Get Organized for College

It was a crisp fall day in 1989. Students were going in and out of the dorms like ants carrying trunks, suitcases, and tote bags. Befuddled parents were standing outside, trying to be helpful but mostly chatting with other parents and taking in the scene. This would be their beloved, newly-adult child’s home for the next year and they wanted to memorize it all.

State-of-the-art ‘80s dorm must haves were an answering machine, a boombox with a CD player, and a word processor (or, if you were lucky, a DOS-based computer or Macintosh SE). Throw in a wall tapestry and a Klimt poster and you’ve got a pretty fine room!
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Now that my oldest daughter is heading off to college this fall, I figured I probably shouldn’t rely just on my own experience to help figure out what she needs. So I polled my mom friends with kids currently in college to find their best move-in tips. Now I get to share them with you!​

What has changed? The rooms are still small, the beds are still twin XL, and that Klimt poster is still popular, but most other things have undergone some great updates.
Here are my favorites to make sure your student has all the essentials.

• Packing List: Search “packing list” on your college’s website for a comprehensive list of what that school recommends and what is not allowed (e.g. candles). Print this out and use it as a checklist.
• ​Linens and dorm essentials: One-stop shopping to outfit your dorm? Yes, it’s real! My colleague Sherri Curley of The Practical Sort says On Campus Marketing (OCM) is the easiest and most economical way to get a complete dorm kit (sheets, mattress pad, pillows, towels, etc.) delivered directly to the room. Sherri was impressed with the quality and price. Go for the 27-piece kit and the only decision your student has to make is the color.
• Food: Rent a microwave/fridge combo from mymicrofridge.com then stack plastic drawers on top of the fridge (I like the sturdy, stackable ones you can find at The Container Store.) to hold snacks like granola bars and chips.

• Planner: Stay organized with the best planner out there, the patented Order Out of Chaos Academic Planner. (Use my affiliate link and code PLANNER20 for 20% off. While you’re there, grab a copy of the awesome studying guide book, “How To Do It Now...Because It’s Not Going Away.”)
• Clothes: Slip trash bags over hanging clothes—one from the top, one from the bottom, then tie or tape them—and transport them that way so they’re ready to go right into the closet. Of course, this only works if you’re driving to school. If you’re flying, don’t forget to pack or order hangers.
• Toiletries: Everyone knows about the ubiquitous mesh shower caddy, but my genius friend Lisa pairs it with an absorbent dish drying mat so it can drip dry on the top of the bureau without getting anything else wet.

• Electronics: Be sure your charging cables are at least 6’ long so they can reach to the top of a bunk bed.

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• Shoes, coats, and much, much more! Wall pockets and over-the-door hooks can go on the backs of doors, closet doors, bunk beds, or even just the wall to create places to stash all kinds of stuff while keeping everything visible and organized.​

• First Aid: My friend Paige lovingly packed her son a complete First Aid Kit and found that he became the go-to guy whenever someone had a cut, headache, or sore throat—good training for a kid who’s pre-med.
  • Bandaids, gauze, tape, liquid bandage (like New-Skin)
  • Bactine and antibiotic ointment 
  • Tweezers
  • Benadryl tablets
  • Advil/Tylenol
  • Thermometer
  • Cough syrup and sore throat/cough drops
  • Pepto-Bismol tablets and/or Imodium 
  • Heartburn tablets
  • Cortizone or Benadryl cream
  • Bug spray, sun block, and aloe lotion
  • Ace bandage
  • Ice pack (reusable or instant)
  • Chapstick and/or Aquaphor

My last but definitely not least tip is an essential dorm-room supply that every college student needs. It’s the envelope that Paige put in the First Aid Kit with the headline “For emergencies that haven’t been addressed.”

​Inside the envelope is a note that reads, “I’m here for you. Just a call away. 💗”
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With all that plus an Amazon Prime account, your student is college ready!​

NOTE: The only affiliate link in this blog is for the Order Out of Chaos Academic Planner and book, products I totally believe in. All other links are for your information only and I receive no commission from them.