Efficiently Equipped: A Guide to Packing for Boarding School Success
Transitioning to boarding school can be overwhelming. To help you reduce the overwhelm, we’ve put together a list of items your student should consider bringing with them. Looking this list over and preparing can help you and your family enjoy more time together as your students’ time at home winds down.
Key items your student will need for boarding school:
1. Bedding and Linens
Students will need to bring along their own sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and comforters. We recommend bringing multiple sets. For an extra cozy experience, have your student bring a foam mattress topper. Pro tip: Make sure to check if your student will need extra long bed sheets or regular fit sheets!
2. Toiletries and Medications
Before you send your student off to boarding school, make sure they have all their toiletries refilled and ready to go. You can start with a list like this:
1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Shampoo
4. Conditioner
5. Body wash or soap
6. Deodorant
7. Face wash
8. Moisturizer
9. Sunscreen
10. Important medications
11. Shower shoes
12. Shower caddy
13. First-aid kit
14. Laundry detergent
If you think you might forget an item or two, have your student keep track of the products they use every day.
3. Clothing
This category is the most difficult to pack! To help your student not overpack, remind them that they will have the opportunity to come home or get what they need sent to them throughout the semester. It’s a good idea to remind them that the clothes they don’t wear in their closet at home, they won’t wear in their closet at school!
If your student’s boarding school has a dress code, then this process is a little bit easier. We always recommend having them bring along casual clothes for weekends and evenings, dress clothes for formal events, and athletic clothes if they are involved in any extracurricular sports.
If your student will be playing on their school’s sports team, make sure they gather any other miscellaneous equipment items they might need like extra soccer socks, slides, shin guards, or “UnderArmour” gear.
4. School Supplies
Just like your student’s previous years of gathering school supplies, the same applies for boarding school. Don’t forget to check with the school to see if they have any specific requirements or recommendations for school supplies.
5. Electronics
Don’t forget to check with your student’s school to see if they will need a laptop or tablet to complete their work. This is also a good time to ask if they are allowed to bring any personal devices like a gaming device to use outside of class time. And don’t forget a portable charger for when they are traveling for away games!
6. Lighting Matters!
Ditch the fluorescent overhead ceiling lights in the dorms and bring in some soft white light bulbs! And if you want to take it a step further to make it extra cozy, look into whether “fairy lights” or “LED light strips” are allowed, as both really warm up a dorm room!
7. For the Dorm
Here are a few items that will make your student’s dorm room experience more comfortable.
Desk lamp
Alarm clock
Laundry bag or basket
Hangers
Rug
Storage containers
Snacks
Small fan
Bed risers
Photos from home
Deck of cards or board games
Power strip
Chargers & Charging Ledge
Laundry detergent pods, stain remover and dryer sheets
Posters
Command Hooks
“No Nails” Ledge Shelf
Mirror
Underbed Storage Containers
Foot Locker or Trunk
To make sure your student doesn’t forget any items, have them write down everything they use in their daily life and add those items to your list.
Don’t let packing overwhelm the end of your summer! If you have any more questions about preparing for boarding school, let us know! We’re here to help!