Moving off to a college dorm means a lot of to-do lists. There are boxes to be packed, clothes to be folded and essentials to be bought. It is so easy (and common) to forget a few bits, so to avoid it, make a checklist. On this checklist, write down the following essential items you shouldn’t forget when you move to college.
A Reminder of Home
This can be anything from your favorite trinket to personal touches for your new bedroom. Bringing a slice of home with you can ease that sadness and anxiety that comes with moving to a new place out on your own. The place is somewhere obvious in your bedroom so your mind has positive connotations of a safe and secure base. Even small touches like fairy lights can make a big difference to how the new room feels.
Bedding
Not many if any college dorms have bedding like duvets, pillows, and sheets and even if they did, would you want to use them? Bedding is an essential item and whether you take new or old, it doesn’t matter. As long as you have the basic kit, your room will feel a thousand times more homely and comfortable. Your favorite bedding can really change how you feel about a room and make sleeping that much easier.
A Planner
A planner should make up part of your studies kit. This should also include notepads and stationery, but a planner is one of the easiest, most convenient, and practical methods to stay organized. Daily planners provide a space for reminders, class schedules, meetings, and any required reading. You can also put handy dates in, plan your semester, and store information for an emergency if your phone stops working.
Basic Kitchen Equipment
We are talking about utensils, cutlery and glasses, and perhaps one pan that you might get around to cooking with. 90% of the time, college students sharing a dorm tend to all bring replicas of unnecessary kitchen items.
So, if possible, convene with your future roommates before you all move in and decide who will bring what. This can save everyone money beforehand, and kitchen storage space upon arrival. Generally, you will need a few plates and a few bowls, knives, forks, spoons, drinking glasses, a mug if you drink hot drinks, a small pan and a big pan, and a few tea towels.
Computer or Laptop
There are many benefits to taking a laptop or computer with you to college. Colleges tend to have e-learning portals specific to their institution. As a student, you will have access to a personal profile on this platform and it will contain essential information such as your ID and credentials, but will also be a way to pick classes, hand in assignments, find reading materials, and re-cap lectures. Professors use these to mass communicate as well, and they are much easier to access on a laptop device than a mobile one.
Printer
Alongside your laptop or PC, you might want to also think about accessories. These are things like keyboards, printers, USBs, etc.
Browse through College Computer Essentials examples here to find a good selection of things you might need. Printers are a very handy device and can even be a collaborative purchase with your fellow roommates. They can save you money on-campus print costs and are useful to have for when an assignment needs a physical copy.
First Aid Supplies
Band-aids, antiseptic, tweezers, eyewash, and painkillers are all commonplace in a domestic home but not so much in college accommodations. To avoid getting caught short should an injury ever occur, pack these things in a small bag and store them somewhere safe. That way, if the worst were to happen, you would be well prepared with your own first aid kit.
Preparedness is only half the battle. Don’t worry about it if there’s something left behind when you arrive at your new residence – things can be sent from home or there are bound to be plenty of stores selling essential items nearby. This is a time for a new chapter and having the right equipment and comforts scaffolding you up will only add to your success and motivation.
