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Confused by the whole financial aid thing?

If you need help understanding financial aid, check our our page that gives tons of information about FINANCIAL AID.

What to Bring to College

It’s an exciting but sad time, packing the stuff in your room at home to take to your new home - college.  But before you get your Bachelor's degree, you have to get packed!  As simple as this seems, it is quite a challenging process. I have seen many campus housing or fraternity/sorority rooms overflowing with junk that will never be used, as well as several students who have had to borrow everything from their roommate or new neighbors.   You don't want to be on either end of that continuum, but somewhere in the middle.  Space is usually at a premium, so efficiency is the goal.

Here is a list of things that will likely come in handy during the year.  Not all of them are a must, but hopefully there will be some in this list that you hadn’t thought of.
  • Television 
  • NetFlix/Hulu Plus/Amazon Prime account
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator (or a micro-fridge combo unit)
  • Cell phone (of course) But make sure it has good service/coverage where your college is, and available service close by.  
  • Bluetooth speaker
  • Computer (preferably a laptop).  Read this article about the computing needs of college students
  • Three prong extension cords
  • Power strip/surge protector
  • Sports equipment (football, volleyball, basketball, and any other type of ball)
  • Desk Lamp
  • Alarm Clock (maybe two, depending on how hard it is for you to wake up)
  • Laundry bag or basket
  • Laundry detergent
  • Stain Remover/stain stick - seriously, you'll need the kind to spray on grass stains, AND the kind that takes stains out immediately - so you can still wear that shirt.
  • Knowledge of how to do laundry or money to pay someone else to do it
  • One or more rolls of quarters (for laundry, the coke machine, tolls, etc.)
  • Sewing kit (needles and thread, safety pins, two-sided tape, etc.).  Even if you don't know how to use it, someone will.
  • Eating utensils (preferably plastic) - you WILL eat in your room sometimes
  • Cups and plates - plastic or styrofoam (washing dishes in a community bathroom isn't fun)
  • Twin XL Bedding - Most dorm beds measure 39 x 80 – so you will need extra long twin sheets, mattress pads, etc. Check with your college to see what size your building has.  Blankets tend to be longer but for comforters an extra long twin is helpful to avoid cold toes. twin xl comforters range from 66 x 90 to 68 x 92.
  • Anything to decorate your room and make you feel at home
  • Iron and small ironing board
  • starch
  • Organizer/planner/calendar (I prefer paper calendars, but I'm old.  Use your phone, whatever.  Just make sure to have something on which you'll record everything you have going on.  This is critical.
  • Backpack
  • College clothes (leave the high school T-shirts and letter jackets at home)
  • Bike and a (good) bike lock
  • Fan (campus housing may have poor air circulation) - check first
  • Bath towels, soap, robe, flip-flops, etc.
  • Personal hygiene items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc...)
  • Shower caddy for toiletries (if you have a community bathroom)
  • Small can-opener and bottle opener
  • First aid kit, including Band-aids, antibiotic ointment, ace bandage, etc.
  • Tylenol, Advil or other pain reliever
  • Umbrella (yes, really)
  • Raincoat with a hood
  • Rain shoes/boots
  • Pictures of family, friends and/or pets for your room
  • Friends and family contact list (include all ways to contact them, even their mailing address)
  • Swimsuit(s)
  • Workout and/or sports clothes
  • “Dress” clothes (guys, this means at least a blazer and one or more ties)
  • “Grubby” clothes (who knows if you’ll go clean up along the highway, paint someone’s house or need to play football in the mud)
  • Textbooks - You don't have to buy them from FROM your school. Affordable college textbooks are available online.  You can also rent college textbooks instead of buying.

More importantly, what you should leave at home!!!
  • Pets (Fish are marginally okay)
  • High school memorabilia and letter jackets
  • Firearms – even if you hunt or shoot for sport.  You may be able to store a gun with the campus police, if you really need to bring it.
  • Expensive clothing, jewelry and accessories (This is the real world, theft does occur)
  • Out-of-season clothes (your closet is only so big). 

Interested in saving as much money as possible while you're in college?

If you're interested in saving money or spending as little money as possible while you're in college, there are tons of strategies you can employ.  Our book How to Go to College Cheaper is here to help.  It lists literally hundreds of things you can do to spend less or save more money!

What's a credit hour?

If you're wondering what a credit hour is, or about some of those other college terms you've heard, check out our COLLEGE TERMINOLOGY page...
Creative Consultant - Mitch Harrison (www.mitchharrison.com)