The Minimalist College Packing List

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Flying to College List

Some initial thoughts on flying to college.

-We purchased everything in San Diego and flew it to Boston. Our son’s larger school wouldn’t allow us to ship things ahead of time. This ended up being the cheapest option, for us. I know some schools allow you to ship things ahead. If that were possible, I absolutely would have shipped much of this ahead of time.

Getting There

• hard-side luggage with spinner wheels

  This bag is amazing. Light weight, holds a ton, and durable…if I had it to do again, I’d get two of these and skip the wheeled duffel.

• wheeled duffel

  Nice because it can “mush” down to almost nothing, not taking up storage space in the dorm room

• heavy duty moving bags

  These worked great, I used heavy-duty tape to secure the zippers, just in case. But they traveled well.

• vacuum storage bags

  We got the “Multiple” size bags which worked great! I put the bulky items in these and it really kept the size down the flight (pillows, comforter, jackets, etc.)

• dolly

  My kids gave me such grief on this purchase, but it saved us. And we’ve used it over, and over and over. It packs small, holds lots, everything you’d want. Uber dropped us to the airport, I put all of our luggage on the dolly, and wheeled it up to check it in, then slipped the dolly in a bag that had some extra room. Used it again from the airport to the Uber, Uber to the hotel, hotel to the school!

Bedding

• pillows

• comforter

• twin XL sheets

• pillowcases

• mattress topper

  this one made my kids’ college mattress “more comfortable” than their home bed!

  if you keep it boxed and vacuum sealed as it comes, it packs pretty small for the flight.

• bed bug/dust mite cover

Laundry

• laundry bag

• laundry soap

  Get there…let’s be honest, they won't be doing laundry the first week anyway. I used this as my “testing shipping to school” - taught my kid how to pick up mail…and I shipped him some fun chocolates along with his laundry soap! These chocolates are fun and ship directly from Amazon, so they’re easy to add with any other thing you happen to ship to your kid.

• mesh bag for delicates

Bath & Shower

• bath towels

• washcloths

• shower shoes

• shower caddy

• hand towels

• toothbrush & charger (sometimes easier to have one at home and one at school)

• toothpaste

• mouthwash

• floss

• tweezers

• body wash/soap

• face soap

• shampoo & conditioner

• hairbrush

• deodorant

• nail clippers

• q-tips

• lotion

• face moisturizer

• hair products

• razor

• chapstick/lip balm

• sunscreen

  …it’s up to your personal preference, we hit up Target once we got there and purchased the soaps, shampoos, etc. but each kid is different.

Desk & School Supplies

• desk lamp (can wait & see)

• command hooks

  this multi-pack served both my boys well…it has a little of everything.

• backpack

• pens & highlighters

• calculator (& charger)

• index cards

• scissors

• laptop/computer

  yes…I put this on the list because my son left his home for his sophomore year trip to school!

Closet

• hangers

• closet organizer

• over door hooks - single

• over the door hooks - multiple

  especially great if they need a place to hang wet towels, jackets, etc.

• drawers for under the bed

  we got something like this- but check your dimensions before you buy. Depending on where your kiddo is heading to school, and just a heads up, these can sell out quickly at local Target/Walmart stores…

Medicine & First Aid

• small first aid kit

  I added in a few meds as well, some Advil, Tylenol, NyQuil…his personal favorites…really helpful because if/when they get sick, they may not have the time/energy to get to the store!

• thermometer

  really helpful if/when they get sick and you know “how sick” they are!

• prescription meds

• insurance card (keep a copy at home, too)

Tech & Charging

• extension cord - multiple outlets

• extension cord

• cell phone/computer charger

  almost immediately on first trips home, they were left at school, so pretty quickly we had doubles, chargers “here” and “there”
  

Cleaning

• wipes

• air purifier

  okay…hear me out. With a kid living in a 100 year old dorm, I decided to splurge on the gold standard for air purifiers. This little machine fit easily under his dorm bed - it ran 24/7 and was super duper quiet. And, when one roommate got sick, the other didn’t. Plus, I felt better knowing whatever was in that old building for the past 100+ years wasn’t circulating in the air.

Move-In Day Supplies

• wipes

• paper towels & spray soap (I love this one and it comes in good scent options)

• masking tape

• snacks

• water bottle

• scissors

Clothing

…this one is pretty personal. Here’s what I’d suggest: If your kid is going to do laundry weekly, a few pairs of pants/shorts/shirts are probably good. If you know laundry may be “few and far between,” I may suggest packing more. Go heavy on things like underwear, socks. Beyond that, here are a few things to remember to pack:

• rain jacket

• warm coat (sometimes hard to remember in August!)

• dress shoes/suit/fancy dress? both my kids needed a suit first semester

One of my boys took pretty much all of his clothes. The other, took a super small “capsule” wardrobe. Both were happy with their decision.

Wait and See

• desk lamp

• kitchen supplies (bowls, plates, cups, silverware)

Important Papers

• drivers license

• birth certificate?

  Both of my boys needed theirs in the first month to apply for a job. Not something I really wanted them to take, but it was necessary.

• car registration & insurance information ( keep a copy at home just in case!)

• medical & dental cards