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Home » Home Organization » Kids » College Success » FREE Dorm Room Checklist and Tips for Successful School Year

FREE Dorm Room Checklist and Tips for Successful School Year

Last Modified: July 11, 2023 Sabrina Quairoli This blog uses cookies. It also has affiliate links. We earn sponsored content income.

Free dorm Room Checklist and Tips for a Successful School Year - featured image

There are so many areas to organize when you are away. You not only have to deal with your schoolwork but also handle your living facilities. Lucky for you, I have compiled this post with FREE Dorm Room Checklist and many tips for a successful college year.

------22% of US students live in older on-campus dormitories.-----

Jump to:
  • Get a checklist from your university or make your own.
  • Items you will need for the Room:
  • Things you will need for Linens/Laundry
  • Items you will need for studying:
  • Electronics you will need:
  • Misc. things you will need:
  • The Clothing you will need
  • Toiletries you will need for your dorm
  • Dorm Kitchen Things you will need
  • Other things you will need
  • Other Things you can share the cost with your roommate
  • Useful dorm room checklist tips to save money

Get a checklist from your university or make your own.

I made the below checklist, and you can add your items to it as well. It is a three-page checklist. The last page is blank, so you can write in whatever is missing. I made this checklist a few years ago when my kids went to college. I researched and made it with various other online lists to customize it for my kids. Feel free to print it out and use it.

The first page includes the section Room needs, Linens/Laundry, Desk Supplies, Electronics, and Misc. items like home decor.

Items you will need for the Room:

These items are great for your dorm room area.

Dollar Tree Back To School Supplies
Alarm clock
Bulletin  Board
Desk lamp
Dry erase board
Drying rack
Hammer
Lamp for bed
Picture hangers
Screwdriver
Storage  unit
Trash can
Under bed storage
Wrench

Things you will need for Linens/Laundry

The items on this list are laundry and other linens you will need.

***AD*** The best academic planner for students! Order Out of Chaos Academic planner helps track time and tasks! Buy 1 or more today!

Bed sheets – 2
Blanket
Clothes Hangers
Comforter
Laundry Bag
Laundry detergent
Lint brush
Mattress pad
Mini sewing kit
Pillow cases  - 2
Pillows - 2
Terry Cloth Robe
Towels – 3 sets

Items you will need for studying:

This section is for the items on your desk. If you use a tablet for your notes, you can add that as well.

3x5 index cards (optional)
Folders w/ Pocket
Markers
Notebooks
Paper clips
Pen/Pencils
Pencil case/sharpener
Printer Paper
Push Pin/magnets
Scissor / Tape
Stamp/Envelopes
Stapler/staples
Sticky notes
USB Drive

Electronics you will need:

These items are a necessity these days. Don't forget your cables. Buy a few extra USB cables. We must have replaced at least 3 of them in one semester when your kids were freshmen.

Cellphone and camera
Extension cords
Headset
MP3 Player
Portable speaker
Surge protector
Cellphone and camera

Misc. things you will need:

These items are things that you may or may not want to bring. If you do bring posters, be sure to protect them during your travel and carry the right type of tape for your dorm. Ask the RA or Campus Life and they can tell you the one they recommend.

Cotton Swabs
Lounge Chair
Moisturizers
Picture Frames
Posters
Razor and shaving cream
Swimsuit
dorm room checklist page 1

The following page has clothing. Have at least two weeks of outfits so you don't have to wash clothes weekly.

The Clothing you will need

Bringing a variety of clothing is important, especially if you are going to school out of state or several hours away.

Boots
Dress
Gloves
Jackets
Pants/jeans
PJs
Shoes
Slippers
Sneakers
Socks
Sweaters
Sweats
Underwear

Toiletries you will need for your dorm

The toiletry column has a variety of things you will need that are most likely stored around your home. Gather these items using this checklist page to remind you.

Bath / face soap
Comb / brush
Cough drops
Dental Floss
Hair dryer/irons
Hairstyle supplies
Medicine
Nail clippers
Shampoo/cond.
Shower caddy
Shower Flip Flops
Toothbrush&paste
Tweezers
Vitamins

Dorm Kitchen Things you will need

If you have a kitchen or a kitchenette, you may need the next column of items. If you are looking for cleaning items, check out our new checklist of dorm room cleaning products here.

Bowl, plate & cup
Can/Bottle Opener
Cleaning products
Coffee mug
Dish soap
Food storage bins
Light bulbs
Paper towels
Silverware
Tissues
Trash bags
Water bottle
Wet wipes

Other things you will need

These items may be things you used in high school, but they should be added to the list.

Backpack
Sports equipment
Umbrella

Other Things you can share the cost with your roommate

The cost of these items can be shared with your roommates. Connect with them now to see what everyone can bring and then go shopping. Check out our first apartment helpful tips post for more ideas! And check out our Studio Apartment Organization Tips post for even more inspiration.

Area Rug
Coffee Maker
DVD player
Microwave
Small Refrigerator
TV
dorm room checklist page 2

The next packing sheet is blank for you to add all the other items you may need. You can even add a topic header to it.

dorm room checklist blank

Then, check out these posts. Organizing College Dorm Room - Part 1 and Organizing College Dorm Room - Part 2. These posts include links to buy stuff through Amazon (affiliate). Easy peasy!

Nervous about dorm life? Feel free to visit these posts that my two college students helped me create:

TIPS FOR GIRLS GOING TO COLLEGE IN THE CITY

HELPFUL TIPS FOR FRESHMAN BOYS GOING TO COLLEGE

Useful dorm room checklist tips to save money

You can really go overboard shopping for your new place. So to keep it simple, I am sharing some tips to ensure you don't overspend!

Set a budget

Be sure to set a budget. Gather your family around and decide if the budget is feasible. If it is not, ask family, friends, and relatives to see if they can contribute or have items you may need that they don't want any longer.

Talk to your roommate at least a month in advance.

Some new college freshmen don't want to do this, but it makes it so much easier and less costly if you do. Reach out to your roommate at least a few weeks before to see if there are items they are bringing, like a TV, refrigerator, or microwave, that you can share.

Assign a place in your home to collect all these items.

Usually, we buy these dorm room items over time, so having a place for them, like the garage, basement, or attic, will keep them out of the way. Using our garage worked nicely to store the bought items. Each kid had a corner to store their bought items. The items didn't even make it into our smaller house.

Decide on your study and relaxing spaces in your dorm room/university.

My son found it critical to do his studying at the library instead of in the tiny dorm room. Getting a planner is also important. I love the small academic planner by Order Out of Chaos(R) (affiliate link) to help manage time. Visit THE REASONS I LOVE ORDER OUT OF CHAOS® ACADEMIC PLANNER post on why I love these planners so much. Adding these time slots for studying and relaxing into the planner or digital calendar will help you start the year right. You can always modify it later.

Update or upgrade your computer.

If you plan on keeping your laptop for college, ensure that the anti-virus and spyware are updated. Check with your college to see if they offer free software for students.

Cleaning your computer of unnecessary photos, apps, etc... will make the computer run more smoothly. If you visit the computer center on your university campus website, they will probably have a list of recommended software to install.

If you need to purchase a new laptop, look for one that is common for your major. Visit the recommended things to bring on your college's website for more details. They usually have a general list to help you.

Taking the car to campus? do these things first.

If you are taking your vehicle to campus, get your car serviced. An oil change, tire rotation, and brake check are essential. Ask them to check the tires and fluids. Make an appointment a few weeks before you leave, so they have time to repair the car if there is an issue. Then, your car will be ready to go with you.

Also, buy your parking pass sooner than later. A parking pass is required when you are on campus. The larger the campus, the more likely there will be commuters that need parking passes too, so they may sell out. Visit the campus security office, which is usually where you can buy the parking tag.

And make sure your insurance is informed. You are required to tell them where your car is being "garaged." Be aware that your car insurance premiums may increase if you go into a city or a higher crime area.

Plan Plan Plan

And lastly, create a timeline to know what you need to do before you leave home. Start with the move-in date and assign tasks to the days working up to the move-in date.

Order Out of Chaos Academic Planner Saturday and Sunday

These FREE Dorm Room Checklist sheets and all these tips will help you from being overwhelmed during this new experience. Please let me know if you have any questions. I am here to help - lots of luck to you all.

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

Below are other College success posts to help you with your new year!

  • 25 Areas to Clean in a Dorm Room regularly to keep germs at bay featured image
    25 Areas to Clean a Dorm Regularly
  • Practical Graduate Gift Ideas your Student Will Love
    Practical Graduate Gift Ideas your Student Will Love
  • How to Change a Tin Can into a marker bin featured image with title on it
    How to Change a Tin Can into a Marker Bin
  • Easy Healthy Snacks for College Students Dorm Life
    Easy Healthy Snacks for College Students Dorm Life
Free dorm Room Checklist and Tips for a Successful School Year - square image
Free dorm Room Checklist and Tips for a Successful School Year - square image
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Dollar Tree Back To School Supplies

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About Sabrina Quairoli

I love sharing my passion for organizing life and home. I hope you get inspired when visiting my home organizing tips, quick weeknight recipes, party planning ideas, and DIY organizing projects. Visit the About Me page to read my story.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katherine Macey

    August 21, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    Super useful stuff here! I love the tip about bringing at least two weeks' worth of clothing. Weekly laundry is SUCH a hassle, and usually doesn't even fill up the washer! Twice a month is plenty in a dorm.

    These are wonderful resources for parents and college kids, great post!

    • Sabrina Quairoli

      August 22, 2022 at 8:27 am

      Thanks, Katherine! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. =)

  2. Janet Scheisl

    August 16, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    Great lists Sabrina. These definitely will be helpful as my nieces and nephews head off to college. Wish I had them for my kids growing up!

  3. Jana Arevalo

    August 15, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    Oh wow! I'm going to have to save this for a few years from now. What a comprehensive and complete list! Love it.

    • Sabrina Quairoli

      August 16, 2022 at 8:45 am

      Thanks, Jana! =)

  4. Julie Bestry

    August 15, 2022 at 3:45 pm

    This is a superb checklist, and reminds me of my college days, especially that first summer preparing to leave. My mother's smartest tactic was buying two huge nylon duffel bags. They were perfect for storing all of my sheets, towels, and any cold-weather clothes needed before the Fall Break switch, dust-free under the bed, basically taking up no space.

    I'm surprised to see microwaves and coffee makers on the list; I guess I'm old, because in the olden days we couldn't have cooking-related electronics in the dorms. There were microwaves in the unit and main kitchens, but even hot pots (which were basically electric kettles, but not as cool) were verboten.

    Don't forget that blue sticky-blobby stuff for putting posters up on cinder block walls!

    • Sabrina Quairoli

      August 15, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      At my kids' universities, I learned they don't want people using sticky stuff anymore. Now it is Command Strips or Duck Tape. Crazy, right?

  5. Laura

    August 15, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    Such a great and comprehensive list! We just dropped our oldest off over the weekend and used many of these tips. 🙂

  6. Linda Samuels

    August 15, 2022 at 10:41 am

    What terrific lists you made! You bring me back to preparing our daughters for college. I had lists and so did they. There was a point when we had boxes and duffles packed and labeled in our living room waiting for move-in day.

    One of the other things I had both of them do before they went to college, was go through their memorabilia and other possessions at home to do an edit. This was so helpful. It was a great way to help them (and me) review life so far, clear out the things that were no longer useful or meaningful, and prepare them emotionally for moving onto the next phase of their lives.

    • Sabrina Quairoli

      August 15, 2022 at 10:59 am

      I love the idea of going through memorabilia. Thanks for sharing.

  7. Seana Turner

    August 15, 2022 at 9:36 am

    Planning goes a long way on this one! I'm just glad that kids are moving back to college with a more 'normal' scene this year, right?

    I remember when my girls went, there was months of planning. They considered every little detail and were planning forever. In contrast, my friends who had sons said their boys hadn't given it much thought. It was more of a "oh, I head to school tomorrow, I guess I should throw some stuff in trash bags."

    I will say, I was surprised how much my kids still printed things. Their eyes get tired of looking at screens, and a lot of their reading wasn't in books, but rather was online. They often preferred to print and read the paper.

  8. Diane N Quintana

    August 15, 2022 at 9:01 am

    Really good checklists, Sabrina. I also like your advice for bringing a car to school. It's so important to know the rules about parking before you drive onto campus and start looking for a space to park.

  9. Janet Barclay

    August 15, 2022 at 6:51 am

    Great checklists and tips - I especially like the one about checking with your roommate so you don't both bring the same item. Not only do you not need two fridges, you probably don't have room for them either!

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