What should I remember to pack for school?

Toilet paper
Windex- tons of uses.
Kitchen- type towels
laundry soap
bandaids
Quarters

Depending on your roomate you may want to bring Lysol.

Utensils for eating
Paper plates, cups, bowls (one less thing to wash)
batteries

Stamps. Even with the interwebs, they still come in handy.
Your favorite pillow from home.

Break it down by category. Like…

Kitchen=microwave, dishes, utensils, soap, paper towels, zip lock bags, saran wrap, food, etc.

Bathroom= floss, neosporin, sunblock, tums, advil, toothpaste, etc.

Other categories could be clothes, cleaning supplies, desk stuff, bedding, stuff for your hobbies likes sports supplies, and so on.

Then maybe go around your room/house and look around for stuff you might want.

@tramnineteen has a good suggestion. i’ve often made room breakdowns, too.

Oh, and condoms. Duh.

Pack o’ air cans!

@Likeradar …unless they’re off to Catholic college. ;)

@eponymoushipster Especially if they are off to a Catholic college :)

@tramnineteen good call. those nuns are total whores.

A set of “good” clothes; a suit and proper dress shoes.

Bathroom:
Razors.
Tampons/pads (if you’re a chick).
Q-tips.
Hairbrush.
Tweezers.
Toothpaste.
Toothbrush.
Face wash.
Deodorant.
Shampoo/conditioner.
Soap/bodywash.
Container for soap if you don’t have your own bathroom.
Mirror.
Contact containers and solution – if applicable.

Pens/pencils.
Paper/notepads.
Stapler and staples.
Folders.

Kitchen:
Microwave.
Mini-fridge.
Plates/cups/bowls/utensils.
Paper towels.
Regular towels.
Saranwrap/foil wrap.
Tupperware for leftover food.
Cleaning supplies. (Dish soap/sponges or cloths/surface cleaner, etc.)

Bedroom:
Blankets (for warm and cold)/sheets/pillows.
Table lamp for bedside reading.
Hangers.
Slippers (which will probably come in handy.)
Bathrobe (if you don’t have your own bathroom.)

Edit: Also, if you’re on any kind of prescription, search around (before you leave) for a place that will be convenient for you to refill. That way you won’t have to panic if you run out and don’t know where to go.

Liquor.

@AstroChuck i don’t even know her!

A lighter. Even if you don’t smoke, they’re handy.
Bandaids and basic first aid stuff.
Stain stick and Tide-to-Go.

Bring a sweater!

bring a towel!

Apartment or dorm? They’re VERY different. Having spent that last 7 years in various college living accommodations, I know how difficult it can be to make sure you’ve got everything. What you need depends on the type of place you’re moving to (for example, microwaves and hotplates aren’t allowed in dorms, but you can heat water/cook ramen in a coffee pot since it gets the water hot, but if you’re in an apartment you don’t have to worry about restrictions).

The main thing that I always forget (and have bought quite a few as a consequence) is a phone charger for my cell phone. :)

Downy wrinkle releaser. My favorite thing ever. I’ve even perfected an on-hanger wrist snap for shirts after spraying that on that helps get wrinkles out, even in the sleeves, when necessary since my ironing kung fu is not strong.

If the bathroom is down the hall you need a plastic basket you can take into the shower with you that will have your shampoo, soap, etc. I think DrasticDreamer covered the rest.

Sticky hooks. The extra tabs can be used for things like securing a power strip to the top of a desk or something like that as well as hanging posters. I also had excellent luck with a mini hot glue gun with basic repairs, gluing things to other things without damage when they come up (the desk and power strip, for instance), and decorating. Never pulled the paint off the walls (cinder block) or damaged the wood or plastic that I used it on!

One more piece of advice…get there a few days early so you can go shopping. When I arrived to my dorm, I had not idea what I was getting into. Immediately I realized I did not have enough room for all of my folded clothes and had to go buy a piece of furniture. Thank goodness I did not bother to buy a microwave, fridge, or TV, because my roommate had all of these things already set up when I arrived.

I always suggest plastic drawers for any college abode. There are two basic kinds, the ones that come in sets and the ones that stack. Depending on the space, you either want the ones that stack (or don’t and can be put underneath a bed and pulled out easier than an under-bed container) or the ones that come in a set. They come in various sizes (width, height) and you can use these to store and to transport since you can just stick some packing tape on them to hold them closed and go with them. Obviously you’ll want to put some clothes and stuff in the drawers the school provides, but you can never have enough drawers and that is a way to a) keep thing you don’t use a lot but need to have handy near or b) store the clothes that don’t fit in the drawers the college provides because there’s no way your stuff is going to fit in those teeny little excuses for drawers.

If you are staying in a dorm, the most important thing to bring is Shower flip flops. You wouldn’t believe that how nasty dorm showers can be. Save your feet while you still can!

Condoms…Seriously.

Trash can.

If you are going to have a roommate, try to talk to him or her in advance and split up who is bringing the big things. If he/she has a microwave, maybe you can bring the fridge, etc. Find out where the stores are near campus; some of the basics can be left until you arrive and see what your needs really are.