

-Pens/pencils/erasers

-Glue sticks

-Loose leaf paper

-Rubber band ball [you will never run out of rubber bands]

-Three hole punch

-Stapler/staples

-Printer/ink [you may get print dollars, but sometimes it's easier to just have your own way of printing things instead of relying on the library]

-Highlighters

-Sharpies [especially if you're a nerd who makes color coded study guides like me]

-Scotch tape, Duct tape, packing tape

-Paper clips, tacks, and binder clips

-Ruler

-Thank you cards/stationary, envelopes, stamps

-TI-84 Plus and scientific calculator [you'll need it at one point or another]

4. Lights/Lamps: Let there be light!!

-Floor lamp

-Desk lamp

-Bedside clamp lamp

-Lightbulbs [no, your lamps will not last the entire year. don't live in the dark!]

-Flashlight [just in case!]

5. Clothes/Closet: Time to stuff your closets ladies & gents.

-Lots of hangers! [drawers may be tiny! closet/armoire space may be your best bet]

-Extra plastic drawers for under your bed or in your closet for extra storage for clothes

-Rain jacket/rain boots/umbrella [you'll be walking around pretty much all the time]

-Hamper and laundry basket

-Tide pods and fabric softener [please do your laundry]

-Hanging shoe rack for your closet door [will save you SO much room]

-One set of nice interview clothes [when you get involved in organizations, you may need them!]

-Clothes you feel comfortable/feel your best in! [be yourself!]

-Athletic clothes [the gym is your friend]

-Sneakers

-Snow boots/snow jacket if you're going somewhere with a cold climate

-Sperry's are the shoe of the south

-Over the door mirror

-NOT TOO MANY T-SHIRTS! [you will get so many free shirts upon arrival/throughout your years you won't know what to do with yourself]

-Soft storage containers [usually found at Bed Bath & Beyond]

6. Extras: Don't forget these items that don't necessarily have a category except *dorm room*

-Powerstrips [two outlets won't help you]

-Small and large garbage can [small can go next to your desk, large can go in a neutral location for you and your roommate to share]

-Glade scents for your room [your room can pretty quickly obtain a 'dorm' scent - keep the scents bearable people!]

-An area rug or purchase a rug through your school

-A hutch if available [adds extra storage space!]

-A TV and cable cord, if desired

-A microwave and mini fridge [It's nice to make some popcorn/easy mac and store a half gallon of milk if you need to]

-First Aid Kit and band-aids [hey, you never know!]

-Bug spray and suntan lotion

-Cough drops

-Tool kit [you may need a screwdriver if the batteries on your calculator die, be prepared!]

-Lock box [important documents, money from grandma & grandpa and car keys can all be stored here. you never know who you're living with!]

-A few plates, cups, bowls, one set of utensils [you never know when you'll stray away from the easy-mac containers]

-Duffle bag/small suitcase for traveling

7. Decorations: *OPTIONAL* Be as crafty as you wish!

-Command hooks

-Picture frames and pictures of your family and friends

-Bulletin board or dry erase board for your door

-Posters or pennants of your favorite things [sports teams, celebrities, movie posters, etc.]

If this list overwhelms you, please take a deep breath! It seems like a lot, but you will tackle it all! Keep in mind that Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and Walmart often offer pick up services at their store locations, so look into that before you try to buy everything to stuff in your car and many of these things can be purchased upon arrival. Once you have a decent amount of this stuff, you won't have to stock up on it all year after year; you'll just have to replenish your inventory. Relax, and enjoy it! You'll be the most prepared college freshman there is. Good luck!