Sheets, towels, alarm clock are a quick Costco trip.
Even my son had to change out his sheets during laundry!
The girls in my dd2’s apartment got along with just one of those steamer/iron things. They only steamed out where the bad wrinkles were on their clothes. They didn’t do the whole outfit!
Coffee makers, microwaves and appliances generating a heat source were a general no-no at my kids dorms.
Agree with the fan and heater when needed.
At some point, your kid will need to do an in-person interview for a job or internship and will suddenly need an iron and the skill to use it. Irons don’t cost very much and don’t take up very much space. I don’t see any reason not to bring one.
Alarm clocks are small and inexpensive, too. On the day that your kid – who never had a class before 11 a.m. all semester – has an 8 a.m. final exam or needs to leave for the airport at 5 a.m., it’s nice to have more than one alarm available. Remember that alarm clocks (or cell phones being used as alarm clocks) should never be placed within reach of the bed. If you actually have to get up and put your feet on the floor to go turn off the alarm clock, you’re less likely to fall back to sleep.
My music major had an iron. All of the music majors had irons…so did the ROTC folks. No one else did.
There were two things I wanted my kids to take…thst I am quite positive NEVER got used…an alarm clock, and a desk lock for the laptop. Complete waste of money.
@skieurope my sentiments completely. My kids shopped in our linen closet and took OLD towels. They usually made a one way trip…then the next year, the kids took a different set of old towels. If anyone was going to get NEW towels, it was ME! And I did!
Heaters were absolutely not allowed on any of my kids’ colleges. Fans were allowed, but DD had an airconditioned dorm. She didn’t need a fan. DS took one, and was happy to have it in September only. Since we drove to get him, it usually came home at Thanksgiving, and returned after spring break. Not enough storage space to keep it in his room.
We got our kids commuter mugs. Their colleges had coffee, tea and hot chocolate practically 24/7…and dining halls were convenient. They didn’t brew their own…they got it!
Someone in the dorm will have one that the kid can borrow.
My kids had Keurig, humidifier, air purifier and fan in their room. I also packed an iron for them and both of them said they used the iron. I was their second alarm clock when they had to catch that early flight/bus or had an important test or interview.
One benefit to taking old towels is that they are usually thinner and dry out faster. Those thick fluffy new ones might stay damp and get stinky. I’m sure my kids didn’t wash their towels as often in the dorms as they did at home.
I got my daughter those dry fast towels - I think they worked - didn’t get stinky and damp in her dorm
My daughter attends school in Wyoming and needs a fan all year long. The dorms are not air conditioned, but even worse in the winter when those in power crank the heat and the individual rooms can’t control it. They cracked their windows even when it was -10 because it was 80 in the room.
My son took two sets of sheets and a bunch of pillows. Mid-October freshman year his roomate moved out. So he pushed the beds together and made a nice big bed, the extra sheets and pillows came in handy!
Another thing that is essential at his school is a water cooler. The school has a deal with a local water delivery company and students can rent a cooler in their rooms and they deliver how ever many of the 5 gallon jugs you request every other weeks There are frequent water boil advisories and its very hot and humid and it is much more convenient and economical than a brita pitcher or constantly buying bottled water.
He has an iron but no coffee maker. He has an alarm clock and a battery operated weather radio that can also charge his cell phone.
A bottle of Downey wrinkle releaser. Just spray it on and run your hands over and you can get rid of the big wrinkles I sent with my son last year and he actually used it once or twice and I will be sending it with my daughter this year. Much easier than ironing.
I know someone whose mother sent him with an iron and he used it to make grilled cheese sandwiches in his room!
We had mini fridges 40 years ago in our dorm room. It’s a necessity in my book.
Personally I LOVE micro fiber sheets–they are super light, super soft, and dry super fast. I got rid of just about all my sheets and replaced with microfiber. Just makes bed making so much easier.
Tap water works pretty well. We did have mini fridges back in my college days but no one worried about bottled water. 
Actually, on many campuses there is a big push for being environmentally aware and they have built in water systems to reduce the need for/use of bottled water.
Not when there are many boil water advisories because the water is unsafe to drink due to brain eating amoebas.
Yikes! No brain eating amoebas in my neck of the woods. That might turn me off water completely. Pass the wine.
When this is the case, the SCHOOL should be providing potable water. Students should NOT need to rent water coolers. It is against public health guidelines everywhere to have no potable water in a community living situation like a dorm.
A water sprayer works as well as the Downey wrinkle release. Hints from Heloise roughly 35 years ago. I rarely have ironed since.
they do provide bottled water but students PREFER to have water coolers in their dorms.
D and her roomie have the typical fridge, microwave and Keurig (which they use to make tea and hot cocoa more than coffee).
Things we didn’t need first year: over the door shoe rack (closets didn’t have doors), bed risers (bed was self-adjusting), dry erase board for door (had a built in one), fans (dorm had A/C).
Things we needed first year: curtain and curtain rod for closet, full length mirror.
Of course, the room sophomore year was entirely different. Closet had doors and full length mirror, but we needed bed risers and fans (dorm had no A/C).
Bring lots of command strips and hooks. We bought a decorative plaque with hooks that we affixed to the wall near the door with command strips. The girls used it to hang up raincoats, umbrellas, snow laden scarves, etc. We also used the large silver command hooks as robe/towel hangers.
@dolphnlvr6 Around here the brain eating amoebas are only a problem if the water enters your nose. So really it’s baths and showers that are a problem. Not drinking the water.