Packing for College

Getting ready for college, but have no idea where to start? Check out this list! Hopefully it'll remind you of some forgotten items!

• Kitchen Needs
• Room Needs/Storage
• Electronics
• Linens/Laundry Supplies
• Toiletries/Misc
• Office/Desk Supplies
• Things That Can Be Purchased Upon Arrival
• Clothing Guidelines
• Shared Items
• Important Documents

Kitchen Needs

• Plastic bowl and cup
• Coffee cup
• Fork, knife, spoon
• Can/bottle opener

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Room Needs/Storage

• Bedside lamp
• Alarm clock/clock radio
• Wastepaper basket
• Milk crates or other sturdy storage cubes (a collapsible crate also comes in handy for carrying laundry or other things)
• Stacking baskets
• Under-the-bed storage trays
• Desk lamp
• Fan
• Adhesive hooks, tacky adhesive and mounting tape
• Bulletin board and push pins
• Dry erase wall calendar/board
• Toolkit
• Musical instruments
• Tape measure
• Chair pad
• Umbrella

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Electronics

• Computer and printer
• Phone cord/Ethernet cord for computer
• Headphones
• Camera, with extra memory cards
• Surge protector
• Extension cords
• 3-2 prong adapters
• Portable CD/cassette player or iPod (great to use at the gym
• Chargers for all electronics you bring
• DVDs
• Flashlight

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Linens/Laundry Supplies

• Sheets and pillowcases (2 sets. Check with school for size needed—some college twin beds are extra long. Dorm bedding sets are the cheapest way!)
• Towels (3 each of bath, hand, and face)
• Pillows (2) and pillowcases (4)
• Mattress pad (Check with school for size needed—some college twin beds are extra long.)
• Blankets (2)
• Comforter and duvet cover (makes laundering easier
• Hangers
• Laundry bag/basket
• Roll(s) of quarters
• Sewing kit
• Curtains

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Toiletries/Misc

• Pepto-Bismol®
• Imodium®
• Aspirin or ibuprofen
• Vitamin C
• Neosporin®
• Band-Aid® bandages
• Cough drops
• Shower tote/basket
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Body products
• Traveling-soap container(s)
• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Dental floss
• Comb/brush
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Hair dryer
• Razor and shaving cream
• Lotion and/or facial moisturizer
• Q-tips®
• Curling and/or straightening iron
• Hair dryer
• Thermometer
• Polysporin and bandaids (first aid kit)
• Cosmetics
• Nail clippers

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Office/Desk Supplies

• CD-ROMs/memory sticks
• Phone/address book
• Assignment book
• Heavy-duty stapler and staples
• Printer paper/ink
• Pens and pencils
• Pencil holder and sharpener
• Notebooks
• Pocket folders
• Labels of various sizes
• 3 x 5 flash cards
• Post-it® notes
• Paper clips
• Rubber bands
• Scissors
• Highlighter pens (multiple colors)
• Ruler
• Stackable desk trays (at least 4)
• Hanging files or folders
• Dictionary and thesaurus
• Stamps/envelopes
• Calendar
• Three-hole punch
• Tape (blue and scotch)
• Stapler, staple remover, staples
• Waste basket
• White out

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Things That Can Be Purchased Upon Arrival

• Paper towels
• Trash bags
• Light bulbs
• Ziploc® bags
• Plastic food containers
• Laundry detergent (tablets are easiest to manage)
• Fabric softener (sheets are easiest to manage)
• Wet wipes
• Tissues
• Stain remover
• Paper plates
• Earplugs

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Clothing Guidelines

• 21 pairs of underwear
• 21 pairs of socks (more if you play sports)
• 7 pairs of pants/jeans
• 14 shirts/blouses
• 2 sets of sweats
• At least 4 sets of pajamas
• Workout clothes
• Slippers and flip flops
• Robe
• 2 sweaters
• Light/heavy jackets
• Gloves/scarf/hat (if appropriate)
• 1 pair of boots
• 2 pairs of sneakers or comfortable/walking shoes
• 1 pair of dress shoes
• 1 set of business attire
• 1 set of semi-formal attire (optional)

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Shared Items

(Check with roommate(s) to avoid duplication)

• Audio equipment
• TV and VCR/DVD player
• Coffee maker/hot pot
• Microwave/toaster oven
• Small refrigerator
• Area rug
• Posters/art

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Important Documents

• Bank info/checks
• Car registration (if you have a car)
• License
• Financial aid forms
• Emergency contacts
• Medical insurance card
• Social security card
• Student ID

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