This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.
We were so proud of my son being accepted to all the colleges he applied to, that was just the first step on our journey as a family to get him ready for college.
Today I will share how you can save and the items we’ve added to his list in our Back To School College Edition.
Back To School College Edition
Check The College/University Website
I highly recommend you check their site for supplies for classes your son/daughter will be taking and also the resident portal for dorm needs. Bear in mind that you will need to plan ahead early to make sure you have everything that you need and can transport it to their new ‘home’. You may want to look into some moving companies (if there is a lot to be taken), so doing a quick Google search of phrases like – “best movers in atlanta“, for example, will help you find what you need, just replace the area with your location and you’ll be set!
For example, even though they do a lot on computers, my son’s university required a few notebooks, pencils and pens as a part of their supplies.
Love how stylish and durable these notebooks are! We’ve grabbed 3 !
Notebook
Laptop
We went strategic on the laptop. We didn’t want something he would be comfortable playing games on but we wanted a laptop he could bring to classes and use the programs needed.
We love this Lenovo Laptop and how much we’ve saved!
Printer
It’s important to have a compact printer for the dorm and not be worrying about heading to the library late hours or in the AM when you need to print a project!
Paper
We figured out he wouldn’t print a lot so we picked up one box to find out how long it would last.
Pens and Pencils
Computer Chair
Just think about all the hours your college student will spend working on projects and studying in the dorm.
We picked up a dorm computer chair which is compact, but more comfortable than the metal chair the dorm comes with.You won’t believe the price!
Backpack
We love the laptop sleeve and the fact that is water resistant and compact, easy to be carried around campus.
Power Strips
After reading some parents comments in the group, I figured out one of the most important things to grab was some power strips.
The dorm only has two outlets for two students, so the connected kids of our generation, need a boost in that department.
My son’s university had specs on what we could buy, so I recommend you checking it before buying!
This is an Outlet Surge Protector.
My son has an iPhone, a fitbit, wireless headphones, which all use USB ports, so we also grabbed this one.
Headphones
My son has a roommate, so different hours and different sleeping schedules will sometimes be an issue.
We picked a new pair of headphones, so he can play games, watch tv and listen to music without bothering his roommate.
Trash Cans
We chose a big one for the sleeping area and a smaller one for the bathroom.
Storage
We’re dealing with a small closet in most dorms, so organizers are a must.
Make sure you grab measurements before you buy. We grabbed a pic of the closet in my son’s dorm and picked a shoe organizer that fits in between the two closets.
His bed has risers, so we bought two storage units to go under the bed.
I want to make sure he has all his items in storage, so he’s not losing or mixing things up with the roommate and the wheels make it easy to roll in and out from under his bed.
Walls
My son’s university prohibits you from using nails on the walls, so we bought a couple different command strips for the Flag, neon strip decor, bathroom soap dish, toothbrush and shaver holders.
Make sure you get the strips to support the weight of what you’ll be hanging.
When we visited the university in the Spring, we noticed all the boys rooms had the LED strips as their preferred decor item.
So we grabbed one with remote control, so my son could turn on and off easily and place it on his side or the room, in case the roommate was not into it!
Cleaning Supplies
You know, boys will not be cleaning the room every week, but Covid concerns lead me to buy wipes and basic cleaning supplies so they have it if they need them!
We picked up three packages of disinfecting wipes.
We figured the boys won’t worry about grabbing toilet paper before they needed it, so we left a large package for them.
Same goes for Paper Towels! We know it’s going to be their go to clean small and big messes in the dorm!
Our approach as far as college back to school list was, grab the essentials and wait to find out what else was needed and Office Depot makes it easy, because we can order, pay for it and have it delivered to his dorm!
But there’s more, if you sign up for the Office Depot email list, they’ll get 20% off a qualifying, regular price item. Include your unique affiliate link to the email sign up page, provided above.
We also want to encourage you to enter Savings.com’s #BTSwithODOM giveaway for a chance to win one of five $100 e-gift card prizes to spend at Office Depot / Office Max!
Enter HERE or click on the image below!
Giveaway starts on Monday, August 9th at 12:00 AM PT
Giveaway ends on Thursday, August 12th at 11:59 PM PT
Can’t wait to hear what you think about our Back To School College Edition Tips & List!
I’m already grabbing the tissues!
We’re excited to see what the future holds for our son at Liberty, so we wanted to make sure we offered not only love, support, but also everything he needed for a successful transition and great school year!
As usual, give us a Trendy Shout!
Those are all wonderful items to check out and my eldest definitely needs a new laptop. Thanks for sharing this informative post with us.
I have a computer chair just like that one and it’s so comfortable!
You pretty much covered everything your son would need. I love that you also got him a printer! All my children and done with college and I can relate to your spending on things that your child will be needing while he is away at the dorm.
I have one at college. It is his last year for him and then he is looking at Navy Flight school.