17 Easy-to-Forget College Items Parents Can Help Remember
College has changed. As you approach college move-in day, you may wonder if your soon-to-be freshman has everything needed. Are there items you’re forgetting?
You may be struggling to list items needed for dorm life. Before packing up and unloading, remember to bring or purchase these 17 easy-to-forget items.
**Note: Many of these items depend much on your freshman’s dorm layout and setup. Please check your child’s college website for specific information about the dormitories.
Bedding and Sleeping Items:
Earplugs or a sound machine: Ideally your freshman’s roommate will be quiet and considerate, especially during the night hours. However, this isn’t always the case. Send your child to college prepared to deal with a noisy roommate
A face mask, blackout curtains, or privacy covering: If your freshman has the chance to sleep in but the roommate does not, your freshman may struggle to sleep with the extra light. A cheap solution is a simple face mask. A slightly more expensive but very affordable solution is blackout curtains. And a possibly equally expensive solution is to purchase or create privacy with a blanket or room divider.
A mattress cover: Dormitories are cleaned in between school years, however, your freshman’s mattress may still not be the cleanest. Consider purchasing a mattress cover to protect your freshman’s bed.
An alarm clock: Most phones include an alarm feature, but phones can easily lose battery or malfunction. Additionally, sometimes a phone can be a distraction that keeps your freshman up late.
Health Items:
A first aid kit: Hopefully, your freshman will rarely need to use a first aid kit, but having bandaids and other typically including first aid items can come in handy.
Mild pain killers: A simple headache, a low grade temperature, or small injury can happen frequently during the school year. Having a bottle of Tylenol or ibuprofen on hand can help alleviate a run to the store on a busy school night.
A thermometer: If your freshman is someone who often gets sick or tends to struggle with knowing whether or not to stay back from classes, owning a simple thermometer can be a big help.
Cough drops: There are few things more embarrassing than not being able to control a cough in a public place. Especially in the days of the coronavirus, you would hate for your freshman’s cough (unrelated to COVID) to cause classmates to resent your child for coming to class.
Showering Items:
A shower tote: In the early hours of the morning or late hours of the night, your freshman may be fumbling through a cabinet or closet to find soap bottles and other shower essentials. Eliminate the extra noise by purchasing a small shower tote.
Flip-flops: Dorm showers (even if in a small suite) can be not so clean places. Wearing a pair of waterproof shoes like flip-flops can protect your freshman from getting a fungal infection like athlete’s foot.
Clothing Items:
Wrinkle release or a clothing steamer: Wrinkled clothes are likely not as big of a deal to your freshman as they are to you. If you want your freshman to look polished, send a bottle of wrinkle release or small, handheld clothing steamer.
A laundry bag: Your freshman will likely have to travel to the dorm laundry room. A hamper can be heavy and awkward, but a simple laundry bag with a shoulder strap can make carrying laundry there and back easier.
Kitchen Items:
Utensils: A basic set of silverware can be forgotten in the packing madness. Consider having two of every item (fork, knife, etc.) to help your freshman on busy days.
Microwave safe dinnerware: Having a plate, a bowl, and a mug that can be easily hand washed and microwaved is extremely helpful to dorm students. Having two of each can be helpful too.
Miscellaneous Items:
An extension cord: Whether your freshman’s computer charge cord can’t reach the outlet or a lamp cord cannot reach an outlet, having an extension cord can come in handy.
Postage and envelopes: Although sending regular mail seems like a thing of the past, your freshman may encounter situations in which having some stamps and business envelopes is necessary.
Your freshman’s social security card: If your freshman plans on working on or off campus during the school year, do not forget to bring the social security card. You may also want to consider providing a safe place for storage (e.g. an accordion folder for important documents).
As you try to make the most of these last days before college, remember to bring or purchase items that can help make this college transition easier. Your help can truly help make this time of change less stressful for your child.
