The bags, boxes and storage trunks are packed. Hotel reservations are made. You’ve loaded the family vehicle or rental truck.
But before you hit the road to drop your child off for his freshman year of college, you might want to think twice about bringing along that propane gas grill.
A little common sense goes a long way when determining what to pack for a student’s first, or any, year at school, says a residential housing director at Washington University in St. Louis.
“We tell families to think about everyday necessities and make sure the student has those,” says Rob Wild, associate director of residential life. “Certainly, there is room for creativity and individuality, but gas grills are definitely off-limits.”
So are snakes.
“Last summer, we had a student contact us to see if he could bring his six-foot pet python into the residence hall,” says Wild. “Obviously, our answer was no.”
While all colleges and universities have their own regulations on exactly what students should bring along, there are some essentials that remain constant.
According to Wild, those include:
- bedding (extra-long twin sheets)
- towels
- desk lamp
- alarm clock
- hangers
- small refrigerator
- towels
- wastebasket
- small fan
- laundry bag
- flashlight.
Other sometimes-overlooked essentials include:
- first-aid kit
- checkbook
- identification (driver’s license)
- health insurance information
- calling card
- power strips
- cleaning supplies
- umbrella
- ironing board and iron.
“The dorm room will be the student’s home for the year, so for the most part, if it’s something the student uses everyday, bring it along, within reason of course,” says Wild.
What to leave at home?
Wild says the list of objectionable items includes:
- electric appliances with exposed coils
- waterbeds
- halogen lamps (due to fire risk)
- gas or charcoal grills
- pets (other than fish).
“I once had a student and her mom ask me if it would be OK for them to have her family cat live with her for the first month while her parents were going through a move,” says Wild.
Weapons are also on the leave-behind list.
“Last summer, a student e-mailed us to ask if he could bring two samurai swords to hang on his wall in his room,” says Wild. “After consulting with our police chief, we both agreed this would not be a good idea.”
Editor’s note: Wild is available for phone, e-mail and broadcast interviews. Washington University has VYVX and ISDN lines available for news interviews.