What You Need To Know For College Move-In Day

College move-in day is one of the greatest milestones in your child’s life. It’s up there with baby’s first steps, the first day of Kindergarten, and graduation. It’s thrilling, exciting, and stressful, and you’ll probably be wondering how on earth you’ll fit all this stuff into your child’s tiny matchbook-size dorm room?

Have no fear.

I moved two kids into college 3,000 miles from home and learned a few things along the way. You might be overwhelmed with desire to buy everything you think your child could possibly need. (Do they really need that Panini maker? Probably not.) Stop yourself. Keep your sanity (and your wallet) and buy only the essentials. I learned this the hard way when much of what I thought my darling offspring desperately needed was given away, thrown out or sold for pennies when they moved out of their dorms.

What they will need for college move-in day:

Bedding (dorm beds are Twin XL), Bath supplies (towels, shower caddy and flip flops for the shower), Electronics (laptop, headphones, cellphone or clock with alarm so they don’t miss class, and power strips as outlets are limited,) and of course, Clothes (but not everything you own!).

Other things to consider:

Does the dorm room have adequate lighting or do you need to purchase a lamp? Is a trashcan offered or do you need to bring your own? Are bed-risers needed? Often you can call the school or check their website to see what’s provided. But be sure to bring water and yummy snacks on move-in day, extra for your child’s roommate if you’re so inclined. You will need the energy!

Other items, such as a First Aid Kit with Advil or Tylenol and a thermometer are always a good idea. Without fail your child will get sick, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know their temperature every few hours. You might consider earplugs and headphones too, so roommates can sleep, study or watch TV without disturbing each other.

To help with dorm room decision-making check out OCM’s college checklist. It offers a myriad of suggestions for your child, but remember, it is not necessary to buy everything. The Complete Campus Collection from OCM offers the easiest, fastest and most cost efficient way to purchase whatever your child needs most. And there’s free shipping too! Leaving you extra time and money to book your plane tickets and hotels for parents’ weekend just around corner.

To help simplify this task, OCM is giving away to one LUCKY person, their Complete Campus Pak: Twin Bedding and Bath Set. The set includes:

2 extra-long flat sheets
2 extra-long fitted sheets
2 standard pillowcases
2 extra-fluffy machine washable pillows
1 extra-long reversible comforter
1 extra-long quilted mattress pad
1 extra-long egg crate pad
1 extra-long microplush blanket
2 all-cotton bath towels
2 matching cotton hand towels
2 matching cotton wash cloths
2 oversized bath sheets
1 laundry bag
2 underbed storage solutions
1 bedside storage caddy

To enter contest, please leave a comment below or on my Facebook page: The giveaway expires Thursday, July 20th 2018. One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Facebook and Instagram.  US only. Good luck!

OCM has been helping millions of families outfit dorm rooms (care packages, graduation gifts and more) for almost 40 year and gives back a portion of each purchase to the student’s school. In fact, they have sent back $23million from purchases to schools for campus programing, as well as, donating to over a dozen local charities and non-profit organizations.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.