What to Bring & What Not to Bring

Two students carrying items to move-in to their dorm.

College Packing Guide

One of the questions we hear most often is what students should or shouldn’t bring to college. Use the list below as a helpful guide to start your packing and feel confident on move-in day.

What to Bring
  • Bed Linens - Extra-long twin size including a bedspread, pillow, mattress cover, blankets/comforters, and a sheets set (Be sure to look for our mailing on the university's)
  • Decorations - Carpet, memo board, plants, pictures/posters
  • Equipment - Computer and surge protector, printer, desk lamp.
  • Clothes - Don't bring everything you have all at once; bring things up as you need them and take other things home so you don't have a HUGE packing job waiting at the end of the year
  • Desk Supplies - Metal wastebasket, pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, paper
  • Household Items - Storage systems/shelves, hangers, iron/ironing board, broom/dustpan, laundry detergent, laundry basket, window fan, cleaning supplies
  • Snacks - Popcorn, soups, crackers, cookies, chips
  • Other Items - Towels/face cloths, toiletries, alarm clock, foot locker, medical/first-aid supplies
  • Appliances - These items are permitted in student rooms: Blenders, clocks, coffee makers and irons with automatic shut-off, computers, fans, hairdryers/curlers, air popcorn poppers, radios, razors, mini-refrigerators up to 4 cubic feet (one per resident and bearing the UL seal and operating on up to 2.5 amps), stereos, and televisions. Please use appliances in the intended manner and turn off items when not needed. Use of surge protector strips is strongly recommended.
What NOT to Bring

We're committed to providing a safe residence hall environment. Based on state health and safety and fire requirements for residence halls, we ask you to help us in this area by NOT bringing the following items into any of our residential areas:

  • "Hoverboards", Self-balancing boards, Two-Wheeled Segways, and similar devices.
  • Candles of any kind
  • Air conditioners
  • External antenna/aerial
  • Halogen floor lamps
  • Heat lamps/heaters
  • Hotplates/hotpots
  • Sandwich makers*
  • George Foreman grills*
  • Toaster*
  • Toaster ovens*
  • Other cooking devices
  • Refrigerators over 4 cubic feet
  • Large upholstered furniture
  • Beanbags
  • Curtains
  • Microwaves (excluding the approved Polarwave units)*

Important to Note: Apartment Complex, New Hall, and University Hall residents may have one microwave oven, toaster/toaster oven, and sandwich maker per apartment. All appliances should be operated exclusively on the available kitchen counter space.

If any of these items are found on campus outside of specified areas, our campus policy requires that they be confiscated and donated to a local charity to prevent their reappearance on campus.

Microfridge Amenity

The Residential Life Office now provides MicroFridge units in each traditional hall student bedroom for residents' convenience, and also as an energy-saving effort. This amenity is available to all students residing in Courtney Hall, Dickinson Hall, Lammers Hall, and Davis Hall.

These rooms will come equipped with either a 3.1 unit or a 4.8 unit. Single and double rooms will be equipped with the 3.1 unit, triples will be equipped with the 4.8 unit, and quads will be equipped with two 3.1 units. These units are helpful for students that plan to store small amounts of food in their rooms, and would like to have access to a microwave without going down to the kitchen in our residence halls.

We encourage students to take advantage of these units, rather than bringing their own. They create less clutter, save more energy, and take the hassle out of moving refrigerators in and out during opening and closing.

Any questions can be directed to housing@westfield.ma.edu.

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Residential Life
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