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Discover the ultimate college packing checklist designed to streamline your move and ensure nothing essential gets left behind. With tips tailored to your lifestyle and major, it’s your go-to guide for a smooth start to campus life.
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Approved and verified accurate by the assistant vice president of GCU Marketing on April 10, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Whether you’re heading off to college for the first time or getting ready for your senior year, it’s important to put some thought into your packing. Ideally, start gathering together the items you’ll need a couple of weeks before your departure date. This will give you plenty of time to review everything and make sure you haven’t forgotten something important.
Following a checklist of what to bring to college can help you stay on track. Of course, you should tweak the following college checklist as needed to suit your personal needs and perhaps even to suit your intended major. If you’re planning on majoring in cybersecurity, for example, you may find yourself bringing more computer equipment than if you’re planning on becoming a content creator or a teacher.
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When deciding what to pack for college, consider the timing and frequency of your planned trips back home. If you currently live within driving distance of campus, you might not initially bring as much stuff as you would if you lived a plane ride away. This is because you could wait to pack your winter clothing until you visit home in a month or two.
Another important consideration is your housing arrangement. Will you be living in a traditional dorm room, or will you be living in an apartment-style accommodations?
If you’ll be living in a smaller dorm room, you won’t want to bring as many large, bulky items like beanbag chairs. On the other hand, you could fit larger items into an apartment-style residence suite.
When figuring out what to bring to college, it’s important to connect with your roommate(s) ahead of time. Chat with them about larger items, like furniture and appliances, so that you don’t accidentally bring something that a roommate is already going to bring. There’s no point in having two microwaves, for example.
After you’ve connected with your roommates and reviewed your housing arrangements, dive into the following college essentials list and get started packing!
Before packing any clothing for college, consider the climate of the area where you'll be living. If you're a soon-to-be GCU student, you'll want plenty of clothing that is appropriate for hot weather. It does get chilly in Phoenix during the winter, however, so you'll want a couple of sweatshirts and a jacket, as well.
It’s perfectly fine for college students to rely primarily on casual clothing, although you may want a few more formal items, just in case. Additionally, if you’re planning on doing an internship, you’ll need office-appropriate attire.
Choose comfortable shoes for walking around campus. Supportive, comfortable shoes are a must for nursing students, as clinical shifts require long hours on your feet. You may also want athletic shoes for the gym, slippers for lounging in your room and shower shoes to protect your skin from athlete’s foot in shared showers.
Regardless of which undergraduate degree you’ve chosen to pursue, all students are generally expected to have a laptop to complete their assignments and conduct research. If you’re taking software engineering or computer programming classes, you should check the software and hardware requirements that may be specific to your major.
You may want a printer, although you can usually print out assignments at computer labs and the library. Other items you might want include:
You'll want to check the size of your dorm bed ahead of time. At GCU and most other colleges, it's an extra-long twin. You'll need blankets, pillows and a set of sheets. Towels and washcloths will also be needed.
Students often bring school supplies from home, but if you forget something, you'll likely find it available for purchase at the campus bookstore. Your college essentials list should include the following:
You can purchase textbooks in the campus bookstore when you receive your assigned book list for each class. You might also consider looking online for used textbooks for sale.
Bring all of the personal care items that you usually use, such as:
It’s also helpful to have a first aid kit on hand with items like bandages, pain relievers, a thermometer and ointment.
In addition, if you take any prescription medications, you’ll need to transfer your prescriptions to a pharmacy near campus. You may want to talk to your doctor about arranging for a supply of extra medications.
Dorms and residence halls are typically small. It's important to stay organized in order to optimize your space. You’ll want storage and organization items such as:
If you're living in an apartment-style suite, you may have access to a kitchenette, so you'll want to bring more kitchen items. Even if you'll be living in a traditional dorm, you'll want a few kitchen and cleaning items on hand.
Colleges usually offer rentals of microwave-mini fridge combination units through a third-party supplier. In addition, you may want the following items:
There may be other important items you’ll need, as well. In the weeks and days leading up to your departure date, start compiling a list of miscellaneous items you’d like to bring. Your college checklist may include the following:
Certain degree programs at GCU do have specific requirements, such as software requirements. Check with your university counselor to determine if there is anything specific you need for your degree program.
To maintain a safe and appropriate environment here on campus, GCU asks students to avoid bringing certain items, such as:
