Essential Gear and Tips for College Freshmen and Their Parents
- Erika Doty
- Jul 21
- 6 min read
Do you have a kid heading off to college this fall? You knew this day was coming, but there is really no way to be completely prepared for it. If your child is moving into a dorm, Ikea, Target and Amazon probably have most of your money right now. You've likely been given checklists and shopping lists from the school, or saved a few screenshots from things you saw on Instagram. You have pictures of their dorm - or you toured it a while back.
Inevitably there will be something (or many things) that you'd wished you'd known, conversations you will wish you had, things you wished you'd thought of before dropping them off at school. And even if your child isn't moving away for school, there is still a lot to prepare for. Life is about to change a lot for both of you. How can you check all of the boxes?
Well, we did what we do best here at Babble: we Babbled about this with our village of parents and collected all of their amazing answers in one spot! Below you'll find a list of must-have/but-likely-haven't-thought-about items. You'll also find - and this is gold! - a list of advise from parents with college kids - stuff to do before they leave and once they arrive on campus. These parents have kids going into their senior year in college, just starting out as freshman, moved far away, moved just down the street...and everything in between.
Hey, parents with younger kids? Bookmark this page. I can tell you from experience, those "lots of years away from college" disappear in a blink of an eye and you'll need this list sooner than you expect.
Must-Have Items
If you have a college freshman moving into the dorms for the first time, your shopping list is long! Many of those items are obvious (XL Twin sheets), but below is a list of things you may not have thought about.
Ikea bags for moving (those big blue ones) or these moving bags from Amazon
Once moved in, these fold up flat and can be stored in a closet or under the bed, ready to be used again in 9 months.
Another Ikea find: Ikea sells a plastic bin with all kitchen utensils, cookware, etc for 1 person in a dorm. Here's a similar one on Amazon.
This cooling gel foam one came highly recommended!
Charging Cords & Extension Cords
Go with the "flat plug" ones - you never know what piece of furniture will be hiding that outlet.
At least 2 surge protectors (square ones are best): This is a great one!
Simple Cleaning Supplies: Don't get elaborate, they barely clean as it is. This kit is perfect!
From one parent: "Last spring we brought home a ton of unopened cleaning products."
If you get the fridge, you'll definitely want the Mini Fridge Caddy
Small First Aid Kit (again, don't go crazy, just the basics):
Oscillating Fan - there is rarely AC in dorms. This one is great!
Lamp(s) and/or reading lights and nightlights: These motion sensor ones are great of small hallways or bathrooms
Liquid IV and/or other hydration powder packets
Command Poster Board/Picture Hangers: Command Picture Hanging Kit
Cheap Slippers- floors are dirty in dorms and Greek houses!
Hanging Silicon Caddy - this is great for hanging on a shower caddy!
Adhesive Hooks (like Command, etc.)
Small, simple toolkit (a hammer, measuring tape, pliers, etc.)
Brita Filtered Water Pitcher: The water that comes out of the dorm faucets isn't usually great.
Things To Talk About BEFORE Kids Leave:
There is so much to do and so much to talk about. Our team of "moms of college kids" gave us a list of conversations, tips and tricks they are SO glad they tackled before move-in day.
Talk about expectations for academic performance, drinking, etc.
Talk about how many times per week you expect your child to communicate with you via phone or text.
Talk about how the first few weeks of school are new and face-paced, but that by October homesickness can start setting in: you miss friends and family, reality of academics starts kicking in, testing begins, etc. This is normal and expected. Hang in there.
Discuss that it's fun to go off to college and let the rules you've grown up with slide by, but if you start feeling crummy, go back to the basics: Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating a varied, healthy diet? Are you getting exercise? Are the people you're choosing to hang out with bringing you up or dragging you down? Make changes as needed.
Talk to your kids about what to do when they get sick at school...because it will happen. Send them with a decent medicine starter kit and instructions on how/when to use things.
Get dorm insurance. Gallagher has come highly recommended. Check with your homeowners insurance company as well.
Complete Mama Bear Legal forms before your child leaves for school. Some of these forms need to be notarized so leave time for this. This covers power of attorney, medical power of attorney, etc.
Before they come home for breaks, set expectations for how much family time is expected, curfews, etc.
Additional Tips & Tricks From Parents of College Students:
Recommend they keep their dorm room door open if they're in there and not studying or sleeping. It's a good way to make friends.
Teach your kids how to do laundry well before they move out. Tell them to set a timer when doing laundry so they can switch it out as soon as loads are done. Gross things happen to laundry left unattended or items go missing.
Get the cheapest food plan possible. Kids skip meals and eat so much with their friends.
Get the FERPA signed ASAP so that you can access your child's information.
What is FERPA? When your child is in college, because they are technically adults, parents no longer have automatic access to their kid's college info. A completed FERPA gets you access to their tuition info and other things they aren't mature enough to manage on their own yet.
Save your kid's address, drivers license number, SSN, college address and other vital documents, as well as your FERPA number, on Evernote so you can easily access them on the phone.
Make a copy of insurance cards for them to take.
Big schools will have some sort of lottery for tickets for sporting events. Start looking into this a year in advance.
Have your child give you contact info for their roommate's parents so you can coordinate things like mini fridges, microwaves, air fryers - things they'll only need one of in the dorm room.
Talk to your child about what an RA is and tell them to get to know theirs. Suggest looking into becoming an RA later in college to get free housing.
If your child is moving far away:
Learn how dorms/campuses handle Amazon deliveries, especially if your child is moving out of state. It's often cheaper and easier to send stuff directly to the dorm building rather than purchase and then ship or pack.
Utilize the online order/pick-up at store feature from WalMart, Target, etc. Don't pay to ship a bunch of stuff out there.
Think about next spring now and make a plan for moving out in 9 months: Where do we store the moving bags? Does the school do an end of year surplus sale (like a garage sale) so you can sell the mini friend and not ship it home? Do we store some of this stuff someplace on-campus or in town knowing it's needed again at the end of summer?
Buy less than you think you should. For example, so many cleaning supplies were unopened the entire year.
Advice for the Financial Stuff:
If you have a college saving account, get a debit card associated with the account. Transfer estimated semester tuition 2 weeks before you pay the tuition online. This way the card is loaded and ready to pay, instead of waiting 3 business days for it to transfer when you need it.
When filling out financial aid, make sure you have your last year's taxes, SSN and other vital docs on hand.
Call the Financial Aid Office a month before school begins to make sure financial aid is settled.
Have your child apply for as many scholarships as possible on campus. Use your college entrance essay and add the additional criteria you need for each specific scholarship.
❤️And last, but certainly not least, for the parents: Follow Harlan Cohen on Instagram for great college advice.
➡️Check back often - as our community Babbles about college prep, we will update and add to this list!
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