91社区

September 20, 2024
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23 Must-Have Items to Pack for College

Figuring out what to bring and what not to pack when moving new students onto campus can be overwhelming. Is 100 boxes of Easy Mac enough? To help parents and guardians figure out what to bring, we asked members of the 91社区 Bearcat Family Facebook page to share some of their must-have move-in items. Here are some of the highlights.

Foam mattress topper

My daughter will be a sophomore and the best purchase we made for her room was a foam mattress topper鈥攕he now likes her bed at school better than her bed from home!鈥擵alerie Whittaker

(Note: Beds take XL twin bedding.)

Hot water kettle

An electric hot water tea kettle to heat up water for tea, coffee, hot cocoa.鈥擝arbara Markiewicz Dennehy

(Note: Must be single-use. Multi-cup coffee makers and hot plates are not permitted.

Warm boots

As a two-time Bing parent, I can鈥檛 stress enough to bring snow boots.鈥擲tephanie Foster Ferretti

Phone tray

Definitely need a bed tray or something for next to the bed to put their phone on. Trust me. I have two at Bing!鈥擬ichele Migge McKiernan

Raincoat

Raincoat is a MUST!!鈥擝ill Kress

Umbrella

Don鈥檛 forget your umbrella!鈥擫auren Armus Levin

Toolkit

Believe it or not, a small toolkit for those do-it-yourself items you want to put together! My oldest graduated in 2019 and my youngest will be a senior. Both made lots of friends when someone needed a hammer or screwdriver.鈥擩oAnn Marie Lallier

Power strips/surge protectors

Don鈥檛 forget to pack those power strips! Plugs are always a challenge!鈥擱achelle Kratzer Grossman

(Note: Power strips/surge suppressors are allowed. Extension cords are not permitted.)

Hiking shoes

Old shoes for the nature trail.鈥擩ulie Tate

Ready-to-make food

Electric kettle and stash of 鈥渁dd only water鈥 food!鈥擩oelle Mulich Maurer

Shower stuff

Flip flops and caddy for the shower.鈥擟arol Sklar Nicholson

Fan

A fan is a must have!鈥擭ancy Specht-Turo

Medicine kit

Every kind of cold/flu reliever, thermometer, cough medicine, band aids, tweezers, sore throat drops, Pepto, Advil, Tylenol, and anything else you can think of! Not only will it help your student, but roommates and friends as well.鈥擠iana Overacker,

Stuffed animals

Their favorite stuffy to hold when they miss us.鈥擩aclene Scordino-Weston

Green Day Friday clothes

They need green shirts, sweatshirts for Green Day Friday!鈥擪ristin Gregor

Gaming system

Xbox to take some of the stress out from their classes.鈥擬ichele Morra-DeSantis

Waterproof backpack

A sturdy backpack that is rainproof.鈥擩odi Buck Biernacki

Winter coat

Invest in a really warm winter coat (I spent more than I normally would have, but I made it a graduation gift)...My daughter said a warm coat with a hood made all the difference.鈥擪athy Mugan Coletti

Family photos

Most importantly, a picture of mom. LOL.鈥擫isa Notaroberta Iovine

Rolling hamper

It鈥檚 a hamper with wheels. Great and easy to bring clothes and detergent to the laundry room.鈥擜nne Marie Susca

Small rug

A cozy rug for under their desks. Keep toes warm while studying!鈥擩ulie Austin Ruhren

Water bottles/filters

Refillable water bottle and/or Brita filter.鈥擠ebbie Druce Herder

Important documents

Printed updated copies of important documents like driver鈥檚 ID, emergency contact numbers, bank routing numbers, credit cards, insurance cards, home doctors鈥 numbers, etc. in a secure location.鈥擪-Maley O-g

Additional information

If you have posters you want to hang, bring poster-hanging putty. Look for the blue kind for easier removal (for CIW, Hinman, Mountainview and Apartments) or push pins/thumb tacks (for Dickinson and Newing). Command Strips should work for any building

If you want a microwave or mini-fridge, we recommend renting from .

For a list of items allowed in residential halls, view this fire safety brochure.
For more info on move-in, visit this page from Residential Life.

Be sure to follow the . It鈥檚 a great place to connect with fellow parents and get important info about campus!

John Brhel is a communications manager in the Office of Media and Public Relations and a longtime resident of the 91社区 area. When he鈥檚 not managing social media accounts or crafting press releases, you can find him drawing, watching movies, or spending time with his family.


Have questions, comments or concerns about the blog? Email us at social@binghamton.edu.