College Supplies Checklist For Students And Teachers

So, you are going to begin a new chapter of your life. After successfully surpassing many difficult tests for over a decade, here is your chance to reshape the trajectory of your story and bring in new opportunities on the way.

Staying away from your family and the familiar faces will definitely be a challenge on its own. However, being adequately prepared for the coming days can lessen that burden a little.

We are here to help you make those preparations with a comprehensive list of necessities. Check out this college supplies list and see if you have all of them in place before moving out.

College Supplies List: Definitive Guide

Begin your college days with all the essentials in place!

The common items for a college student include a laptop, a calculator, pens of different colors, pencils, highlighters, sticky notes and folders.

If you are moving to a dorm, make sure you are bringing daily necessities for comfortable bedding, laundry and toiletries along with the usual stationery items.

You can also consider the items used for keeping your side of the room well-lit and organized. Pack your clothes and footwear according to the weather so that you don’t suffer from cold or high temperatures.

A. College Dorm Supply List

Mattress Pad

The beds of college dorms are usually not comfortable enough to sleep on. That is why it is a good idea to take a mattress pad to your dorm. Putting this above the default mattress will make it easier for you to fall asleep after a tiring day of classes and projects. A mattress pad made of memory foam is a popular choice.

Pillows

Some people may expect the dorm to provide their own pillows, but this is not the usual case. You will need to take one or two plush pillows to your dorm bed. They can be of different sizes for providing comfort in both bed and chair. Remember to take some pillowcases with you as well to keep things clean and hygienic.

Blanket

It goes without saying that we all need comfort while trying to sleep at night. That is especially true when you are miles away from home without the touch of a loved one. A blanket can give you the much-needed warmth in these scenarios. You can opt for a basic one or something thicker like a duvet.

Reading Light

College life means hours of studying and analyzing. Don’t forget about the restless nights before exams too!

You will definitely need a reading light to use during these hours of rigorous studies. So take a table lamp with you and if possible, a floor lamp as well. It is best to find one that can be used on both bed and table.

Desk Organizer

It can get a bit messy on the desk with so many assignments and presentations in your hand. To make sure that you will always find the essentials in a second, keep the collage items organized with a desk organizer. It will help you keep the pens, pencils, markers, erasers and sticky pads in place.

Hangers

These will be very useful to arrange the keys, clothes and similar items. Invest in a small keychain hanger to attach on your side of the wall.

Three or more hangers can keep the t-shirts, pants and coats in order for easy access. A great hack is to put two or more hangers on one hanger and then use those for more clothes!

Ironing Essentials

You may often find your clothes wrinkled on the night before presentations. In order to avoid the stress and panic following in these situations, it is best to take some basic ironing equipment with you. Pack in a foldable ironing board, a steam iron and other relevant items you deem necessary.

Detergent Powder

If your dorm does not provide laundry services, you must take a pack of detergent powder for doing the job yourself. It is preferred over laundry soaps for college life because the powder is cheaper and more manageable than the other. You can store the unused amount in a drawer without making other items wet or slippery.

Shoe Rack

If you have three or more pairs of shoes to take to your dorm, it is better to arrange them in a rack. This way, the shoes can be arranged properly according to their needs and can also save you some space for the storage of other items. Try to pick a rack with multiple shelves in one column for maximum space utilization.

Umbrella

Be it heavy rain or scorching heat, keeping an umbrella nearby always comes in handy. That is why you should take one with you to the hostel.

Although classic umbrellas with a manual mechanism are more common, it is smarter to go for an automatic one which will open up as soon as you press the button. Make sure it can fit inside your bag comfortably once you have folded it up before or after use.

Toiletries

Toiletries are an absolutely non-negotiable item for your daily dorm life. Classes or no classes - you got to take a shower! Otherwise, we may not complain, but your roommate definitely will.

So make sure you have packed in shampoo, body wash, towel, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, waterproof flip flops, shaving kit and a changing robe.

First Aid Kit

No one knows when you will fall sick or get yourself wounded. That is why it is a good idea to always have the first aid kit close by. If you are not sure what to put in the kit, start by adding usual medicines like paracetamols, Neosporin and Advil, along with a thermometer, decongestant, Band-Aids and some antiseptic wipes.

Toolbox

A very important step into being a completely independent adult is to take care of your own troubles yourself!

In this case, a toolbox can help you out by handing you the most frequently used hardware tools in one place. It should have items like nails, tapes, push pins and hammers. You can place it under the bed.

Utensils

If you are prone to late-night cravings and prefer eating out of a bowl instead of a packet, remember to get your own utensils into the dorm.

Among them, the absolute essentials include mugs, plates and spoons. For some fresh beverage, you can also bring in kettles, blenders or coffee makers.

B. Freshman College Supply List

Stationery Case

Similar to schools, you will need basic stationery items in college. These include pens, pencils, sharpener, eraser, highlighters, rulers and stapler. If your major subject demands some math, you will also need a calculator and probably a geometry box. Keep them all in one place using a pencil case.

Scissor

There will be many creative projects like posters throughout your time in college. You will need the scissors to cut out the colorful shapes and make your mark!  

Besides, it will also help you in regular daily tasks like cutting tape, opening up a shipment, package or the new snack!

Tape

You will often need tape to mend a crack in the books or mount a useful formula page on your bedside wall. There can be a class project or poster work which will also require using this adhesive tool. You can opt for duct tapes or the classic transparent Scotch tape for these tasks.

Student Planner

Even though the office copiers in your college should have papers to print on, they will often run out of such papers. As a result, you must always have at least one stack of A4 size papers or the format of paper your college printer accepts for future use.

Flash Drive

Exchange important notes and relevant digital materials easily through a flash drive. It will also help you to download PDF versions of textbooks and carry them with you whenever the need arises.

Sticky Notes

It is okay to forget the assignment due tomorrow morning among all the deadlines looming over you every week! However, an efficient way to make sure this doesn’t happen frequently is to put up sticky notes in different vibrant colors around your study space.

Notebooks

Of course, you will need notebooks to note down the important points mentioned by faculty members during lectures.

You can assign a different notebook for each course to keep the lecture pointers and detailed notes of a subject in one space.

Alternatively, you can use one notebook for taking class notes and others to create detailed notes of the individual subjects. Here some good quality spiral notebooks list.

Folders

The number of notes can get overwhelming at a point and cause you to lose them. Your marks may suffer because of it if you cannot find them on time before the exam.

That is why it is a good idea to arrange them in different folders or files. Remember to label them for easy identification. 3 Ring Binders would be very good choice for organize your notes and other paper.

Laptop Charger

Whenever you pack the laptop in the bag, remember to accompany it with the charger. All laptops drain out of battery charge at some point. Especially the older models which have been used for a long time are the most susceptible to this issue. So keep the charger close by and also use a converter plug to fit all sockets.

Power Bank

Similar to laptops, your smartphone may also be restricted to a few hours of battery charge. So if you are going to be away from your dorm room for a long time, remember to charge up the power bank for emergency use. You should also keep a power bank with you if your dorm has frequent power-outs.

Backpack

Although all kinds of bags are technically allowed in colleges, a backpack will be the best option to go for. That is because it can hold a lot of items at once and its multiple compartments will help you to keep them organized for easy access. You can use it to carry academic stuff, as well as water bottles and smart devices!

Conclusion

While almost all of these items are considered to be essentials for the college supplies list, you can modify them according to your individual needs and preferences.

Before deciding upon any electronic device, remember to check with your dorm supervisor to see if it is allowed.

So, here it is. Hopefully you already got an idea of what items you might need. We wish you an exciting and fruitful journey in this new stage of life!