Part of your decision about what to bring depends on how far away you are moving from home. Some of you may choose to stay at home because you are attending a local college, or you are trying to cut down on costs.

But most students live on campus or rent a house or apartment locally.

Like any move, it takes a little planning. We have a tendency to do one of two things: bring too much or bring too little.

Many students do not know who their roommates are before they move, so there is no way of knowing what is suitable to bring and what is not. But, usually you can find out who your roommate is ahead of time.

If it is not someone you already know, you can discuss what items you both have. Colleges usually encourage this, so you can usually call residence services and ask for the name and number of your roommate. Deciding what to bring with your roommate will help you to avoid ending up with two coffee makers, two TV’s, two stereos, and so on. There may also be some items supplied or restricted by the school that you should find out about before you start loading up the car. You might want to make a list of shared items and personal items that you plan to bring, being sure to note what your roommate is bringing.

There are bound to be some little things you forget, and some things you may not anticipate needing until you arrive and assess the facilities. That’s okay - as long as you have the basics to start off with, you should be fine.

The following link will lead you to a list of things to bring recommended by residence services at Marshall University.

Most colleges will have some kind of list to help you plan what to bring and what not to bring, so be sure to ask for a list from the institution you plan to attend.