Moving into an off-campus apartment or house in any college town, including Athens or Columbus, is an exciting prospect. It’s such a thrilling experience, trading that 12-by-12 dorm room for a bedroom in a 1,200-square-foot apartment or house. It’s so exciting that you just might forget to make a checklist of all the stuff you need to bring. We can help you with that.
Depending on how many apartment or house-mates you have, you’ll want to coordinate what you bring with those folks, just so your place doesn’t have three toasters, four toilet plungers or three coat trees.
Items You Should Bring to the Apartment or House
(You can use the ensuing checklist, or just ask your mom to make a list. She and the other moms should have a lot of the stuff you need, boxed in the attic or out in the garage gathering dust.)
The Kitchen
We’ll start with the kitchen… You’ll need cutlery (no need to bring your mom’s treasured silverware), flatware (plates, bowls, etc.), cups and glasses. Don’t forget wine glasses so you can avoid that stereotype of college kids drinking rancid wine out of plastic cups. (You’ll still be pouring wine from a box, but at least it looks like the good stuff!) Talk over with your housemates who’s bringing what, especially with regard to skillets and sauce pans. Two frying pans should be sufficient, one bigger and one smaller, and three or four sauce pans of varying size, including a Dutch oven.
If somebody wants to bring an air fryer, that would be cool, too, though these popular appliances do take up a lot of space, and only the biggest ones will cook enough for more than three people. The non-cutlery drawer in the kitchen also will need to be stocked, with can and bottle openers, sharp knives, tongs, serving spoons, corkscrew, etc. The bigger implements can be put in a vase or other suitable standing container on the counter. Other assorted kitchen stuff can include serving bowls, casserole dishes, flat cookie pans, a colander, cheese grater, measuring cups and spoons, etc.
Other kitchen essentials include dish towels, a kitchen garbage can, aluminum foil, parchment paper, freezer and sandwich bags, a drying rack for dishes, paper towel holder (and paper towels), kitchen sponges, scouring pads, etc. And under no circumstances do you want to forget a toaster and coffee maker. Discuss with your apartment or housemates whether you want to go with a traditional drip-into-the-coffee-pot appliance or one of those that makes one cup at a time.
The Bedroom
Now for the bedroom… This one is up to you, since each apartment or house-mate will be furnishing and/or decorating his/her own bedroom. Bedding, including sheets, pillow cases, blankets and comforter, is essential, of course, as is the case with all the clothes you think you’ll need while attending school. If you have to provide your own mattress, there’s plenty of online resources instructing people on how best to selected a mattress (and where to do it without busting your college budget). You might want to pass on the stained, moldy mattress that you see on the side of the road, with a sign, “Take Me.”
As for furniture, most student rentals in Athens and Columbus are furnished, though not all of them. This is among the first questions you should ask when considering a rental house or apartment, and it may greatly influence your final choice. If your new place isn’t furnished, whatever you can’t bring from home, you can pick up at one of the local second-hand stores in either Athens or Columbus. (This applies to the living room and kitchen as well.) Don’t forget to bring something for the window(s) in your bedroom, if the rental doesn’t come with adequate curtains or other window treatments.
Other bedroom essentials include plenty of clothes hangers, a full-length mirror, a laundry hamper, and perhaps a beanbag chair or something comfortable for you to lounge on. If the bedroom doesn’t come with a desk, bring one from home or get a cheap one at Goodwill or some other second-hand shop.
The Bathroom
It’s the bathroom’s turn… This one is relatively simple. Just walk into a bathroom at home, look around, and then replicate it in your off-campus house or apartment in Columbus or Athens. Shower curtain, bathroom scale, toothbrush holder, toilet plunger, towels (big and small), hair dryer and straightener, toilet paper, soap, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, etc. Bring all the stuff that you usually travel with, plus less-used bathroom stuff that you’ll need on occasion. As with the kitchen and living room, discuss what to bring with whoever you’re sharing the bathroom with.
The Living Room
For the living room… As stated earlier, this will depend on whether the apartment or rental house comes furnished. If it is adequately furnished, of course, that makes it a lot easier. However, you might still need to supplement the provided furnishings, for example, with a coffee table and extra lamps. It’s common for living-room designers to skimp on the lamps, so you end up having to turn on a prison-yard-bright overhead light in order to study or read a book. You’ll want to discuss with your house or apartment mates who’s bringing the TV. Generally speaking, if someone is offering to bring a big television, that’s the one you want in your living room. For the walls, discuss this with your friends and perhaps take a vote if there’s not agreement on what prints or posters to tack up.
Other Spaces to Outfit
Other spaces to consider include the laundry room, utility closet, front porch, mud room, entryway closet, etc. Again, the best way to determine what to bring for these spaces is to take a critical look at what stuff your folks have in those rooms, and copy those arrangements in your student rental.
The great thing about furnishing your first off-campus apartment in Columbus or Athens (or rental house) is that you’ll be all set for your second one next year. Plus, if you forget anything or want to make changes, it’s just a matter of adding or changing whatever you want.