College Dorm Checklist

Creating a good College Dorm Checklist to make sure you have everything you need is important for your first time of living away from home. This is where you come to realize all the little things that it takes to make it on your own.

You never realize how much stuff it takes to just get by until you sit down and make a list of must have items. In fact it's a real eye opener for most 18 year olds to see for the first time that there is a lot of stuff that parents provide. There are lots of new adventures too like doing your own laundry, buying your own food, and making sure you have all of the basics.

Most colleges also have some rules and regulations about what you can have in a college dorm so make sure you find out before you start your college dorm list of items. There is also the amount of space you might have available, two person dorm rooms can be quite small. And some colleges have built in furniture items like desks, shelving, and beds. So it's a good thing to at least know what space you have to work with to store your stuff and what is already in place.

Then there are the personal exceptions or requirements like prescriptions or medicines that only apply to you. Just like in the saying "the devil is in the details", many new college students are amazed at all the little things they have always taken for granted become important. Being organized and paying attention to details really helps in making your college dorm checklist.

Think of the college dorm list below as a starting point and remember to add the items that might be specific to you and your needs. If you don't use some type of college dorm checklist, you will forget some critical items that you won't be aware of until you need them. This can get expensive and time consuming, buying items at a quick shop for 3 times the price in a grocery store or drug store.

The Basic College Dorm Checklist: Here's a good starting point for first time college students.

Study Aids

Laptop Computer - Most likey you'll want to be mobile
iPad or tablet computer of some kind
Printer - Ink cartridges and paper to match
Personal recorder (many MP3 players have this built in)
Pens, pencils (and sharpener), highlighters, and notepads
Ruler, compass (drawing type), other technical items
Good desktop lamp
Any necessary batteries for misc items

Basic Furniture (Remember space is limited!)

Bed and mattress. Many dorm rooms come with a basic single bed and mattress but check to make sure.
Don’t forget bedding - pillow, sheet sets, bedspread or comforter (at least two sets)
Study desk or table of some kind is the next item. These too are often built in or provided.
Some type of chest of drawers to store your clothes that don't hang. These are also often built in or provided.
A sturdy bookshelf (yes, you will have books) that has at least three shelves and can hold enough weight (most are rated by the amount of pounds they are designed to work with). Don't forget to add in the weight you will place on the top of the unit.
Another wall storage unit that can hold a microwave, coffee pot, or hot plate if allowed
(many dorms do not allow anything that can start a fire).

Small Appliances

Small Refrigerator - Compact unit
Microwave - Compact Unit (1000 watt)
(it does better with popcorn and baked potatoes)
Coffee Maker - Basic 4 Cup with timer
Expresso Machine - if you're addicted to coffee

Cleaning & Laundry

Basic Laundry Detergent
Fabric Softener (dryer version is easy)
Color Bleach or Stain Removal (for you sloppy eaters)
A Laundry Bag of some type for storage and transport
Lots of Quarters - Hey laundry machines aren't free
Hangers if you hang up your stuff
Broom & Dust Pan
Mop and Bucket
Window Cleaner
All Purpose Cleaner
Paper Towels

Bathroom & Hygiene

Toothpaste
Shampoo
Conditioner
Deodorant
Mouthwash
Any special skin care items
Dental floss
Combs, brushes, special hair care items
Razors & Shaving Cream
Toilet Paper
Washcloths and Towels

Snacks & Food Items

Popcorn (microwave or pre-popped if no microwave)
Pretzels (or other salt snacks like peanuts, chips, etc.)
Healthy Snacks (like energy bars, granola, etc)
Fruit (hey, your mom made me put that in)
Soda Drinks (your choice)
Energy Drinks (not good for you but must haves)
Coffee or Tea Entrée Dinners (used in microwaves)
Sweat Stuff (also not good for you but necessary)
Trash bags
Zip lock bags
Bottle opener
Bag Clips

Miscellaneous Items: (everything else not mentioned)

Prescriptions, don't forget to transfer to new location drug store.
Special medical equipment or devices
Over the counter medicines (aspirin, ibuprofen, cold stuff, cough drops, band aids, etc)
Small tool kit
Sewing kit
Nail clippers
First Aid Kit
Lint brush
Indelible markers
Surge protectors or multiple outlet extensions

Quite a little college dorm checklist. And when you start shopping it will be a shocker when you add up all the costs for basic necessities. Like I mentioned earlier, it's quite amazing to look at all the little stuff we need to operate on a daily basis. And restocking is no piece of cake either. A lot of the list is consumables which means you will need to go buy more.

I'm not sure it's by design, but going to college away from home can be a real educational experience on both budgeting and being responsible to keeping everything you need on hand. You will definitely respect your mother a lot more after you deal with all the details of providing the basic daily necessities.

Besides having a good basic college dorm checklist, you also need to check any special rules and regulations for your dorm. It's also a good idea to be aware of exactly what is provided along the lines of built in or existing furniture. And if you have any prescriptions or other medical needs, be sure to add them to the college dorm list too..

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