The Key Categories of Packing for College

When it comes to college packing there are some crucial categories that you need to give your attention to. Here are the top things to remember to pack.

The somewhat elusive college packing list. Sure it seems like all those lists on the internet are comprehensive. But, here’s the funny thing, reader: you never really know if you packed everything you need. You can go off those lists and what other people say, but you never actually know if you packed everything until about a month into the school year. To help you out, though, I can give you a list of things that I have purchased and what information I've gathered from websites and since I arrived.

Hygiene and medical needs

You need to start with your dorm room essentials. Something to keep in mind when purchasing hygiene products: what do you use daily? If you are living in dorms, you most likely will not need toilet paper and hand soap, but if you are in other housing arrangements, you will need to purchase these yourself. Other items to bring are toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, Q-Tips, razors, shaving cream, manicure kit, shower shoes, bathrobe, and towels. Medical items to have include your health insurance card (in case of emergencies), prescription medicines and the information regarding their refills, pain killers, stomach relief, relief for sore throats, allergy medications, tissues, hand sanitizer (Bath & Body Works unusually has a sale on them right now), and a first aid kit. I purchased a first aid kit for my suite room, and I bought a small $1 first aid kit for my bag to keep on me in case of emergencies. I also stocked up on common over-the-counter medicines. (I figured if all else fails for making friends, I can be the makeshift nurse for my floor and make connections that way.)

Related: A List of the Most Important Things to Bring to College

Bedding

You will need a comforter or two depending on the temperature of your room and how comfy you want your bed. You’ll need pillows, a mattress pad, and twin XL bed sheets (don’t go for the regular bed sheets—they won’t fit). Also, it’s not needed, but rather wanted on my behalf: I purchased a mattress cover. This will help in case anything is in the mattress and puts a barrier in between it and my sheets.

Décor

It’s nice to have things that make your side of the room stand out and look interesting and appealing to others, but most importantly yourself. This is a place you will be living in for a year. I’ve heard don’t bring anything from high school because it will make you become homesick a whole lot faster, so my décor is themed. I am going for a traveling theme. I have posters of Paris and New York, inspirational posters about traveling, and pictures of my friends and family. I wanted to make it feel comfortable for me to live in. Make sure you have command strips to hang everything up though. They are reliable and won’t damage the walls.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Decorating Dorm Room Walls 

School supplies

It’s almost like shopping for high school, but a little more complex. This time you must purchase or rent your own textbooks, so make sure you budget that. Other things you will need include college-ruled notebooks, loose-leaf paper, folders, report covers, stapler and staples, tape, 3-hole punch, binders, scissors, index cards, Post-it notes, pens, pencils (both mechanical and #2), erasers, highlighters, rubber bands, graphing calculator, paper clips, binder clips, and an academic planner

Miscellaneous

Random stuff you’ll want that doesn’t fit into the previous categories include dorm room storage bins, hangers, flashlight, umbrella, defense spray, laundry hamper, chargers, laptop, extension cords, noise-cancelling headphones, alarm clock, cleaning products, desk organizer, and storage containers to pack away that extra food from the cafeteria. I purchased a lot of my items in bulk and over the past five months to make things easier on me. This may not be a complete list of items—there will be other things you might need/want such as a microwave, refrigerator, or an iron and ironing board. You should see if your school has a list of approved items, and be sure to check with your roommate to make sure you’re not bringing duplicate items that will take up a ton of space.

Related: Essential Packing Tips to Make Your College Move Easier

I wish you all luck packing up and moving on to bigger and brighter things. This is a new chapter for all of us, and I hope you all do amazing things. I cannot wait to walk into this new chapter, and with the help of CollegeXpress, hopefully I can walk through it with you guys. Together is how we are all going to stay strong. I consider you my readers my friends, and I hope my advice will help you guys succeed in college. We all deserve success! 

For more advice on adjusting to life in college, check out our Student Life section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Emily Barylske

Emily Barylske

First things first: I'm on the hunt currently to pay for my college in free money, and I'm a huge supporter of getting all of the college scholarships you can before taking out student loans. I love taking photos, reading, and writing in my free time. I am currently involved in school clubs such as FCA, choir, and yearbook. I hope to help you and encourage you in your college and scholarship search process.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Courtney Smith

Courtney Smith

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has been a huge help! The website is very organized with finding the right scholarship for anyone and anything. With CollegeXpress, I've been able to find many scholarship opportunities to apply for. Not only that, I'm also able to search for the colleges I have interest in and see what’s required and what scholarships they offer. I've learned a lot from CollegeXpress. They've helped me in many ways to achieve my goals!

Monica

Monica

High School Class of 2023

Being a sophomore in high school, I never really worried about college. I thought it wasn't important to worry about until senior year. Through this program opportunity I came across, I realized how important it is to start looking at colleges early and start planning ahead. CollegeXpress has opened my eyes to what colleges require, what colleges are near me, and what they offer. The daily emails I get from CollegeXpress really help me look at the different options I have and what colleges I fit into. Without this website, I would not be taking the time out of my day to worry about what my future will be nor what opportunities I have. I could not be more grateful for such an amazing and useful website. It's thanks to CollegeXpress that not only me but my family now know how much potential I have in to getting into these colleges/universities that we thought were out of my reach.

Makiyah Murray

Makiyah Murray

High School Class of 2021

The college application process has been a stressful one, but CollegeXpress has eased some of that stress with its readily available college resources. At the beginning of the process, I frequently used the college search feature, and now that I’m almost done applying, I’ve started using the scholarship search. Both of these resources have made it easier to find relevant information.

Alexandra Adriano

Alexandra Adriano

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2016

I've used CollegeXpress quite a bit as a senior, particularly for colleges and scholarships, so it's been a very big asset in that respect! I would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a college education, especially seniors! This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in ways I couldn't have before, and I know that there are opportunities like that for everyone on the website and in the magazines!

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me gain interest in many colleges/universities and many scholarships. I would say the most helpful thing CollegeXpress has done for me is sending me emails that tell me certain types of colleges are interested in me as well as emails about scholarships that I can look at and possibly apply for.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Ashland University

Ashland, OH

Schreiner University

Kerrville, TX