Going to college is the biggest life change you will make so far as an 18-year-old. You may be thrilled to get out of your parents' house and be on your own. Or you may be scared out of your mind to live in a building with hundreds of smelly teenagers. However you may feel about college, the dorm room packing list is one of the first steps to beginning your new experience. So, needless to say, it's important! As a former RA (resident assistant) and a regular student, I've had my own personal experiences in the dorms and watched other college students struggle.
I don't want you to be one of the people who struggles! Let me help you by giving you a list of things other people (and myself) have regretted not bringing with them to college.
DISCLAIMER: This is not the end-all-be-all list - there are plenty of other packing lists out there on the internet for you. This is just a list created from my own experience and from living with my thousands of residents. Take it or leave it - good luck!
1. Extra long phone charger
Typically there aren't many outlets in your dorm room. And if there are, they might all be on your roommate's side, so you're going to need a long cord to reach your bed. I quickly learned how much I relied on my smart phone in college (it's basically your life and way to connect to people both at school with you and at home) and how important it was to take Buzzfeed quizzes every night.
Having a long phone charger comes in handy when you need your phone to reach those extra few inches to your bed.
2. Extension cord(s)
Here's a math equation for you (yep, prepping for class already) . . . (Small number) outlets + (#) roommates = X
X = fighting over the outlets!
Getting extension cords should help take some of the tension out of the battle for the outlets so everyone wins.
3. Clorox wipes
I know cleaning isn't the most exciting thing to think about, but your room will get gross. Quickly. For some reason dust and grime is attracted to everything from the walls to the floor to your desk.
Clorox (or any other brand) wipes will help get rid of at least some of the nasty stuff before your mom comes to visit.
4. Drying rack
I don't know about you, but I never put anything that has an athletic or dry-fit feel in the dryer. I sure didn't want my clothes to get shrunk or ruined by those gross community dryers!
Having a drying rack saved me from hanging clothes all over my room on chairs and my bed - definitely a good investment for those of you who care about keeping your clothes in tact.
5. Adjustable shower rod & shower curtain
No, this isn't for the actual shower - they do give you rods and curtains usually (unless you're going to a really weird school . . . then you might want to rethink your decision). I put up my rod and curtain to cover my closet! Some colleges do have doors or curtains for your closets already, but if they don't, it's really nice to give your clothes some privacy. You might even be able to change behind the curtain to avoid weird roommates staring at you.
If anything, I really liked not having to constantly look at my clothes.
6. Vacuum cleaner & broom / dust pan
I can't stress enough how dirty your dorm room will get. Being able to vacuum your rug or sweep your floor will make your feet clean and happy.
7. Air freshener
After a long work out or just a long day walking in the hot sun, your room will start to smell. Spraying air freshener will take a little bit of the edge off of the horrible smell.
I had one with Gain infused in it so my room smelled like clean laundry - more appealing to me than my room smelling like Hawaiian flowers and mangoes.
8. First aid & medicine
Accidents happen. Eventually, you'll need band-aids, antibacterial, and ibuprofen. Make sure you're prepared for anything! And, if you're like me, you have prescription meds to take every day. Try to keep backups and stay on top of refills so you don't have to worry about running out.
9. Water filter
Like lots of things in the dorms, the water isn't the most sanitary, so clean water is a precious resource. Having either a water bottle with a filter in it or a bigger Brita pitcher is definitely a good idea. Who knows, it might even save you from getting sick!
10. Reusable water bottle
I've seen countless students struggle to carry packs of water up the stairs and open doors while balancing the heavy packs in one arm. Let me tell you - the struggle isn't worth it!
If you have some sort of water filter or access to water fountains, a water bottle is ideal. You can carry it to class, easily wash it, and use it over and over again. So worth it.
11. Umbrella, rain jacket, & rain boots
Getting caught in the rain on campus is one of the worst things that can happen. That may be a tad bit dramatic, but it's true. Not only will you get soaked, your backpack and everything in it will be too. Having an umbrella helps protect textbooks, notebooks, and your laptop in your backpack.
The rain jack and boots are more for your comfort. I know I hate wet socks, so rain boots are an essential. And the rain jacket is great for when it's down-pouring.
12. Professional clothes
You never know when you're going to need to dress up. I had plenty of unexpected interviews for student worker jobs and class presentations where I needed to look professional. If your college is close to home, this isn't as big of a deal. But if you live hundreds of miles away from home, remember to pack a few professional outfits just in case.
It never hurts to have some nicer clothes. Might even come in handy when you want to go on a date with that cute person in your calc class.
13. Shower shoes & bathrobe
Of everything on this list, I think these are some of the more obvious items, but they're still important! A robe is nice so you don't have to wear a towel on the walk back to your room. And I've heard way too many stories about students getting foot fungus from the showers.
The shoes are definitely a necessity. You don't even need fancy shoes - just go grab some Old Navy flip flops!
14. ID holder & lanyard
The lanyard may mark you as a "typical college freshman," but boy is it handy! Especially for those of us whose pants don't have pockets, lanyards can be life savers. Even if you don't choose to go the lanyard route an ID holder is really helpful. The ones that hold half of your ID can sometimes break your ID, so try to steer clear of those.
Find whatever works for you and helps you keep your life more organized.
15. Rug or mat
When you're constantly walking on tile or wearing your shoes on gross carpet, it's nice to be able to go barefoot on a clean rug in your own room. (Well, its cleanliness depending on how often you vacuum it.)
16. Earplugs & sleep mask
Being different people, you and your roommates will most likely not be on the same schedule, whether that's class, social, or sleep schedule. And even if they don't mean to, your roommate will wake you up coming in late from a party or waking up early to go on a run because it's impossible not to make noise in a tiny room.
Having earplugs and a sleep mask help drown out those noises and annoying lights that might be turned on. Sleep is rare in college, so make sure you get the most out of it!
17. Fan
Most dorms have AC nowadays, but since they're all large buildings, air circulation isn't the best. I hate sleeping when I'm too warm, so having a fan really helped me sleep better and keep cool during the hot August days.
There are small fans to clip on your bed or big tower fans - pick one that saves you the most space. You only have so many square feet in your tiny room.
18. Batteries
You never know when you're going to need some batteries. Between shopping sprees with friends and electronics, you'll probably need batteries at some point in college.
Save yourself the hassle and have batteries on hand.
19. Hanging shoe organizer
This is such a space-saver. Even if you don't have enough shoes to fill one of these, you can store hats, sweatshirts, scarves, and basically any other kind of clothing in these hanging organizers. They give you so much more room on the floor to store things or to walk on.
20. Purses / bags / backpacks
The backpack is an obvious one. But purses and bags are also essential. Who knows, you may take a weekend trip to the lake and need a bag to pack your towel in. You may go shopping in the city and need a stylish purse to hold your wallet. If anything, extra purses and bags make great storage containers.
21. Posters, pictures, & wall art
Dorm room walls are white and boring. Period. There is nothing fun about that, and you can't paint. Might as well make your room a little more home-y! Pictures of friends and family pasted all over your wall can be very comforting through times of homesickness. It's also just fun to be able to put up movie posters and other kinds of art on your walls.
This is your first home away from home - decorate it to reflect your style!
22. Duct tape
Last but definitely not least . . . the ultimate fixer. Is there anything duct tape CAN'T do?! I don't think so. Definitely always a good idea to have some on hand.
All in all, this is your college experience - make it your own! This list is just here to guide you through the stressful times leading up to moving to a new place away from home. My suggestions may save your life, and that's great! But they also may not work for you, and that's okay too! Think of this list as another resource added to everything else that's available to you online. Going away to college is pretty terrifying and exciting all wrapped together.
Just know that you're going to be okay. You will be around hundreds if not thousands of other people your age who are going through the same thing.
There are resources out there to help you once you get on campus and plenty of people who are looking to make new friends and new memories. Put yourself out there and you will be rewarded. Remember, you get out of college what you put into it. Go on out there - you've got this.
