As an admissions student ambassador at Cabrini, students ask me all of the time what items they should bring along with them to college. The answer to that is fairly simple, anything that will make your college experience more enjoyable and comfortable.
Moving to college for four years is a life-changing commitment for many students. For many, it is the first time living away from home. When moving to college, I would tell any students to make wherever they choose to live feel like home. Bring anything that would make you feel like you were laying in your own room. Those household items can certainly vary from student to student, but there are always some must-have items students should bring with them.
Here are just a few:
Food: Bring whatever food will fuel you through the day. Whether it's healthy or junk, bring your favorite comfort food to push you through your studies. My personal favorite - Doritos! It is also good to bring some of your own food just in case you don’t feel up to walking across campus to grab a bite to eat.
Refrigerator and Microwave: While we are on the topic of food, you can never go wrong with bringing your own refrigerator and microwave to school. A refrigerator is a great place to store things like milk, water bottles, soda, and even some frozen foods if it has that feature! A microwave can help out when you are craving that cup of mac and cheese or ramen noodles! There are certain requirements and dimensions to meet when bringing these items, so make sure to check with residence life before you move in.
Detergent: Cabrini offers washers and dryers for its students in each residence hall! These appliances are completely included in your tuition, however, make sure to bring any supplies like detergent and dryer sheets to wash your clothes with. I prefer using Tide Pods since they are easy to just throw in the wash and turn it right on.
Clothes for all four seasons: While living on-campus at Cabrini, you will get the chance to experience all four seasons. It is very important to pack for all four seasons when going away to college, especially in the northeast. You never have any idea of how the weather may change. For example just five days ago it was 10 degrees and snowing when yesterday it was near 60 degrees. Generally, from August-October it is fairly warm. Beginning in November lasting until around March, it can stay pretty chilly on campus. Expect snow, ice, and wind during these times as well. Once April hits, it stays pretty warm for the rest of the school year! P.S. Rain boots are always a good idea!!
Room decor: Who wants to stare at a white wall all day long? Bring anything that you would want to decorate your room with! Whether that may be posters, pictures frames, or tapestries, it is always good to make your room feel like home!
TV’s and entertainment systems: I highly recommend bringing a smart TV with you to campus with an Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV or Roku stick, plus gaming systems like Playstation or Xbox. I personally have my Playstation with me to help pass the time on weekends and play games like Madden and NBA2K with my friends. Another great perk about having gaming systems on campus is that Cabrini has its own wireless network dedicated to them named Cabrini Devices. This network also works with products like Amazon Fire Sticks and Roku’s!
There are many more items that are good to bring with you to your college experience, but these are just a few of my favorite recommendations!
For more information about what you should and should not bring to campus visit our Residence Life page.