The Best Dorm Room Essentials at Target for College Move-In Day (2024)

FAQs

The Best Dorm Room Essentials at Target for College Move-In Day? ›

The most recommended tools were a screwdriver, tape measure, hammer, scissors, rubber mallet, and duct tape. Leave a set like this for your student who will use it moving in and out of dorms and apartments over the next four years…and beyond.

The most recommended tools were a screwdriver, tape measure, hammer, scissors, rubber mallet, and duct tape. Leave a set like this for your student who will use it moving in and out of dorms and apartments over the next four years…and beyond.

Many students find that five Collegeboxes are enough to facilitate most dorm room moves, but you can order boxes individually if you need more or less than what's provided in the Supply Kit.

Typically, on move-in day, resident assistants, employees of the housing department, and other student volunteers will help you unpack your vehicle or help you with your belongings for an easy process. They've established order of operations and will help make your child's move-in day as easy as possible.

Plan well in advance -- the sooner the better

Start to assess what you need and pack approximately three to four weeks before your college move-in day. Organizing, buying and packing can often take longer than expected, especially if it is your first time doing it.

Here's a checklist of dorm essentials to help you get started: Bedding: sheets, (dorm beds are Twin XL) blankets, pillows, and mattress pad – College mattresses are typically old and maybe 4″ thick. Towels: bath towel, hand towel, washcloth. Toiletries: soap, shampoo, toothpaste/toothbrush in a shower caddy.

How to make a dorm room look nice? ›

How Many Towels Do I Need for College? Space is at a premium in small dorm rooms, so be strategic in the number of towels you get for a college student. Two sets of towels is a general guideline—but only send pieces they'll use.

MORE THAN TWO SETS OF SHEETS AND TOWELS

Material can get damaged, and access to laundry supplies and to the laundry room may be limited on occasion. However, during the college move, it's unnecessary to bring more than two sets of sheets and towels.

Packing might require rounds of elimination as you realize you have way too many belongings. As a general rule of thumb, you need about one-third of the things you pack — a third of the clothes, a third of the decor, etc. Remember: dorm rooms are small.

Your college dorm will receive a deep cleaning before you move in, but we still recommend that you wipe down surfaces with a disinfecting wipe before you begin unpacking your things.

At many colleges, you do not have to move in on the first day designated as "move-in day." This is just the first day you can bring your items to your dorm. Many schools have a designated week during which you can move in. Some colleges, however, give you an appointment for a specific date and time to move in.

Typically, a dorm room includes a few pieces of basic furniture, including a bed, desk, chair, and lamp. Some colleges have dorm room essentials in the form of a small refrigerator and/or microwave.

Freshmen often move in before other students – typically between two days and a week before classes start in August or September – unless they are athletes or in the marching band, for instance, which may require earlier arrival.