What to bring
Moving in day isn’t too far away. Soon you will be packing your bags and loading the car. It is hard to bring the perfect amount of things to college. Many freshmen come realizing that they brought too much or they forgot something. This list is a reminder of some of the things you may need at RPI – there may be things you will not need, and at the same time there may be some things missing.
This student-created list is just a guide – your needs may be different.
Clothes and apparel
- Comfortable clothes and shoes for casual use
- One or two dressy outfits for formal affairs
- Gym clothes and shoes
- Light jacket for cool days
- Heavy coat / mittens / hat and scarf should be brought after Thanksgiving when it starts to get chilly.
- Sunglasses / sunscreen
- Rainwear
- Bathing suit
- Pajamas and slippers for hanging out in the residence halls
Staying clean and healthy
- Towels / washcloths
- Soap / shampoo / face wash
- Deodorant
- Nail clippers
- Toothbrush / toothpaste / floss
- Hair products / brush / comb
- Shaving cream / razors
- Toiletry carrier / shower caddy
- Shower shoes
- Tissues
- Laundry basket / bag / hamper / detergent / dryer sheets
- Quarters (Rensselaer Advantage Dollars can be used on laundry machines, however having extra quarters can come in handy)
- Aspirin / ibuprofen / pain medications
- Prescription medications
- First-aid kit / Band-Aids
School supplies (you may want to wait until you see your class syllabi for additional supplies)
- Binders
- Pens / pencils / highlighters / Sharpies
- Calculator
- Day-planner
- Paper
- Post-its
- Ruler
- Dividers
Consumables
- Juice boxes / Gatorade / soda / water
- Granola bars / chips / snacks
- Vitamins
- Tea / coffee
- Ramen noodles
Stuff for your room
- Pillow / comforter / blankets / linens (beds are extra-long twins)
- Desk lamp
- Clock with alarm
- Tape: Duct tape cannot be used on walls however masking tape can
- Power strip/surge protector
- Waste basket / bags
- Paper towels
- Lysol / Febreeze / air fresheners
- Posters / decorations
- Board games / deck of cards
- Clothes hangers
- Drinking cups / silverware / dishes / coffee mugs (paper/plastic if you want)
- Plastic containers with tight lids for storing snacks, detergent, etc.
- Headphones / ear buds / digital music player
- Batteries
- Blank CDs/DVDs
- Cell phone charger
- Sewing kit / scissors / safety pins
- Disinfecting wipes
- Arrange with your roommate(s) to have only one in each room
- Small refrigerator – up to 6 cu. ft. (these can be rented on campus)
- Message board and markers for your door
- Microwave (also availble in each building)
- Printer (there is a printer in most residence halls for your use)
- TV/DVD-Player
- Gaming systems
Things to have around
- Umbrella
- Flashlight
- Small tool kit
- Camera (at least disposable)
- Sports equipment: (Frisbees, footballs, rackets, etc)
Do NOT Bring
- Weapons (such as firearms/ammunition, bows, arrows, martial arts devices, swords, knives, etc)
- Incendiary devices such as fireworks
- Flammable materials (such as gasoline, turpentine, wood stains, charcoal lighter fluid, etc)
- Cooking appliances (such as hot plates or heating coil, toaster ovens/toasters, rice cookers, etc)
- Pets of any kind other than fish
- All types of “torchiere” floor lamps
- Drums
- Barbells
- Dart boards
- Air conditioners
- Halogen bulbs and/or lamps
- Candles or incense
