8 Things You Shouldn't Forget to Bring to College

We’ve got a lot to be anxious about with college approaching in less than a year: “How am I going to pay off my loans?,” “I hope my roommate and I get along,” “I don’t know how I’ll be able to stand being away from home,” “What classes do I need to take?” College is no doubt going to be nerve-racking, but one less thing you will have to worry about is what to bring. There would be nothing worse than finally settling into college, then realizing you forgot something essential at home, 3 hours away. Hopefully, by making a mental list of things to bring ahead of time, you’ll avoid that stomach-dropping situation, and be prepared for this huge step of living on your own for the first time. This list of the top 8 things to bring with you to college (not in any particular order) should help with that mental list of yours.

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Can Opener: Ok, a can opener may sound like a common thing to bring with you to college, but it’s actually a very easily forgotten object. My sister Amanda, who is now 25, and a graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, recalls that “Everyone forgot a can opener. People in my hall were searching for other people who may have had a can opener, but literally everyone forgot one. It’s such a bad thing to forget, too, because dorm food consists mainly of canned foods.” It’s surprising what a college student may forget at home, no matter how common-day the objects are. So, remember to bring a can opener with you on moving-in day, or else you can say goodbye to those canned delicacies.

A Safe: Most people are accustomed to having their own room, up until college of course. Once college starts, we will have very limited privacy. Everything that you need to live with will be at the hands of your new roommate. This can either not be a big deal, or a horrific realization. It all depends on the character of your roommate. He/She may be unprepared, and therefore may ask to borrow your things 24/7. Even worse, he/she may be a kleptomaniac. In these cases, it might be a smart idea to protect your valuables. Whether you want to hide a precious package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from your roomie, or have actual money/valuable objects to protect, you can keep these in a small safe in your dorm. My sister learned about kleptomaniac roommates the hard way. She once had a roommate who stole money from her purse behind her back, so she definitely recommends a safe to keep cherished objects safe.

Earplugs & Sleeping Mask: Speaking of bad roommates, if you are the kind of person who treasures sleep, then earplugs and a sleeping mask may come in handy. Imagine that you want to retire to bed early, but your roommate is still working on his/her Sociology essay. Therefore, your dorm room light remains on. Have no fear, just pull out your handy dandy sleeping mask to filter out this blinding light. Also, the worst possible college experience may be that your roommate snores loudly. Block out this disturbing racket by plugging your ears with earplugs.

Planner: College is going to be one of the best times of our lives. Not only because of the fact that we will be living on our own, but also because college offers more activities than we can even imagine. Our schedules will be so busy with classes, jobs, sports, clubs, and whatnot that it will be hard to keep track of everything. A planner comes in handy with a fulfilled college schedule. It comes with a calendar and day-by-day spaces to track assignments. A planner may be exactly what your college self needs.

Umbrella, Winter Boots, etc.: Even if the college that you plan to go to offers bus transportation to classes, you will have to walk to most of your classes regardless. The bus is not always available when your class is ready to begin. No matter which college you attend, there is going to be sucky weather. Rain storms and snow blizzards will always be there for you, to dampen your day. Therefore, an umbrella and snow boots might just be your next best friends.

Quarters: Unfortunately, when we fly off to college, our mothers will no longer to be able to do our laundry for us, which leaves us to do it ourselves. Washers and dryers will be available to us in our dormitory buildings, which requires quarters. Lots and lots of quarters. To make sure your quarter supply does not diminish, it is a good idea to bring extra along. “Quarters for laundry is valuable. At my college there were no quarter machines, so every quarter I had was precious” (Weed).

Bathroom Caddy: Another privilege we must sacrifice is the sanctuary of having our own bathroom. In less than a year, we will be sharing the same restroom that everyone living on our dorm hall uses. That means sharing the showers, the toilets, and even the mirror. The thought gives me chills. That being said, you can no longer leave your shampoo bottles, razors, or rubber duckies in the bathroom. To make these personal essentials transportable every day, I recommend purchasing a bathroom tote to place them in. L.L. Bean sells “Personal Organizers,” which are perfect for toting around bathroom necessities.

Mini Fridge: If you want to keep food fresh inside of your dorm, there is no doubt that you should own your own mini fridge. It’s adorable, it’s convenient, it’s a no-brainer. “It’s nice to keep waters in a mini fridge, so you don’t have to walk down to a vending machine all the time” (Weed). Also, although you may think you are going to go down to the college’s cafeterias every day, some days you may just want to be lazy and eat a turkey sandwich. A mini fridge would allow you to do that.