Yet Another “What to Bring to College” List

I’m going to assume one of two things: you’re either sick of seeing “what-bring-to-college” lists, or, like I was, you’re reading every possible one JUST in case.

Between my roommate and I, we have everything you could ever need in our room. Sewing kit? Got it. DW40? Got that too. Pliers? Yup. We may have a little too much, but honestly, most things have ended up coming in handy.

So whether you’re sick of them or not, here’s our list of things that have been helpful in our “mom-friend” room.

For your Desk

– Tape

-Scissors

– Stapler and staples (we both forgot to include those which kind of defeated the purpose…)

– Binder clips/paperclips

– Pencil sharpener

– Stamps and envelopes

– Pens and pencils (hopefully an obvious one!)

– White boards (My roommate absolutely swears by these, and you can find at least three white boards on their side of the room at all times.)

– Extra note pads, index cards, and sticky notes—our floor is constantly littered by them.

Random Household Items (that are really easy to forget)

– Lightbulbs

– Batteries

– WD40 (this was really helpful when we moved our beds up a rung.)

– Stain remover

– Landry detergent pods (our washers will only take the pods)

– Medicine kit/first aid

– Sewing kit

-Extra cash for emergencies (and Friday flowers!), and a place to store important documents/your ID.

– Reusable bags for shopping trips to the campus bookstore, Target, or Family Fare (our local grocery store, which is about a fifteen minute walk from campus).

(And the Most Important…) Food Stuff!

– Bag clips!

– Silverware, bowls, plates, cups, mugs… Anything that you may need day to day. This was an afterthought for me, but it was a MUST and I’m so glad I brought this stuff!

– Other random kitchen things, like a pizza cutter, spatula, or cutting board (these random items have been surprisingly helpful for my roommate and me).

– Cloth napkins

– A water bottle or two

– Seasoning and condiments

– Snacks! (My favorites: oatmeal packets and tea for chilly days, granola bars for midnight study breaks, and yogurt. My roommate’s go tos: frozen pizza, goldfish, and applesauce.)

Don’t forget to bring…

– Things that make you happy, even if they’re not practical. They’ll be essential for making your room at Carleton feel like your room. These could be items like window plants, photos, stuffed animals and extra blankets, books, wall hangings…

Some additional advice:

– If you’re debating whether or not to bring an extra storage container, bring it! If it turns out that you don’t need it, it’ll be easy enough to store. However, it’s more than likely that you will end up using it at some point.

– Lots of people bike here. Yes, even when there’s snow on the ground. Bikes, skateboards, scooters, and even unicycles can be found at Carleton; my roommate recently bought a kids’ razor scooter from Target, and says it’s been a lifesaver! I definitely recommend considering this when coming to campus.

I can’t wait to see you here!

Ren (they/them) grew up catching salamanders, recklessly climbing trees, and running around barefoot in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town in North Carolina. This is their first year at Carleton, and they’re looking forward to meeting new people, exploring campus (especially the arb!), and experiencing their first Minnesota winter. They are currently interested in studying psychology and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Meet the other bloggers!