College Apartment Checklist – What Do I Need With Me?

A college apartment checklist is essential when moving out of the dorm and into a flat. This is quite a big step. However, as with any major change of this kind, it also means greater responsibility. You will finally have your own kitchen, and won’t be sharing the bathroom with dozens of other students. But what’s even great is that you will finally have enough room to fit all of your stuff. Or at least that’s the theory. In this article, we are going to try to provide you with the most comprehensive college dorm checklist.

Graduating and moving into your first apartment finally puts you in the real world, as they say. It’s tricky to bring all the stuff you need, and many young individuals such as yourself make two common mistakes. Some pack a lot of items because they don’t want to risk being unprepared. Then they come to realize that space is limited since they often have to share it. In this scenario, you will have to move your stuff back home, both a money and time-consuming ordeal.

Secondly, we have those who pack too lightly. In this case, you will have to run back and forth to your folks or the store to gather all the indispensable items you have forgotten at home or forgot to buy.

It’s always best to have a plan. Think things over before hitting the home store. Making a college apartment checklist is the ideal way to go about this. Speaking of which, why not check out our apartment and dorm essentials list?

College Apartment Checklist

Don’t be nervous about forgetting something. Our list of must-have objects will surely fit, if not all, then most of your needs. Write it down or, better yet, print it. As you shop around or move items into your new apartment, check those objects off the list. Check out what you need to pack to be fully comfortable in your new home.

1. Bedroom

Let’s start with the bedroom, since it’s your personal space. It’s also possible you’ll be spending more of your time here than anywhere else around the flat. Consequently, you want to make sure it’s as cozy as it can get. This also means having everything you need. Crucial bedroom items include:

• Bed.
• Nightstand.
• Dressers.
• Shoe rack.
• Storage boxes.
• Jewelry box.
• Desk.
• Chair.
• Closet organizers.
• Hangers.
• Safe.
• Full-length mirror.
• Alarm clock.
• Bedding (sheets, pillows, blankets, a comforter)
• Curtains or blinds.
• School supplies.
• Printer (optional).

2. Kitchen

Let’s move on to the kitchen, where you will probably learn how to cook. You can’t sneak your way out of this now. Purchasing the items listed just below will allow you to cook something else than a boiled egg. Here are the necessary kitchen supplies:

• Pots and pans.
• Wooden and slotted spoons.
• Colander.
• Dishes.
• Bowls.
• Mugs.
• Glasses.
• Tupperware.
• Cutlery.
• Knife set.
• Dish drying rack.
• Can opener.
• Bottle opener.
• Coffeemaker.
• Microwave.
• Blender.
• Toaster.
• Water filter.
• Broom.
• Swiffer.
• Duster.
• Dustpan.
• Dish soap.
• Sponges.
• Hand soap.
• Wastebasket.
• Garbage bags.
• Plastic wrap.
• Aluminum foil.
• Oven mitts.
• Paper towels.
• Dish towels.

3. Bathroom

You are probably way beyond happy that you will only be sharing the bathroom with just a few friends. Nonetheless, you have to make sure to buy all the supplies you need. Here’s what shouldn’t be missing from your bathroom:

• Bath and hand towels.
• Towel hooks.
• Shelves.
• Shower curtain.
• Shower organizers.
• Bath mat.
• Rug.
• Air freshener.
• Cleaning supplies.
• Toilet plunger.
• Toilet brush.
• Toiletries.
• Toilet paper.
• Scale.
• Hair drier.
• Flat and/or curling iron.

4. Living room

You will finally have a living room where you and your friends can get together and study… or throw parties. Either way, you have to make sure you decorate it tastefully as it’s the first thing your visitors will see. Include the following items on your college apartment checklist:

• Couch.
• Blankets and pillows.
• Coffee table.
• TV stand.
• TV.
• DVD player.
• Game console.
• Wireless Internet router.
• Chairs.
• Floor lamp.
• Rug.
• Curtains or blinds.

5. Miscellaneous

We’ve taken care of the basics for each room of the house. However, we still essential items that you can toss wherever you think they fit best. They are just as important as any other object listed above. Make sure your college apartment has the following:

• Computer or laptop.
• Iron.
• Ironing board.
• Drying rack.
• Laundry bags.
• Garment bag.
• Flashlight.
• Batteries.
• First aid kit.
• Carbon monoxide detector.
• Air conditioner.
• Extension cords.
• Doormat.
• Surge protectors.
• Adhesive hooks.
• Nails.
• Bookcases.
• Toolbox.
• Small suitcase.

How to Keep Costs Low

If your parents can’t afford to help you with a large amount of money, and you don’t have significant savings yourself, purchasing the necessary items off the college apartment checklist will be highly difficult. Luckily, there are a number of things you can still do:

• Ask around. Your friends and family might have a few items lying around that they no longer use. Don’t be embarrassed to ask because it may help you save more money than you’d think.
• Go to yard sales and thrift shops. These places are real treasure chests. You can easily find inexpensive furniture (chairs, sofas, tables, and more), as well as decorative objects to adorn your new home. In fact, there’s no ending to the multitude of things you can find if you search thoroughly enough.
• Dollar stores. These places are ideal when buying cleaning supplies.
• Throw a going away party. Who says we should only receive presents on our birthday, holidays, or when having a baby shower? You have all the chances in the world to be given a little something that will make your life a lot easier when away from home.
• Discuss with your roommates. If you are sharing the flat with roommates, then lucky you. Share the list with them and decide who brings what.

We hope our college apartment checklist will provide you will all the necessary insight into what grown-up life is about. While you might be overwhelmed with all the items you have to buy, you can find solutions to lower the costs. If you can’t buy everything all at once, decide what’s most important. Some of the objects you can purchase later on, if no other choice. Try not to stress too much, and enjoy this new experience.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2, 3, 4