The Complete Dorm Checklist

When getting prepared to go to college, the biggest thing to prep for is moving into your dorm. For many of you, this might be your first time living on your own or with a roommate away from your family. The last thing you want to have to do on move-in day is run to the store when students from the entire school are going to be doing the same. Bring as much as you can from home so you can be fully prepared

Here is a complete list of all the important things you need for your dorm!

Bedding:

The dorm mattresses are not very comfortable most of the time, so having a mattress topper between you and the mattress is a very good idea. Look up online if your school has Twin beds or Twin XL because you may need to buy new sheets. You’ll also want at least one extra blanket that you can wrap around you on those colder days. And don't forget a pillow!!

Closet:

Most of the time, the closets are very small in college. They remind me of those little elementary school cubbies. You will want plenty of hangers for your clothes and maybe even a hanging shoe organizer (if there isn’t another good spot for one). Keep in mind that this is college, and you don’t need to bring your entire wardrobe from home. Make sure you have the right clothes and shoes for each season, and leave it at that. Another good thing to bring for your clothes is a collapsable drying rack for any clothes that probably shouldn’t go in the dryer.

Appliances:

Definitely coordinate with your roommate for these (if you have one). There is no need for double of these items. You’ll want a mini fridge for any leftovers or refrigerated snacks in the dorm. You’ll also want a microwave; that way, you can warm up any of those leftovers, or you can make tea or hot cocoa. I am not a coffee drinker myself, but if that is something you need to get moving in the morning, a Keurig would be a good addition. Check to see if your dorm has A/C; you may want to bring a fan (or more) regardless of the A/C just to keep the air moving in the small dorm room. My roommate and I had a total of 3 fans in our room for the first month because it was so darn hot. Now with all of these appliances, you might not have a ton of convenient outlet space, so I highly recommend bringing power strips or extension cords to allow more space for plugs to go.

Desk:

Your dorm will probably provide you with a desk. In many cases, your bed will be lofted, and your desk will be underneath the bed. There is not always a lot of space on the surface, so you may want to keep your area as clean and tidy as you can to eliminate distractions. You will want a desk lamp for ample lighting while you are doing homework. In one of the drawers, keep a desk organizer for any knickknacks you have, as well as any pens/pencils. It will be handy to have tape, scissors, a stapler, and a staple remover for any paper assignments or other things in your dorm, like decorations! But we will get to that in a moment.

Cleaning:

From your floor to your bed to your desk and even yourself, cleanliness is immensely important in college. The dorms are small and compact, and the last thing you want is for people you live with or people on your floor to be grossed out by the state of your dorm. Firstly, you will want a laundry hamper to hold all of your dirty clothes before you wash them. And make sure you get your laundry detergent from a store at home so you aren't scrambling to find some when you inevitably run out of clean clothes. The showers in the dorms are used by everyone on your floor, and you never know where people’s feet have been, so be sure to bring some shower shoes. These could be flip-flops, Crocs, Chacos, or anything similar. While you’re at it, bring a shower caddy to hold all of your toiletries for the shower. You’ll want your own clean towels as well. Now, for your dorm room, a Swiffer is a must (or anything similar) so you can easily sweep up any sort of crumbs, dust, hair, etc., from off the floor. You will also want wipes, Windex, and Lysol for any necessary cleaning in your dorm. Coordinate with your roommate on some of the cleaning supplies.

Food:

The biggest and most important thing regarding food in the dorms is microwave-safe dishes to warm up any food or drinks. It is also good if these dishes are easy to hand wash because there are not going to be any dishwashers in the dorms. Bring a small thing of dish soap for cleaning your dishes in the sink. It is also good to bring a few snacks to start out, such as granola bars, goldfish, crackers, etc.

First-aid:

You are technically living on your own now, which means you are responsible for yourself, and you need to take care of yourself. Get a small first-aid kit full of bandaids, Neosporin, gauze, tape, and any other item you might need. You will also want allergy meds when the season changes and pain meds for any headaches, stomachaches, or other aches, just to be safe. Your parents may not be close enough to college to be able to help you when you are sick or injured, so remember to take yourself to the doctor on campus or nearby urgent care when you need it.

Decoration:

I saved this one for last because while everything above is very important, decorating your dorm is the best way to avoid homesickness and feel like college is more “homey”. Good decorations to bring would be posters, LEDs, rugs, decorative pillows (especially if you have a futon), and anything else from home that is easy to bring. Now to hang some of these things, I recommend using command hooks/strips because they are so easy to take down at the end of the year. (Did you know the university will charge you if the paint on the walls is ruined or if there are any damages to the dorm room? You can even be charged if the room isn’t clean when you leave!)

Now that you have all of this information, I am sure you’re thinking, “This is a lot of stuff to bring to college,” and you would be right. But a lot of these items are small and compact and can easily be packed into a few duffles. The stuff that will end up taking up the most space for you when moving to college is your clothes. Think about what seasons you are going to be at college for, and plan to bring what will be necessary to survive the cold or hot temperatures. Another thing to keep in mind is you may very well buy some things while at college, so at the end of the semester, you could bring home more than you brought there. 

I hope this helps you prepare for your move to college in August/September. Start gathering some items now! Lots of college kids are moving out and moving items along, and they would be happy to sell them to you for fairly cheap.