In the last week, I’ve had a few friends ask me if I have a college packing list. And given that we’re moving our third guy into school this August, I do finally have a pretty good one. Most of the things I buy for the kids come from Target or Amazon, so I will link what I can below. I always buy everything ahead of time and drive it to school, but I know most kids who go to college out of state can buy their items ahead of time and have them available for pickup when they arrive, or delivered right to their dorm room. (Be sure to check into this if you have a child attending college far away!) And Homegoods is my absolute favorite place to find the things that make a dorm room feel a little more like home. I hope your kids turn you loose in one like mine do.
Let’s do this!
THE LIST
Bedding:
Sheets (most college dorm beds are twin XL…this was news to me!)
Body pillow (My daughter Grace had this because her bed was right up against a cement wall and this gave her a little cushion)
Headboard (this is more decorative than functional, but gave a little buffer again between the cement wall and Grace’s head. I didn’t have to get for our son Eddie because his dorm had newer furniture–totally explains Grace’s and Eddie’s lot in life in a nutshell.)
Bath:
Shower shoes (flip flops or slides)
Toiletries (including hand soap and dish soap for room sink if there is one)
First aid: Bandaids, cold medicine, pain reliever, vitamins
Room:
Trunk for all the stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else
Love seat or futon (Facebook Marketplace is also great for this)
TV (Facebook Marketplace is great for this, too)
Amazon Firestick for TV
Tide pods (kids seem to like this over the big jug of detergent)
Fan (even if the dorm has air conditioning, this seems to come in handy)
Closet/wardrobe:
Shoe rack or over-the-door shoe bag
Desk:
School supplies
Extras:
Place setting (or plastic and paper ones that they can just throw away work great, too)
Snacks
Cleaning items (paper towels, disinfectant, Swiffer sweeper)
A good winter coat if they’re going somewhere cold
Boots
Umbrella
Pro Tips:
–If you are driving, we bring all of the clothes already on hangers and then we could just hang them right up when we get into the room.
–Last year, I asked Eddie if he could give me his “must-have” ideas for school and they were pretty funny. These might be helpful, too.
–And one more little story I put together last August after I moved Grace in for her senior year.
As always, just holler if you have any questions. Good luck!
xo,
We just discovered these laundry sheets to replace bulky/heavy detergent bottles. Nice idea and enviro friendly!https://sheetslaundryclub.com/
Yay! Thank you for sharing!
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