Hey there! If you read my frazzled Friday post then you know we are sending another kiddo off to college in the fall. Actually in just a few short weeks – four to be exact. Ugh.

I hate to say it friends, but it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it before with other kids, it doesn’t get any easier. That first year is just tough. It’s such an adjustment for everyone. For the student getting used to being in a new place, with all new people, away from home, taking care of themselves essentially. And, for the ones left at home – Mom, Dad, and siblings – adjusting to the ‘new normal’ family dynamic that is missing part of the family. This year sending one more off will mean only having one at home. This kiddo has always had his older siblings, he’s never had our full attention, and to be honest I’m not sure he wants it. HAHA! He and his brother are best buds, thank the Lord, so I’m thinking it’s going to be extra hard on him.

Anywho, all the emotions aside. It’s happening and we are trying to get all our ducks in a row, and all the things that he might need when he gets there. He will be living on campus in a traditional dorm setting. This is our third time around with this, so I definitely feel more at ease and not panicked over all the things he might need. There are a few things of course that are pretty basic. Then there are a few things that will be new to my shopping list this year. And, then of course we will see what else we need when we get there. The truth is, every dorm room is different. Storage situations are different, size of the rooms are different, kids are different. It’s almost impossible to not make a Walmart or Target run on the day of move in! I’ve created a PDF just for you with my list of must haves. You can download it here!

College Packing List

And to help you out with your shopping I found all these goodies on Amazon, all shipping in plenty of time to get here before move-in (at the time of writing this of course :))!

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1. 100% Cotton Sheet Set – Don’t forget most dorm room beds are Twin XL
2. Water Pitcher With Filter – This will save some money on buying bottled water and you might as well buy some extra filters for them while you’re at it.
3. USB Multi Port – Just plain useful for all the gadgets they might need to plug-in
4. Tension Rod – Great alternative to a curtain rod!
5. Towel Set – Necessary and great reviews!
6. Extra Long Charging Cord – There are not a ton of outlets in most dorm rooms so a little extra reach will probably be handy.
7. Shower Caddy – For those community bathrooms or shared bathroom spaces.
8. Black-out Curtains – For all those mornings they want to sleep in. 😉
9. Foam Mattress Topper – Dorm room mattresses are just awful so this is going in my cart right now.
10. BackPack – I love that this is slim but still has all the bells and whistles.
11. Surge Protector Power Strip – Most dorm rooms do not allow extension cord that aren’t surge protectors.
12. Bluetooth Speaker – My son loves this speaker and it’s a great value!
13. Hairdryer – If you share this in your house like we do, don’t forget they’ll need their own!
14. Printer – Some colleges offer a printing service, but my kids always preferred to have their own printer, and this one is wireless.
15. Flash Drive Set – These are a great value, and I love that they have a key-chain hole on them.

Happy shopping! This is the fun part mamas! Enjoy every minute!! Let’s do this!