Moving away from home and into a dorm is a big step on the journey into adulthood and independence. In the hustle and bustle that becomes your packing and moving experience, you will mostly likely remember the basics like sheets, towels and toothpaste. However, there are a few odds and ends that you'll want to have that you may either totally forget about, or decide that you don't want to spend the money on (and are very mistaken).
1. A box fan
Put this in your window and have the closest thing to air conditioning when it's eighty five and you just want to relax but the whole world is a melting puddle of homesickness, emotion and sweat.
2. Q-Tips
Did you think that maybe you'd want to clean your ears out eventually? No, probably not, you were too busy thinking about which comforter at Bed, Bath, and Beyond was the cutest.
3. A mattress pad
Okay, maybe this one was just me, but I basically went into college pretending like it was going to be a really long summer camp and refused to spend the money on a quality mattress pad, and then it was March and my back hurt a lot. Seriously, the fifteen dollar one probably makes your wallet feel better, but I'd invest in this particular dorm necessity; you'll thank yourself later.
4. A lint roller
Because you never know until it's too late and covered in pills of lint.
5. Sunscreen and bug spray
We forget sometimes that the things we use at home that are stored away in the linen closet aren't just down the hall in the residence halls.
6. A pencil sharpener![]()
You can find a several staplers on every floor of every building, and your colored pens are great, sure, but try finding a pencil sharpener that actually works when you can't keep scratching out chemistry formulas in your notebook and need a utensil that can actually be erased.
7. An umbrella
Preferably a small one that can be stored in your backpack because, yes, it does rain in college, despite what they show you on the brochures.
8. One pair of nice shoes
Heels or dress shoes, something. You will need them at some point, for an interview, for a formal. And if you like to wear slacks, remember to bring a dress belt as well that matches your shoes.
9. Denture cleaner
Hear me out. You can use it to clean your retainers (which you should also bring because you definitely wear them every night, right?), and it also works well to clean jewelry when you need to give your earrings their shine back.
10. Dryer sheets
I don't really care if you spent the money on those little balls that look like puffer fish that work like dryer sheets, or if you think you won't need the fabric softening power and delightful smell that they bring to your sheets and sweatshirts. Have some dryer sheets, because you can use them for your laundry, for inside your shoes if your (or your friend's!) feet smell, and you can rub them on the mosquito bites you'll get if you forget bug spray i recommended to help them stop itching.
I'm sure there are more odds and ends that you'll forget that I didn't, or that I forgot and then forgot to put on this list. Happy packing! Good luck at school!
