Packing for college can be super intimidating and it's way too easy to forget things or leave important things behind. When I was packing everything for college I was super stressed and worried I was going to forget something essential. I ended up making a packing list and writing everything down that I would need. Of course I still ended up having to make a few runs to Target before I had everything I needed for the year but luckily I remembered most of the essentials!
I put together a college packing list of all the essentials that you need to bring your first year as well as the unexpected things you may not have thought of. Hopefully this will help you when packing for college and ease your stress.
If you want specific products, check out my college essentials post where I lay out all of my favorite products that I couldn't live without in college.
WANT TO PRINT OUT MY COLLEGE PACKING LIST? Click here.
This post is all about how to pack for college.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: COLLEGE ESSENTIALS: UNEXPECTED THINGS TO BRING TO COLLEGE: COLLEGE PACKING HACKS: COLLEGE ESSENTIALS: 1. Bedding
The biggest part of your dorm room is your bed so you want to make sure you have all the bedding necessary to make your bed nice and cozy!
Don't forget these things:
Mattress Pad Mattress Protector Twin Sheets Pillow Cases Duvet/Comforter Throw Blanket Throw Pillows 2. Bathroom Supplies
Whether you are living in a community bathroom or have your own, these are all the bathroom essentials you need:
Bath Towels Towel Wrap Shower Caddy Makeup Organizer Makeup Mirror Hair Wrap Basket for Hair Products 2 Hand Towels Shampoo and Conditioner Makeup Remover Shaving Cream Razor Loofah Lotion Hairspray Cotton Balls Toothbrush Toothpaste Retainer Tweezers Deodorant Tissues Sunscreen Tampons & Pads {RELATED POST: 31 Best Graduation Gifts That Show Her How Much You Care} 3. Cosmetics
Make sure to pack up all your hair products, makeup, and other cosmetics. I will give you tips on how to pack these supplies later on!
Nail Polish Remover Nail Polish Makeup Makeup Brushes Perfume Hair Dryer Straightener Curling Iron Shampoo & Conditioner Face Wash 4. Cleaning Supplies
Because dorms are so small, they will get dirty super easily. Plus, because there are so many people living in dorms, it is easy to get sick.
You want to pick a day out of the week to clean your dorm to prevent this so make sure to pack up these cleaning supplies:
Laundry Detergent Downy Wrinkle Releaser Laundry Bags Dryer Sheets Trash Bags All-Purpose Cleaner Paper Towels Small Vacuum Disinfectant Spray Dawn Soap Air Fresheners {RELATED POST: 18 Dorm Cleaning Supplies Every Single College Freshman Should Have} WANT A FREE College PACKING LIST? Simplify your apartment move with our amazing FREE College Packing List. Simply click the button below to get your Apartment Packing List delivered straight to your inbox!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE! 5. Electronics
You will remember your phone and computer but there are other electronics you will definitely need! Don't forget these electronics:
Laptop & Charger Extension Cord Surge Protector Calculator & Charger Sound Machine 10ft Charger USB Drive 6. School Supplies
You are packing for college to go to school so make sure you don't forget school supplies! You can always wait until after the first day of classes to see what exactly then buy supplies.
But, I liked being overly prepared so here is what I brought:
Backpack Pencils Highlighters Pens Binders Notebook Tape Binder Dividers Stapler Hole Punch Scissors Ruler Planner 7. Decor
You want your dorm to feel as much like home as possible so make sure you bring decor to decorate with!
Bulletin Board Photos Picture Frames Side Table Rug Curtains Curtain Rod 8. Medicine
Medicine was one of those things I kind of forget to bring and ended up having to go out and buy after I was already sick.
Make sure to have all of these on hand while living in your dorm:
First Aid Kit Ibuprofen Allergy Medicine Tums Cold & Flu Medicine Emergen-C Cough Drops 9. Clothing
Clothing can be intimidating to pack because there is just so much to remember. Don't go too overboard while packing clothing to ensure room for new clothes. However, make sure to bring these essentials:
Bras / Sports Bras Tank Tops Shirts Sweaters Sweatshirts Jean Jacket Cardigans Jeans Leggings Joggers Socks Dresses Tennis Shoes Sandals Boots Rain Jacket Scarves Light Jackets Winter Jackets Jewelry Hats Swimsuit Pajamas 10. Additional Storage
Dorm rooms are super small and it is super easy to run out of storage space. Make sure to bring extra ways to store clothing, shoes, and products.
Baskets Under the Bed Storage Velvet Hangers Space Saving Hangers Shoe Organizer UNEXPECTED THINGS TO BRING TO COLLEGE: 12. Bed Tray Buy on Walmart Because dorm beds are so high, using a side table can be difficult. I used to love working while sitting on my bed but I hate having to just sit my computer on my lap. I ended up getting a bed tray to set my computer on while I worked. This also came in handy when I wanted to eat a snack on my bed or set water on.
13. Wrinkle Releaser Spray Bringing an iron and ironing board is not only inconvenient but also totally unnecessary. Buy some Downy Wrinkle Releaser bottles to instantly remove creases from clothing with just a couple of sprays. This is an essential that I recommend to all freshmen packing for college!
14. Over-the-Door Mirror Buy on Bed Bath and Beyond I completely forgot to bring an over-the-door mirror my freshman year and it was the biggest inconvenience. Make sure to bring a mirror to put on your door! You can find these from Bed Bath and Beyond and Target for pretty cheap! Amazon has them as well but they are usually way more expensive so check local stores first.
15. Moisture Absorber Because dorm halls are usually older, they tend to get musty and damp. I didn't even think about this until I moved in so I'm sure a lot of people didn't either. My dorm was so humid that my mirror fogged up and my clothes were literally damp. Definitely buy moisture absorber packets or a dehumidifier to keep your room dry and prevent sickness!
{RELATED POST: The Ultimate Freshman Survival Kit For College Freshman | 25+ Items That Will Save You In Your Freshman Dorm} 16. Tool Kit Make sure to bring a tool kit to your dorm room! This comes especially handy during move-in and throughout the year when you need to fix things in a pinch.
17. Ear Plugs Or Sound Machine If you are a light sleeper, earplugs or a sound machine will become your best friends when it comes time to going to bed.
My dorm was next to a train track that ran every hour so I always used my sound machine at bedtime my freshman year. If your roommate is bothered by the sound machine, you can also use ear plugs. You can buy a large pack like this one for cheap from Amazon that will last you the entire year. These are also great if you are trying to sleep while your roommate is watching TV or playing music.
18. Rain Boots And Umbrella When you are thinking of how to pack for college, think about what the weather is like where you plan to go to school! If it is rainy, definitely bring a pair of rain boots and an umbrella along. I forgot rain boots my first week and ruined a couple of pairs of shoes because of it.
19. First Aid Kit You want to make sure to bring a first aid kit to school. Include everything from blister bandaids, Neosporin, and Advil. First aid kits are great in a pinch and are definitely something you will need to pack for college.
20. Costumes Date parties and themed events are a huge part of the college experience so costumes are something you need to bring that you may not have even thought of!
{RELATED POST: 21 Date Party Outfits That Are So Good You'll Want To Copy Them} 21. Blow Up Mattress When I was thinking about what to bring and how to pack for college it totally slipped my mind to bring an air mattress. A blowup mattress or extra mattress pad is so helpful to have around if you plan on having friends visit you at school. The dorm beds are small and I promise it isn't fun to share them.
22. Command Hooks And Extra Strips You usually can't use nails to hang things up in dorm rooms so having command hooks is the next best option. Make sure to pack these and extra strips before moving in so you can get right to decorating!
{RELATED POST: Unexpected Things To Bring To College | 15 Items You Probably Didn't Think To Bring To College} 23. Reusable Water Bottle Constantly buying plastic water bottles is not only bad for the environment but also so expensive! Make sure to pack a reusable water bottle like this one to save money and keep your water cold much longer on the way to class.
24. Portable Charger The worst thing ever is having your phone die when you need it so packing a portable charger is pretty much a necessity. Having your phone die during a night out is so frustrating and inconvenient especially if you use your phone to get into your dorm.
Keeping a portable charger around will ensure your phone never dies while out and about and will be a lifesaver if the power goes out in your dorm.
25. Phone Wallet As a college student, you will lose things super frequently while walking to class or out at the bars. Definitely buy a phone wallet and put it on the back of your phone to keep your student ID, debit card, and extra cash in!
COLLEGE PACKING HACKS: 26. Use Storage Bags To Pack These are the exact storage bags I used when moving into my dorm and absolutely loved them! They were not only great to pack but also came in handy when I wanted to store extra bedding, clothing, or shoes under my bed. I would definitely recommend these when you pack for college!
27. Use Trash Bags To Cover Hanging Clothes Use this college packing hack:
This trash bag trick is my absolute favorite college move-in hack! If you want to know how to pack for college when moving hung-up clothes, this is the go-to way.
Separate sections of your hanging clothes and cover each section with a trash bag. I originally did this by tearing holes at the top but looking back at it would have been much easier just to use the opening and handles. I used this packing hack when I moved into my college dorm and every time I moved apartments, it made things so much easier!
28. Pack With Vacuum Storage Bags Vacuum bags are the easiest and most compact way to pack clothing, bedding, or any other large items. I packed all of my bedding and large jackets in vacuum bags and it ended up saving so much space in the car when I moved in and back home.
These are also great to keep around to store seasonal clothes under your bed without taking up a bunch of space.
29. Shoe Storage Containers Shoe storage containers are a great way to move shoes that can also be used as under-the-bed storage once you are all moved into your dorm. Plus, keeping your shoes in storage bags will prevent them from getting any of your other clothes muddy or dirty.
{RELATED POST: 17 Genius Ways To Create Under The Bed Storage} 30. Use Ziploc Bags To Pack Cosmetics When packing, make sure to put all cosmetic items like lotion, shampoo, soap, etc. in Ziploc bags. This will prevent anything from spilling onto clothes and keep all your products contained in bags!
Other Posts You May Like: 29+ Dorm Room Inspiration Ideas You Need In 2021 15 Unbelievable Dorm Room Before And After Transformations Free College Packing List want ALL the free college printables?! Receive all of my most popular College Printables for FREE! Simply click the button below and get all of these sent directly to your inbox.
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The post How To Pack For College | Absolutely Everything You Need To Pack For College appeared first on By Sophia Lee.
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