Affiliate Disclosure:This Old House’s Reviews Team is committed to delivering honest, objective, and independent reviews on home products and services. To support this business model, This Old House may be compensated if you purchase through links on our website.
Having reliable and practical off-to-college supplies helps students achieve academic success. Whether you’re a parent shopping for your recent high school graduate or a graduate-level college student returning this fall, our team is here to help.
From classroom essentials to closet organization, we curated this list of college and dorm supplies to help you make the most out of the upcoming school year.
SwissGear Scansmart TSA 17-Inch Laptop Backpack
- $77.46
Prices taken at time of publishing.
TRIPPED Travel Gear Tech Bag
- $39.95
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker
- $24.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Comforter Bedding Set
- $40.87
Prices taken at time of publishing.
HOLDN’ STORAGE Hanging Closet Shelves with Rod
- $29.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Keurig K-Express Coffee Maker
- $79.19
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Simple Modern Insulated Water Bottle
- $24.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker
- $29.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Bose Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
- $329.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
STAEDTLER Triplus Highlighters
- $13.98
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Considerations When Buying College Supplies
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by college supply checklists. While you don’t want to stick to only the bare essentials and feel underprepared, you don’t want to overpack and weigh yourself down, either. To help you buy the right high-quality items for college with confidence, we’ve identified some of the most important considerations.
Frequency of Use
Consider how often you’ll use certain items as you make a list of what you already have and what you still need. Prioritize these items based on their frequency of use. For example, you would use a closet organizer daily to store and access your clothes. On the other hand, a TV may not be as useful if you’re already busy doing classwork, studying, joining clubs, and participating in other aspects of campus life.
Protective Gear
A good way to minimize your college costs is to avoid breaking anything valuable or expensive—your smartphone, laptop, or other electronics. For this reason, we recommend using a sturdy, protective laptop cover and case or transporting these items in a backpack designed to carry electronics.
Replaceable Items
Items such as toiletries, various electronics, and clothing are easily replaced or purchased online. As you pack and before you leave, double-check that you’ve packed everything you wish to bring that can’t easily be bought elsewhere.
Items from Home
Although parents of college students aren’t going off to school themselves, it may be challenging to be away from them for extended periods. For added peace of mind, send new students with a well-stocked first aid kit and any memorabilia or personal items you want them to have while you’re gone.
Typical Items for a College Freshman
What first-time college students need depends on whether they’re living on-campus in the dorms, where they’re attending college, what they’re studying, and other personal preferences.
Before you embark on an off-to-college shopping sre to check in with campus housing to see what’s already provided. Here’s a general list of practical, everyday items for first-year students:
- Backpack or messenger bag
- Bath towels
- Bedding and a mattress (if not provided)
- Clothing storage
- Decor and other personal belongings
- Hamper or laundry bag
- Headphones or earbuds
- Laptop (including accessories, peripherals, and a carrying case)
- Lighting, such as a desk lamp
- Mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker, or other small appliances
- Notebooks, index cards, and sticky notes
- Pens, pencils, and highlighters
- Portable shower caddy
- Reusable water bottle or thermos
Frequently Asked Questions About Going Off to College
What do you really need to pack for college?
Make sure to bring any personal items that you can’t easily obtain on campus or at a nearby office supply store. This could include your favorite backpack, a laptop and charger, bedding or blankets, clothing, pillows, decorations, and pictures.
What do college students need most?
A comfortable and roomy backpack may be the most important item for college students. Supportive footwear is also often overlooked—the steps walking around campus add up. Additionally, make sure you have access to campus resources like an academic advisor, campus safety officer, financial aid, various athletics clubs, and other extracurricular activities.
What are the most popular college majors?
Engineering, psychology, education, and computer science are among the most popular college majors. If you’re a freshman entering your first-year college experience, don’t put too much pressure when deciding on a major. Most universities don’t require selecting a major until your sophomore year.
How We Selected Off-to-College Products
To provide our readers with the best recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.
Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of college and dorm products with a significant number of verified-buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers.
Expert Insights: Through our years of experience, we’ve learned that listening to what others have to say is key to building accurate, well-rounded articles. To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews and videos from trusted publications and independent testers, spoke with subject matter experts, and drew insights from reader contributions.
Final Product Selection: We then began fine-tuning our list by replacing older models with the latest versions and eliminating any discontinued models. From there, we pared the list down further by comparing each model’s feature set and selecting the best-in-class options for a variety of buyers, budgets, and scenarios.
Why You Can Trust Us
This Old House has empowered homeowners, DIY-ers, and renters for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content.
Our team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published over 1,600 reviews on products in the home space, from doorbell cameras and backyard fencing to pool vacuums and snow blowers.
Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.
Questions or Comments?
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.