Going into college is one of the most daunting tasks. One of the biggest concerns is, "Do I have everything I need?" This is a list of all the easily forgotten things a student needs (in no particular order).
1. A backpack
Trust me, this is a must. The bigger the better.
2. A good coffee tumbler
You don't need five different mugs either. You will be living in a shoe box pretty much, so try to just find one or two mugs with lids to take to class.
3. A mini fridge
The fridges on your floor lobbies will be disgusting and full of weird foreign food. People will always be stealing your Ben & Jerry's. Don't trust the lounge fridges-get your own.
4. A dark colored comforter
Your room will basically become your one and only living space. Your bed will be sat on by all of your friends. Inevitably dirt from shoes, food, and other stuff will find its way to your pretty comforter. So when shopping for your covers or blankets--get one that will hide stains.
5. Flip flops
The showers are disgusting. People pee on the floors of the shower (yes, right next to you sometimes-that just happened to me last week) and there will be used tampons left on the floors (true story).
6. A mattress pad
Those dorm beds are half a step above sleeping on the floor. A mattress pad helps for sure!
7. A water bottle
...or two
8. A rain jacket or umbrella
Long walks across campus in the rain are not fun! Keep an umbrella in your backpack.
9. A speaker
One of those little wireless speakers are really nice for times when you want to jam out in the shower or in your room. Your friends will appreciate it!
10. A super soft blanket
Dorms can get super cold at times. There is nothing better than a big fuzzy blanket to keep warm while procrastinating by binge-watching Netflix.
11. Netflix account (or some other streaming app)
This is a dangerous thing to have, but I recommend it. Don't get carried away with it to the point where you don't study at all!
12. A fan
Just as the dorm can get freezing cold, it can get hot as hell too. A fan is a great investment even if it is the small desk fans.
13. For girls-makeup products!
In high school I depended on my mom's stash of makeup and skincare products. You'll be on your own so start your own makeup bag if you don't have one already.
14. Medicine
Bring all of your meds that you take typically. I know for me I need migraine pills, ibuprofen, NyQuill, and maybe allergy pills among many others.
15. Pictures or things to remind you of home
You will get lonely and get homesick. It is inevitable. So make sure you have something to remind you of home. Everything else around you is brand new, so it is good to surround yourself with things that feel like or remind you of home.
16. An extra cell phone charger
... or three. It is a good idea to have two chargers in case you leave it at the library or something like that. Or if you are lazy like me, you just don't want to get up and get the charger by your desk to plug in your phone by your bed at night-so just have one in both places!
17. A robe and/or a bath towel
You need something to cover up after your shower so get a robe or a towel. My advice for a robe is make sure it is not super fuzzy otherwise it just sticks to you, making it hot and a pain to put on.
18. Several wash cloths
You will get lazy and not want to do your laundry every few days. Make sure you have at least five wash cloths.
19. A laptop
This is another "duh" item, but it is essential!
20. A bedside lamp
Your roommate and you will want to fall asleep at different times, and you will want to have a lamp to be able to continue studying while your roommate is sleeping.
21. Headphones/earbuds
These are a college student essential item. Have one in your backpack and another in your room. You will be using these all of the time, whether it is to drown out the noise of your roommate's TV show or on your walks to and from classes.
22. A big winter jacket
Make sure to have a coat to keep you warm on your walks to class. I preferred a coat that went down to the middle of my thigh. Also, a hood is a good thing to have on it.
23. Binders
I had a binder for each class I took (four) and then changed out the papers from the semester before.
24. Sheets and pillowcase
This one is easy to forget! Don't be afraid to spend an extra buck or two to get the nicer fabric. It is worth it!
25. Outlet power strip
You definitely want this. One or two outlets will not be enough.
26. Hangers
Another obvious one-but I completely forgot about it until after I was unpacking in my dorm. Two packs of 15 hangers was perfect for my room.
27. Shower caddy
It is super nice to have so you don't have to walk back and forth from your room awkwardly carrying all of your shower stuff.
28. Laundry bag
I preferred a bag that had two compartments in it so I could separate colors.
29. Bedside caddy
It is just nice to have a place to put your phone, a book, or much needed chocolate at night right before bed.
30. Command hooks
These will be your best friend as well as your worst enemy if you can't figure them out. You aren't allowed to put nails in the walls of your dorm room-so these are great to hang up all of your decorations.
31. Garbage can
A must have for sure. Pretty self-explanatory.
32. Storage container
I had two small storage containers where I stuffed anything and everything in.
33. Laundry detergent
This is an easy one to forget!
34. Nail clippers
This little bugger is so easy to forget!
35. Scissors
These are always handy, whether it is to cut off a tag of a shirt or to cut up note cards.
36. Female supplies (girls only)
Yeah, you don't want to be caught without these! Easy to forget when moving into a new place.
37. Tweezers
Whether it is to pluck your eyebrows or to pull out a splinter-these are good to have. I forgot them when I first moved in.
38. A key chain with an ID holder
These are super important to have. Keys are easy to lose, so a key chain is good to have. An ID holder is good to have so then you can stash a few bucks in there or whatever else you need to have on you.
39. A nice planner
Tip: Lily Pulitzer has some really nice planners that have a great layout (plus they are cute!).
40. A weekend bag/duffle bag
You will probably go home or visit a friend at college at some point in time. A medium sized bag is something good to have with you.
Hopefully this list of items helps you out! Reminder-this is not a complete list of items to bring with you, it is a list of items that are easily overlooked or forgotten. Best of luck in college!
