Spot the freshmen moving into dorms:

They’re the ones carrying coordinated bed linens, unblemished minifridges, and duffle bag after duffle bag of clothes — including that down puffer coat, ready for the first snow that will never fit into a dorm room closet.

Pack smarter.

Some of those single dorm rooms are small enough that you’ll nearly be able to touch opposite walls if you stretch out your arms. Unless you want to sleep at the very top of a pile of clothing and accessories, like the Princess and the Pea, you’re going to have to pack just what really matters.

But if this is your first time away from home, how do you know what you’ll really need from that list of suggested items sent home by schools, and what will waste precious space?

Here’s the 2016 edition of some “don’t forget” items you might not have considered, as well as “don’t bother” stuff you can leave at home. But the most important items on that list, says Brittany Horn, a recent Penn State grad, are “any of those items that make home feel closer for long days away from family and friends.”

Don't forget

  • Before you bring appliances for your dorm room, check with the college. Some require that you rent from their vendor.
  • A loooong charger cord for your phone, especially if you loft your bed (which is strongly suggested), because you won’t have a nightstand right beside you.

  • Have a lamp near your bed, or a clip-on book light, in case your roommate wants to sleep.
  • Quarters, for the washing machine and clothes dryer — unless your college requires you to simply swipe your college debit/ID card, as is the case at Penn State and many others.
  • A toolkit — for basic DIY projects, with a hammer, tape measure, scissors, pliers and screwdriver.
  • Personal security siren/Mace.
  • Earplugs. Even if your dorm always is quiet (ha!), your roomie may snore. If you need darkness to sleep, a sleep mask.
  • Laptop lap desk.
  • Sanitizing wipes in case the bathroom is looking especially gross.

  • “Eggcrate” foam topper for the bed.
  • HDMI cords for connecting audio and video devices.
  • Protein snack bars, single-serve mac and cheese, healthy single-serve foods such as applesauce, and a coffeemaker, to save on the between-meal extras. A stainless-steel carafe design is a good idea — the coffee stays hotter, longer, and there’s less chance of broken glass. Don’t forget a giant mug to hold the coffee and to use as a bowl.
  • First aid kit with over-the-counter medicines, bandages, antibiotic ointment, ibuprofen, allergy meds, thermometer. Consider zinc tablets or Zicam, to ward off the colds that come from sharing living quarters with a few hundred other people. And don’t forget your medical insurance card.

  • Bath & Bodyworks Wallflowers, or other diffusers to freshen the air.
  • A rug for the bare floor. Getting up for 8 a.m. classes will be hard enough without a cold dorm floor to greet you.
  • Shower sandals. Even if you think you won’t wear them. There will be times you will.
  • XL twin sheets — you’re not going to be able to stretch the regular ones to fit.
  • A pill bottle of good dish detergent to use as clothing stain treatment.
  • Duct tape.
  • Lock box.
  • Surge protector power strip with a USB hub.
  • Extra pillows and blankets, especially if you like to do schoolwork while lounging in bed.
  • Jumper cables, if you or anyone you know will have a car on campus. An AAA membership, if you’ll be driving, will give both you and your parents peace of mind.

  • A water bottle that fits in your dorm-size refrigerator (some are too large), and a Brita pitcher for filtering larger amounts.
  • Over-the-door hooks and removable hooks that can be placed anywhere.
  • Basic office supplies: plenty of pens and notebooks, a ministapler, sticky notes, etc.
  • A huge space-maker: Loft your bed, if your college allows. Some even allow you to arrange for them to set up your room that way before you arrive.
  • Use your fridge and/or microwave as your nightstand.
  • Shallow, lidded containers for under-bed storage.
  • A small fan, for cool air and white noise.

Don’t bother

  • Ethernet cords (unless you know there are some campus buildings without wireless connectivity).
  • Alarm clock. Use your phone — unless you’re the kind of person who will forget to charge your phone.
  • Forget bringing your whole wardrobe. There’s a good chance you’ll have clothes or shoes you never wear, and they’ll just take up space. Instead, many kids buy a favorite school sweatshirt or two and then just wear/wash (on occasion)/repeat. Do, however, make sure you have a nice outfit for career fairs.
  • If you can, keep off-season clothes at home until needed.¶

3 dorm life skills

These tips, from McCaskey grad/Dickinson College student Duncan Hopkins, don’t deal with what you’ll need to bring to college. Instead, they’ll help you keep the dorm room free of conflict — and clutter:

  • Make it clear to your roommate(s) what your expectations are for drugs/alcohol that might be in the room.
  • Communicate with your roommates so that your room isn’t a toxic environment.
  • When you do your laundry and don’t want to fold it right then, dump it on your bed so that you have to do it before you go to sleep.

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