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 黑料视频 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 Binghamton 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.