Shopping and Packing Tips
What Your Child Should Get and How to Make It Fit
For most students, leaving for college means living away from home for the first time. There’s a lot to think about — including what to buy and how much to pack.
Organization will help these tasks go smoothly. Your child can use our checklist as a starting point to figure out what to bring. Encourage your child to start shopping for college early. That way, the last few weeks at home will be stress-free.
Help Your Child Be Realistic
In college accommodations, your child’s space will be limited. Remind your child to consider what clothing and items will really be needed and really be used.
Here are other tips to give your child:
- Bring things that make your living space feel like home, such as important mementos and photographs of family and friends.
- Remember that most dorm room closets are fairly small. Take seasonal clothing with you and plan on swapping it out when you go home during breaks.
- Estimate how often you’ll do laundry and bring enough clothing to last between loads — weeks can fly by when you're busy settling into college life.
- Check with roommates to avoid duplication — since space is tight, it’s a good idea to share what you can, such as a refrigerator and television.
- Use duffle bags to transport your belongings — they hold a lot and don’t take up much room.
Turn Your Child into a Savvy Shopper
Your child may already own many of the necessities for freshman year. You can both take a look at what’s already in the house before you start shopping. Separate out the nice-to-haves from the essential items.
Your child should then make a budget — and stick to it. Sales, coupons, warehouse clubs and frequent-buyer cards can help stretch your child’s buying power. So can discount stores and consignment shops. Not everything your child takes to college needs to be new. Older siblings and friends may be able to pass along some of the necessary items as well.
Get Your Child’s Stuff to College
If going by car, your child can pack the essentials first to see if it looks like everything will fit into the vehicle. Any nonessential items can be picked up during visits home later.
If your child is flying or taking a train, remember that the carrier may charge fees for any baggage over a certain limit. It might be cheaper for your child to have some items shipped, or to buy certain things on campus.
