Packing Tips for Boarding School

As you begin preparing and thinking about the “Packing List”, I thought I would share some “must have” items that you might not have thought about. Who better to ask than my son who just graduated from boarding school…..

A colorful collection of plastic dinnerware including plates, bowls, and cups, along with cutlery set with spoons, forks, storage containers, and utensils in shades of yellow, blue, green, and orange.

Dishware

In my son’s door there was a refrigerator, microwave and toaster oven, so having reusable washable dinnerware (a few cups, plates, silverware and bowls) might be helpful.

Package of 3M Command Damage-Free Hanging Strips with white adhesive strips on packaging.

Command Hooks

Command Hooks are a must for dorm rooms when putting nails in the wall might not be allowed. They can be used for pictures, posters, towel hooks, jackets, bags or the like.

Two white surge protectors with multiple outlets and digital displays, each with a power cord.

Surge Protector

Most dorm rooms don’t come with too many power outlets so a surge protector can be very valuable both the add plug outlets as well as protect your electronics.

A black portable fan with a circular grille, mounted on a stand with controls, against a light background.

A Fan

Circulating the air when it is either too hot or too muggy is a must!

Travel toiletry bag filled with skincare and personal care products, including bottles, jars, a comb, and washcloths.

Bathroom Caddy

Keeping all the toiletries together makes trips to the shower easy and quick.

A memory foam pillow with a blue and white cover, partially unrolled on a light blue surface.

Cushy Mattress Pad

Dorm mattresses are usually old or very thin. Help your student sleep better with a pillowtop mattress pad

Packaging of SafeRest premium mattress protector featuring a family lying on bed, and icons indicating protection against fluids, dust mites, and bacteria. Label says available in all sizes.

Mattress Protector

And a mattress protector that zips around the mattress to help allergy sufferers:

Two transparent plastic storage drawers, one stacked above the other.

Under-Bed Storage

The rooms aren’t big and under-bed storage bins are a great way to store seasonal or rarely used items.

White electronic device with a power cord attached, viewed from the side

Long Recharging Cables

Outlets aren’t always where we need them to be. Long charging cables allow students to continue working on their homework from a comfortable location while charging.

Two containers of Clorox disinfecting wipes with lemon scent, each holding 150 wipes, with labels indicating they kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including one with a yellow label for lemon and one with a green label for fresh scent.

Cleaning Supplies

A few basic cleaning supplies go a long way to keeping rooms tidy and smelling neutral. We recommend convenient Clorax wipes and paper towels so they get used often!

Two mirrors with wooden frames, one reflecting a puppy and the other reflecting a smiling couple.

And don’t forget

Make sure they have plenty of pictures of friends, family, and pets to help them with the transition and to make the room feel comfortable.

Making your child’s new school a

home away from home.