Hello again, Bears! The summer semester is already over here on campus, which means that it is an exciting time for incoming freshmen Bears! If you are coming to campus this fall, chances are that you are packing or getting ready to pack up your things and move into the residence halls. You may also be feeling a little overwhelmed about what to bring to campus. If that is you, then you have come to the right place! In today’s blog post, I’m going to give you a few of my recommendations for things that you should or shouldn’t bring to campus.  

Bring… 

• A small TV with Roku/Chromecast stick 

Did you know that you get a free HBO Max subscription as a Missouri State student? A TV is a great thing to have in your residence hall room. The MSU residence halls also have a separate WiFi network for devices like TVs and game consoles, so your streaming experience will be good. If you have a roommate, make sure you talk to them so you don’t both bring a TV. The residence hall rooms are pretty spacious, but you won’t need more than one TV! 

• A plastic shower caddy 

Some students may tell you to bring a mesh shower caddy, but I am personally of the opinion that the plastic ones are the best. While they might be heavier and hold less than their mesh counterparts, the plastic caddies are much easier to clean and do not share the same risk of mildew. Sometimes, the showers in your residence hall won’t have a place for you to hang your caddy, so you want to have one that you can put on the floor.  

• Additional storage 

 When you move out of your residence hall at the end of the year, chances are that you will have accumulated more than what you came to the residence hall with. You don’t want to be excessive, but bringing along extra storage will make the process of moving out easier. It also provides you with extra space to store things that you don’t use frequently, such as seasonal clothes. Consider bringing along a few storage bins or maybe an ottoman that doubles as a seat and extra storage.  

Don’t bring…  

• A printer

Bringing a printer to campus isn’t really necessary, as there are many ways that you can print all over campus. It’s best not to take up space in your room with things that you don’t need. Each residence hall has a computer lab where students can print, and printing in the library is very accessible as well.  You can print up to 50 pages per semester in the residence hall computer labs, and you receive $60 of printing dollars for library printing every school year. This tends to be more than enough for most students, including me, and I am always printing out all sorts of English and Philosophy papers! 

• Excessive additional furniture   

You may feel tempted to bring a futon or other types of furniture for your residence hall room to make things more comfortable or personal, but larger pieces of furniture take up a lot of unnecessary space. There are many other less space-consuming ways that you can make your room your own! Many students like to bring pictures, posters, lights, and other smaller things to decorate their space.  

• Cooking appliances 

The Missouri State University residence halls don’t allow students to bring certain cooking appliances, like air fryers, toasters, or crockpots. There are some kitchen items that you can bring, like coffee makers, but be sure that you are familiar with what appliances you can and cannot bring. MSU also doesn’t allow students to bring microwaves or fridges into the residence hall rooms, but that’s because they are provided for you with the cost of the room!  

Takeaways 

These are just a few examples of things that I brought (or didn’t bring) to the residence halls when I was a freshman. While moving to college is a very exciting time, it is important to know what you should or should not bring to campus. You can see a detailed list of suggested items to bring and definite items to not bring, plus lots more useful information in the Guide to Move In provided by Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services.  

If you are moving to campus soon, I wish you the absolute best of luck on your journey! Remember that, when you get here, there are some great resources on campus, including our CAST office, that can help you adjust to campus life. See you soon, and welcome to Missouri State! 

~Hallie 

(Bio: I am a junior out-of-state student studying Creative Writing and Philosophy.)