NextPath

From how to plan, who to call, what to take, and what to leave behind, here’s your ultimate college move-in checklist. Run through this, and you can be sure you’ve covered all your bases — you’ll be packed, prepared, ready to take the dorms by storm and have everything you need to make your home away from home.

The Pre-Packing Q&A

Before you even start packing or running down a checklist, you need to have an idea of what flies and what doesn’t at your school. Most schools post their on-campus housing policies online and in their student handbook. But if you can’t find this information, call your campus housing office.

• What are the dorm policies? Which appliances are ok and which are banned?

• What furniture or appliances are already provided with your room?

• How are you allowed to decorate your room? Is your bedroom furniture modular, and are you allowed to move it around?

• Who are the resident assistants (RA.s) or others who can help you with housing or roommate questions, and how do you get a hold of them?

The Roommate Rundown

It can also help to team up with your future roomie(s) and decide who’s bringing what, so you can make sure, first of all, that you have everything you’re going to need, and secondly, so that you don’t both bring the same thing. A couple conversations can also go a long way toward starting your roomie relationship off on the right foot.

• Call your roommate(s), introduce yourself, and get to know each other a little so it won’t be as awkward on your first day.

• Plan who’s going to bring shared items like a TV, DVD player, Wii, mini-fridge, microwave, etc.

• If there are some shared items neither of you has, plan on a shopping excursion your first week of school where you can split the shopping list.

• Review the floor plan (are you living in a double? triple? quad?) and decide who’s taking which bed so there aren’t any surprises when you get to campus.

Deal With Unboxable Details

Getting ready to move isn’t just about packing boxes and suitcases. You need to make sure you’re covered for living on your own for the first time:

• Health insurance. Most schools require that you have medical insurance. Before you ever set foot on campus, make sure you’re covered under your parents’ policy (verify out-of-state coverage if you’re moving out of state to go to school), or else see if you can purchase insurance through your school. Make copies of your insurance cards, have your home physician’s info in your phone or PDA, and find a physician in the city where you’re moving to.

• Renters insurance. If your dorm room gets broken into or a pipe bursts, your school’s most likely not liable for anything that gets stolen or damaged. Look into a renters insurance policy, which can be as little as $10 a month for several thousand dollars worth of coverage.

• Cell phone. If you’re moving out of state, make sure your calling plan doesn’t hit you with long-distance or roaming charges. If it does, either switch to a plan with unlimited roaming and long-distance, or find a different provider. If you stay in touch by text and e-mail a lot from your phone, consider getting a plan with unlimited texting and media minutes, if your current plan doesn’t already have this.

• Money. If you bank with a national chain, find a branch and at least three ATMs close to campus so you can get the cash you need on the fly, without having to pay any ATM fees. If your bank is local only, consider finding a different bank close to campus that you can keep at least a checking account at while you’re in school. Open a checking account, if you haven’t already, and look into getting a debit card.

• Valuables. Mark all your electronics and other valuables with your name and hometown (avoid including personal info like your driver’s license number, home address, or Social Security number that identity thieves could use). You can use a permanent marker, an engraver, or find tamper-resistant asset tags online; DataDot offers a micro-dot asset identification technology that’s pretty cool and not too pricey. Store a record of all your tagged items, along with a picture, in a safe place, for insurance purposes, in case anything gets stolen.

What to Leave at Home

• Stuffed animals. You may be attached to your childhood friends, but it’s a lot of bulk to carry with you for sentimental reasons. And do you really want to run the risk of Snoopy being held hostage by the juniors down the hall?

• Clothes you’ll need to dry clean. Dry cleaning will get inconvenient — and expensive — fast. Since you’re going to be doing your own laundry soon, keep it machine-washable and low-maintenance.

• Candles and incense. Many schools don’t allow these lovely mood-enhancers since they’re considered fire hazards.

• Halogen lamps. Halogens can be as dangerous as open candle flames. They kick out high-level heat that, when left unattended around curtains or flammable objects, can do major damage.

• Illegal stuff. You know what we’re talking about here: Drugs, alcohol, knives, nunchucks, ninja throwing stars, any other implement intended primarily to bring about injury, death, or destruction.

What to Bring With You — The Checklists

Bed & Bath

• Alarm clock
• Bedside lamp
• Blankets
• Comforter
• Fan
• Hangers
• Iron and ironing board
• Laundry bag/basket
• Laundry detergent and fabric softener
• Laundry drying rack
• Mattress pad
• Pillows
• Sheets and pillow cases
• Stain remover
• Towels

Desk & Office Supplies

• 3x5 index cards
• Bulletin board, push pins
• Dry erase board/calendar
• Desk calendar
• Desk lamp
• Dictionary and thesaurus
• DVD-Rs and CD-Rs
• Flash drive or USB drive
• Hanging files and folders
• Highlighters
• Labels
• Notebooks and folders
• Paper clips and rubber bands
• Pens and pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Phone/address book
• Planner/assignment book
• Post-it notes
• Printer paper and toner
• Ruler and scissors
• Stackable desk trays
• Stapler and staples
• Stamps and envelopes
• Trash can

Electronics

(Check with your roommate on the shared stuff so you don’t both bring the same thing.)

• CDs, DVDs, and mp3s
• Computer/laptop
• DVD player
• Ethernet cable or modem phone cord
• iPod or mp3 player
• iPod dock
• Outlet adapters
• Phone
• Printer
• Surge protector and extension cords
• TV

Storage & Tools

• Adhesive, adhesive hooks, double-sided tape
• Hammer and nails
• Plastic storage bins
• Poster tape
• Screwdrivers (Phillips head, flat head)
• Tool kit

Toiletries

• Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen
• Band-aids, Neosporin
• Brush and comb
• Cologne/perfume
• Cotton balls
• Cough drops
• Dental floss
• Flip-flops (for the shower stalls)
• Hair dryer
• Hairstyling products
• Lotion/moisturizer
• Nail clippers, tweezers
• Pepto-Bismol
• Q-tips
• Razors, shaving cream, aftershave
• Shampoo, conditioner
• Shower tote
• Soap
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Vitamins

Before You Leave

• Make sure you’re fully packed the night before you leave.
• Double-check again in the morning to make sure you have everything.
• Add any last minute items that you forgot.

Plan to get to campus as early as possible, and be ready for chaos on move-in day. Hundreds of first-year students who are as new as you are moving in to the dorms at the same time usually means pandemonium.