Packing List
The list below contains some of the things you may want to consider bringing to Wes. It excludes the obvious such as clothing and basic toiletries but includes some things you may not have thought of. Many items are for convenience and you may decide you don't need them.
Items in Italics are sustainable options.
Clothing-related items:
- Raincoat
- Umbrella
- Snow boots
- Sheets
- Pillows
- Bath Towels
- Warm socks or slippers
- Hangers
- Iron and Ironing board
- Mirror*
- Sturdy laundry basket
- Unscented detergent (Clean your clothes sustainably)
- Clothes drying rack (to conserve energy)
- Disinfecting wipes
- Face covering or masks
Toiletries:
- Soap case
- Toothbrush case
- Bath tote for carrying everything to the bathroom. You will not be able to store personal items in the common bathroom.
- Hand towel (Wesleyan does not have paper towels in most residence hall bathrooms)
- A bathrobe, because the bathroom’s down the hall.
- Flip-Flops for use as shower shoes. Don’t forget there are 20 other people using the same shower(s).
- A First Aid kit: aspirin, bandages, and antibiotic creams, Cold medicines, cough syrup, and cough drops (WesWell has their own recommendations on what to bring related to health and wellness here)
Desk Supplies (look for those with recycled content, if possible):
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Tape
- Envelopes and stamps
- Glue
- Stapler and staples (also available in the computer labs on campus)
- Sticky notes
- Calendar
- Duct tape and fun tack
- Trash Can
- Recycling bin (Eco Facilitators will also have some available)
- Power strip to power down all of your electronics when you’re asleep or in class
(smart power strips do this automatically)
Items that make your room a home:
- A rug can do a lot for your room*
- A dry-erase message board for your door
- A bulletin board can help keep you get organized
- Plants to give you some greenery and clean the air
- Photos
- Milk crates, for extra storage
- Storage bins, and extra hooks (the stick-on or suction kind)
- Snacks
- Reusable Plates, Cups, Bowls, Spoons, and Tupperware
- A reusable mug for coffee (Cafes on campus give a discount for using reusable mugs)
- A reusable water bottle – Wesleyan is a bottled water-free campus
- Sponge and dishwashing liquid
Other essentials
- A desk and/or floor lamp (not a halogen lamp) with a CFL light bulb
- A clip-on lamp for reading in bed with a CFL light bulb
- Alarm clock (or set the alarm on your phone)
- A bike for getting around campus quickly and sustainably
- Reusable bags for grocery and bookstore shopping (Weshop charges $0.25 per plastic bag)
- Tool kit (hammer, screwdriver, etc.)
- Sewing kit
- Fan
- Helmet (if you intend to rent a bicycle on campus at any point). You can get a helmet for free at WesThrift.
Non-essentials - consider leaving these things at home
- A small fridge* - all residence halls have shared refrigerators, or share with a friend
- A small microwave* (no more than 700 watts and can be rented as a part of a micro fridge provided by New England Student Services) – most lounges have microwaves
- Printer – there’s 24 hour printing in several campus locations, and you can print wirelessly from your own laptop in Usdan
- TV – all lounges have TVs, so you’ll have a place to catch up on your favorite shows
- Car - all first-year students are not permitted to bring their cars to campus. If a student has a specific reason they feel a car is needed, they may appeal to the Director of Public Safety, Scott Rhode. First-year students will be given the lowest priority in lot assignments. Most will be assigned to the Long Lane lot (which is really far!) Medical or accessibility situations are valid reasons for closer parking. Long Lane will be considered a storage lot, meaning students typically do not access their car on a regular basis. Please email Scott Rhode if you have further questions.
Keep in mind that anything you forget you can probably buy, have shipped to you by your parents, or do without. Each person needs a different set of things to be happy, but hopefully this will get you well on your way to being prepared to come to Wesleyan.