Fetch’s Ultimate Dorm Room Essentials List

College is usually when people learn the hard way how much it helps to be organized. Fetch is here to help you kick off fall semester with everything you need, in a convenient college dorm room essentials list. What should you bring to college? How many clothes should you pack? What are your dorm room organization and storage needs? We’ve got all the answers, including how you can earn more Fetch points filling out your dorm packing list with Fetch Shop.

What to bring to college: dorm packing list

For many young adults, college is their first time living alone (and if you’re worried about grocery shopping, we’ve got a separate article covering it). When planning what to bring to college, it helps to have a dorm packing list. In fact, it helps to have several dorm packing lists, so you can be sure you’ve got everything you need.

Remember, before buying anything, go over your school’s list of prohibited items (they probably have a checklist like this for recommended things, too). You don’t want to buy and move a toaster or set of shelves you need to take back home!

Dorm pedding packing list

If you forget anything from the dorm bedding packing list, many colleges have items you can buy, but your choices will be limited (and you can expect to pay more for them). 

• Twin XL Sheets (2 sets)
• Quilt or Comforter
• Pillows (at least 2)
• Pillowcases (2 sets)
• Mattress Pad
• Bed Risers (if allowed)
• Laundry Detergent 
• Collapsible Laundry Hamper

Dorm bathroom packing list

Our dorm bathroom packing list should get you started on building out your shower caddy as well as looking good and feeling good for those morning classes.

• Towels (2 or more)
• Shower Caddy
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Soap/Body Wash
• Loofah Scrub
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Deodorant
• Sunscreen
• Shower Shoes
• First Aid Essentials
• OTC Medications
• Prescription Medications 

Dorm organization packing list

Storage under dorm beds, nested containers and other small essentials will make it easy to get set up in your dorm on day one.

• Clothes Hangers
• Closet Organizer
• Desk Organizer
• Drawer Dividers
• Loft Kits for Storage Under Dorm Beds
• Anything with Hidden Storage
• Command Hooks
• Small Boxes or Crates
• Bookends
• Plastic Storage Boxes

Dorm kitchen packing list

Your room won’t have a kitchen, but it’s good to have plates, utensils and cups on your dorm kitchen packing list.

• Plates (a few)
• Utensils (2-3 sets)
• Water Bottle
• Food Storage Containers
• Cups/Tumblers
• Paper Towels

Dorm electronics packing list

Some of these will feel old-fashioned, but you’ll be glad you had an alarm clock on your dorm packing list when your phone lets you sleep through that 8 AM class.

• Alarm Clock
• Phone Charger (and a backup)
• Backup Battery
• Computer (and charger)
• USB Dongle
• Power Strip or Extension Cord
• Batteries (consider rechargeable)
• Bluetooth Speaker

Dorm miscellany packing list

And this is everything else, which doesn’t quite fit in with the other dorm packing lists.

• Desk Lamp
• Minifridge
• Microwave
• Rolling Suitcase
• Decorations
• Umbrella
• Bicycle (and lock)
• Small Toolkit
• Carpet or Rug

Printable dorm room shopping checklist

How much clothes should I bring to college?

The answer to how many clothes you should pack for college will depend on you, mostly. You want more than one outfit, but you’ve got limited space. You might need to fight your dorm residents (or your schedule) for laundry time, though, so you don’t want to be too limited. 

Our number one recommendation of what to bring to college for clothes is to go for versatility. How much clothing you should bring will depend on how well you can mix and match, layering for style and practicality. Pick different colors and patterns, be prepared for hot and cold weather.

College clothes packing list

• At least one nice outfit
• A half-dozen bottoms
• Twice as many tops as bottoms
• A few cardigans, sweaters or hoodies
• At least a week of socks and underwear
• At least two pairs of shoes (three counting your shower shoes)
• A couple sets of gym clothes or activewear
• Outerwear (a light jacket, hat, scarf)
• A few pairs of pajama pants
• Swimsuit

Now that you have a college clothes packing list and an idea of what to pack for your wardrobe, know that your list will be different. Change it up when you visit home, and know that if things are really dire, you can always add to your wardrobe or have your parents ship a favorite shirt or jacket to you.

How to use Fetch when shopping for your dorm

We hope you’ve seen how useful the Fetch blog is when shopping for your dorm, but there’s so much more to Fetch that will ease you into college life. First, if you don’t have the app, download it now (it’s free!). Do you have it on your phone now? Great; you’re on your way to free gift cards for food, games, clothes and pretty much anything a college student needs to save money.

What to bring to college: a free gift card from Fetch

The Fetch app gives you a handful of different ways to earn points, and every point brings you closer to a gift card for food delivery, a shopping trip or that unexpected textbook. Here are the top tricks to earn Fetch points:

• Snap your receipts. Simply open the app up and take a picture of your latest receipt. If you do a lot of online shopping, we can check your email for eReceipts.
• Browse personalized offers. The trick to getting the most out of your receipt snaps is to look over the in-app offers on certain stores and products. It’s easy to find stores with offers near you, too.
• Shop online. Wouldn’t it be easy if you could just go to one website or app to check off all of your college dorm room essentials lists? With Fetch Shop, you can:
  • Tap the shopping cart icon on the bottom of the Fetch app (to the left of the camera) to access Fetch Shop.
  • Shop from your favorite retailers online and earn points for every dollar. 
  • Find specific retailers for your favorite shoes or electronics.
  • Shop “everything” stores like Walmart or Bed, Bath & Beyond for dorm room organization essentials.
• Play games. You’re probably reading this on your phone, right? Tap over to Fetch Play in the app to see how easy it is to earn more points just by playing some mobile games. Gamers average over 1,900 points a week on Fetch Play.

Use a free gift card from Fetch for your dorm essentials

You’ve got your dorm essentials lists. If you’re really well-prepared, you’ve already done most of your dorm shopping, from dorm furniture and organization to snacks, but you’re not done. You’ve got your lists of what to pack for college, but once you’ve settled into your new home away from home, you’re going to realize you forgot something from your dorm essentials list. 

Open up the Fetch app, turn those points you’ve been saving into a gift card, and ensure you (or your college-aged kid) have a buffer for the shower caddy or phone charger you forgot to pack. Or treat yourself to pizza after a long day of moving into the dorm.