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02/17/16 - BOSTON, MA. - A Resident Advisor's door in International Village on Feb. 17, 2016. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Packing isn’t fun the majority of the time, especially when you are essentially moving all your belongings from one place to another. This list isn’t going to outline every detail like toothpaste and socks, but will hopefully remind you of something that you may not have realized you need.

  • Mattress pad. University mattresses aren’t the best, so unless you like hard beds, you need one of these.
  • Extension cords. Outlets like to be in the most inconvenient spaces.
  • Fans. Not all rooms have A/C, and it can get hot in September and in the Spring.
  • Microwave. Depends on your diet, but this seems to always come in handy.
  • Mini Fridge. Some people think this is overkill, but where am I going to put my ice cream? In all seriousness, it’s really helpful if you have the space.
  • Electric kettle. For boiling water to make tea, coffee, and ramen. A game changer.
  • Printer. Not a necessity, but very convenient versus using campus printing.
  • Vacuum. Trust me, you’ll want this even if it’s just a small handheld one.
  • TV/HDMI cable. Always fun to have a big screen for movie nights and sport games. All NU students get Xfinity while on campus, so take advantage.
  • Game console of any kind. Mario Kart is still relevant in college. I know, shocker.
  • LED lights/lamps. Nothing like some mood lighting in your new home. Always appropriate for get-togethers.
  • Headphones. College can get loud, block some of it out. Noise-cancelling is even better.
  • Umbrella. I don’t know if this is just me, but I always forget to have one.
  • Tape/command strips/tools. To put up your decorations. Nails are a big no.
  • Pop-out hamper. For your laundry, duh.
  • Tide stick. To take care of those stains you weren’t planning for right before class.