A college apartment checklist lists items that need to be completed before moving into a college apartment. These lists vary depending on the type of student, but they generally include things like cleaning supplies, bedding, appliances, etc. A checklist is an excellent tool for students planning to live outside the dorm for the first time. Preparing everything beforehand will save you a lot of stress once you arrive at school!
If you’re moving into a college apartment, Or maybe you’re a parent helping to get your child ready for their big move. Anyway, we’ve got some awesome ideas for you! Your first apartment. A place where you live by yourself. Well, maybe not all alone because some college students share an apartment. But no more tiny dorm rooms! WOO
Now that you have a large room at college, you’ll need more stuff for off-campus living. Many new college apartments are designed so that each student has a small bedroom and often their bathroom and share a standard living room and kitchen. It might even be furnished and include in-unit laundry if you’re lucky.
Before you start looking for an apartment, read through our prescribed College Apartment Checklist. It has everything you need!
GETTING STARTED
We will list in categories the college apartment checklist. Note: This is a statistic from college students who live in apartments
- Basic Bedroom requirements
- Bathroom necessities
- Kitchen requirements
- Living Room decors
BASIC BEDROOM REQUIREMENTS: College Apartment Checklist
Start by looking for things you might need in the bedroom because you probably already have them. Whether you want to keep using your old bedding or completely redecorate your apartment, this college apartment checklist covers everything you need to know.
BEDROOM FURNITURE
If your college or university owns your new accommodation, it may already be furnished with some of the things we’ve listed here. If you do need to furnish your room, take a moment to consider some of the staples of furniture that you’ll probably want or need in your room.
- A bed frame
- Bedspring or mattress base
- Nightstand
- Dresser
- Desk
- Comfortable chair (or beanbag)
MATTRESS AND BEDDING
You might be lucky enough to get a bed for your new room! If not, this is one of the first things on your list. Don’t worry – we’ve also got your back when finding the right mattress for your new place! Once you’ve got your bedframe and bed, you’ll need some comfortable bedding.
If you want to make laundry day easier, consider buying a second set of linen for yourself.
- Mattress
- Sheet set
- Bedspread, duvet cover, or comforter
- A mattress topper or mattress pad
- Pillows
WINDOW COVERING
College sleep is precious. Find curtains or blinds for your sleep room to maximize your sleeping time. If you’re not sure how to cover your windows adequately, here are some window treatment ideas.
COLLEGE BEDROOM DECOR
Decorations, including area rugs, posters, pillow covers, tapestries, photos, and other items, are always one of the most effective ways to personalize your bedroom. Make sure you don’t forget to add these critical things to your college apartment checklist – or you’ll end up buying a poster of Ariana Grand at your college’s annual art show.
LIGHT
Lighting is essential! You may want to consider adding a floor or table lamp to your list of things to buy if you’re looking for ways to improve your lighting situation. To get some inspiration, look at these energy-efficient lightbulbs that are both sustainable and give your room a soft glow.
MIRROR
Check yourself out in a mirror – and make your room look larger. They reflect light, creating an illusion that a room is larger than it is. A mirror should always be part of your college apartment checklist, whether you’re looking for a full-length mirror or a smaller accent mirror.
OTHER BEDROOM ESSENTIALS
Use the space in your room efficiently by using storage bins to store things under your bed or above your closet. These bins are an excellent place to keep off-season clothing, extra shoes, or extra linens.
The floor is not an ideal option, throwing trash or throwing laundry! Add both a wastebasket and a hamper to your college room essentials list. Go ahead and buy some laundry detergent.
And don’t forget laundry baskets! Ensure you bring enough clothes to keep yourself organized during your move, especially if you’ve packed them carefully beforehand.
- Storage bins/baskets
- Storage under bed
- Wastebasket
- Hamper
- Clothing hangers
BATHROOM NECESSITIES: College Apartment Checklist
Goodbye shower caddies and flip-flops. You finally got your bathroom, and no more need to stand in line for showers or worry about someone else using your favourite shampoo. However, having your bathroom comes with some added responsibilities. You won’t be able to ditch the shower shoes, but you’ll need to add some new items to your college apartment checklist.
SHOWER CURTAINS, LINERS, AND SHOWER HOOKS
Shower curtains may not seem like an exciting purchase, but many options are available. Whether you want a motivational quote or a simple pattern for your shower curtain, it’s sure to add a personal touch to your bathroom. Don’t forget the towel ring and shower liner to keep the curtain up!
- Shower curtain
- Shower curtain liner
- Shower curtain hooks
BATHROOM TOWELS AND BATHROOM MATS
Choose a set of towel racks for your bathroom, including bath towels, hand towels and washcloths. If you’re going to buy two of something, why not just buy one of everything? And if you’re going to buy a bathmat, why not buy one for each room?
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Washcloths
- Bathmat
TISSUES AND TOILET PAPER
We’re sure you’ll be glad we didn’t have to go out and buy everything for your new place. You might want to determine if your apartment has a toilet paper holder. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll want to buy another one for your college apartment ASAP because no one likes a toilet roll sitting on top of their toilet.
- Toilet paper
- Toilet paper holder
- Tissues
TOILETRY AND STORAGE
Add these bathroom essentials to your shopping list. You might not want to put them off until later, but it’s best to check out shampoo, conditioner, soaps, body washes, and any other personal care items off the list right away. After moving, you’ll probably want to take a nice long shower and relax. And don’t forget the option of keeping them organized.
- Hair shampoo
- Hair condition
- Hand soap
- Body wash
- Bathroom storage (such as small bins or drawers).
BATHROOM CLEANING SUPPLIES
There’s nothing worse than a dirty bathroom. These items aren’t the most interesting, but they’re essential, so be sure to include them on your list.
- Bathroom wastebasket
- Toilet brush
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Spray disinfectant
- Plunger
KITCHEN REQUIREMENTS: College Apartment Checklist
It’s time to move out of your dorm room and into your new apartment! Whether you’ll miss having access to an endless supply of French Fries or are thrilled never to have to cook vegetables anymore, our guide has everything you need to start cooking at your new place.
Kitchen furniture
You don’t need fancy kitchen furniture if you’re living alone in an apartment. You need a kitchen table and chairs first. If you don’t have enough room for a dining table, you may be able to use some bar stools instead. If you don’t have this kitchen furniture, you could get it from your parent’s basement. You could even say it’s old.
- Kitchen table
- Chairs
- Bar stools
Dishware
You need plates, bowls, mugs and glasses for your college apartment checklist. Be sure to get at least four of each item when buying them together. You may think you only need one drink, but you’ll be sorry if you don’t offer your friends a drink. You may want to add items like serving platters and glassware as you see fit.
- Plates
- Soup/cereal bowls
- Mugs
- Drinking water glasses
Kitchen tools and utensils
You’ll need a few basic cooking utensils, including a set of forks, spoons, knives, and a silverware storage container to keep them organized. There are some things you don’t need to buy right away, so we’ve focused on the standard kitchen equipment for beginners. You need three knives for basic kitchen tasks: a paring knife, a chef’s knife, and a bread knife.
- Silverware (at minimum, four place settings)
- Silverware organizer
- Cutting knives
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Colander
- Bottle and can opener
- Vegetable peeler
- Aluminium foil and cling wrap
- Food storage containers
- Dish towels
- Oven mitts
Consider buying a set of kitchen tools for your dorm room, including a spatula, spoon and slotted spoon.
Pots and pans
You don’t need to get old pots and pans if you can’t get them from your parents. It’s easiest to buy a complete set. If you’re not sure whether you need a complete kitchen set, here are some critical pieces of equipment you should consider including on your college apartment checklist:
- large stockpot
- 2-quart sauce
- frying pan.
- Baking sheet with rims
- Large baking/casserole dish
If you’re concerned about the safety of the products you use for cooking, consider buying non-toxic cookware instead.
Kitchen Appliances
You don’t need a lot of fancy gadgets when living in an apartment, but there are some essential appliances you’ll likely use regularly. You probably won’t be able to use your existing oven if your apartment doesn’t come with a microwave. We’re not judging whether you prefer eating ramen noodles instead of cooking a full meal. College life is busy! Check out some of our top picks for college students who want a microwave that won’t take up too much counter space.
- Microwave
- Coffee pot or kettle
- Toaster or toaster oven
Pantry basics
Here are some items you’ll want to add to your college apartment checklist. Use different spices and condiments according to your preferences and cooking styles. You can always add more books to your library later. Please check out our ultimate new home grocery store list if you want more ideas.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Spices you cook with often
- Condiments you enjoy(ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, etc.)
- Oil(vegetable, olive, coconut, etc.)
Kitchen cleaning supplies
You’ll want to clean up after yourself once you’ve cooked something delicious in the kitchen. Here are some cleaning supplies that you might need.
- Multi-purpose liquid cleaner
- Paper towels
- Dish soap
- Dishwasher detergent
- Sponges
- Hand soap
- Trash can
- Trash bags
- Recycling bin
Living Room decors and Necessities: College Apartment Checklist
Finally, you have to furnish your living room. Make sure you’re prepared for wine nights, dance parties, and movie showings by checking off all the boxes on our apartment checklist.
Furniture for living rooms
Start by setting up the primary furniture items in your college apartment: a comfy couch, a coffee table, and your TV set.
Your sofa will be one of the essential pieces of furniture in your new living room. Since you’ll probably use your couch quite often, choosing a dark material that resists stains from food and drinks is better. Make sure to learn how to properly protect your furniture so that you don’t damage it when moving the couch into the new apartment.
A coffee table helps bring a room together by adding visual interest and function. Make sure that the proportions and features of the table fit well within the space available. A coffee table with storage space would be useful if you had books, board games, and miscellaneous items.
It’s usually easier to buy a TV stand than to attempt to mount one yourself. And, having shelves built into a TV stand can provide additional storage space, which is always useful. Once you’ve set up your TV, look at these alternatives to cable TV so you know which streaming device is right for you.
- Couch
- Coffee table
- Television
- TV stand/media console
Living room decor
You may spend a lot of time in the house. You might want to add some extra pillows and bedding to your college apartment checklist. These items will instantly improve your style of game. A living room rug will add comfort and style to your living room. If you’re looking at rugs, a dark-coloured one is probably the best option for your college apartment. Red wine on a white rug isn’t a good look.
Add some fun touches to your living space by adding some wall art, real or faux plants (not all of us have green thumbs), and scented candles. These small details will help your college apartment feel more like home.
- Accent pillows
- Throw blankets
- Area rug
- Wall art
- Plants
- Candles
Lighting
You might need some additional light for your living room. Make sure to include a floor lamp when checking off items on your college apartment checklist.
Other things to include when shopping for your college apartment checklist:
- Vacuum cleaner
- A small broom and dustpan
- Basic toolkit (hammer, nails, screwdriver, etc.)
- Surge protectors, extension cords, and batteries
- Scissors, pens, tape, and paper
- First aid kit
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I know that moving away from home for the very first time can be scary. However, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it’s actually quite exciting, especially if you’re going somewhere where you haven’t lived before. So don’t let fear hold you back—get packing!
If you haven’t already done so, now would be a great time to take inventory of everything you own before you move into college housing. Make sure you have enough clothes, toiletries, bedding, and kitchen supplies to last until you find a job and save money. And remember: when you’re living away from home for the first time, you may feel like you’re going through withdrawal. But trust me—it will pass soon enough.
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