ORIENT A T ION

PA CKING LIST

A Greener Packing List

As y ou pack for y our mov e to college, keep in mind that Dickinson College is committed to reducing our
collectiv e impact on the env ironment and that y ou should think about "being green" in y our residence hall,
y our room and throughout y our life at Dickinson. We encourage buy ing less stuff, using recy cled products,
reusing items and dev eloping community through the sharing of items in residence halls.
Upon arriv al on mov e-in day , Orientation Assistants will help carry y our belongings into y our residence hall
and show y ou where to recy cle y our mov e-in wastes. Remember, howev er, that many of the items y ou use at
home will already be av ailable to y ou at schoolsuch as a refrigerator and microwav eand as y ou will soon
find out, Dickinson alway s smiles upon sustainable choices. Most ev ery thing on this list is optional, so be
thoughtful about what y ou really need, and what can be bought used. If y ou do forget something, y ou will most
likely find it from a friend/roommate, in the College Bookstore, the Dev il's Den (Dickinsons conv enience store),
or at the local shopping centers and stores in downtown Carlisle.

Clothing
Bring clothes that are comfortable and that suit y our personal sty le. Closet space should be sufficient for most
students. Planning a wardrobe specific to the season and ex changing clothing ov er breaks will help y ou
maintain the necessary space for all y our belongings. Y ou may want to bring a swimsuit to wear to the Kline
Center indoor pool, and clothing for the occasional formal dance. Many students also choose to wear some sort
of footwear and/or robe into the bathroom.
Carlisle has four distinct seasons. Summer and early fall can be warm (temperatures ranging between 7 0 and
90F) and humid. Late fall is comfortable, but colder (temperatures ranging between 32 and 60F). Winters
tend to be cold with some snow (temperatures ranging between 1 0 and 40F). Springs are wet but balmy .
Carlisle can be rainy in all seasons, so bring an umbrella, rain boots and/or a waterproof coat.
Academ ic Item s
Buy recy cled (>50% post-consumer) and non-tox ic products when av ailable!
Pencils/pens/highlighters
Scissors
Hole punch
Notebooks & writing paper (check home for scrap paper/unused notebooks)
Stamps
Env elopes
Paper clips
Rubber bands
Stapler and staples
Ruler
Note cards (v arious sizes)
Glue
Transparent & masking tape
Thumb tacks
Calendar
Daily planner
USB Flash Driv e
Dry erase board
Personal Item s
Clothing (there are great thrift shops in Carlisle).
Twin sheets ex tra long (natural fiber)
Towels
Blankets
Pillows
Re-usable bag (for shopping, to av oid plastic bags)
Thermos/portable mug (limit waste and y oull also sav e $0.50 when y ou buy drinks on campus)
Water bottle (BPA free, aluminum or stainless steel)
Laundry bag or basket
Laundry detergent (choose a scent-free, chemical-free detergent)
Clothes dry ing rack to av oid clothes dry er
Toiletry items
Shower caddy
Shower shoes
Umbrella/raincoat/rain boots
Hangers
Bike (Get around sustainably )
Miscellaneous Item s
Look for Energy Star-logo TV s, DV D play ers, computers and microwav es.

Desk lamp (with compact fluorescent light bulb)

Wastebasket (recy cling receptacles prov ided)
Surge protector w/circuit breaker (switch to power down all appliances at once)
Alarm clock (single function uses less energy )
Flashlight
Bottle and can opener
Dishes & flatware (lots of ev ents encouraged as BY O place-setting to reduce waste)
Shoe rack
Small tool kit
Safety pins
Non-prescription medicines/v itamins
Storage crates (recy cled plastic)
Fan
Games
DV Ds
Sewing kit
Coffee pot*
Iron/ironing board*
*Appliances such as coffee pots, curling irons and irons should be equipped w ith automatic shut-off.
Prohibited Item s
No cooking dev ices in rooms with the ex ception of a microwav e ov en (which will be prov ided in the common
space of all residence halls)
No pets ex cept for fish that can be kept in a bowl or 20 gallon tank
No hazardous electrical appliances with open heating elements, including halogen lamps, cooking appliances,
decorativ e lights, concealed ex tension cords, or multiple outlet adapters. Multiple strip outlets (fused, with at
least 1 4 gauge wire, grounded cord) are allowed when needed to power electronic dev ices.
No candles, incense burners, or oil burning lamps and lanterns
No firecrackers, fireworks, or any ex plosiv e material
No gasoline motors of any ty pe and no storing of fuels such as gasoline or propane
No guns, ammunition, or weapons, including but not limited to kniv es, darts, foils, and swords
No wooden frame or metal lofts
Item s to av oid
Air fresheners (contain many tox ic chemicals) (Consider this deodorizer instead: 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4
tablespoons baking soda. Find other great alternativ es to cleaning supplies online.)
Plastic water bottles
TV (already av ailable in residence halls)
Aerosol cans
Its easy to bring along all the items y ou might miss from home: a small refrigerator, microwav e, hairdry er or
straightener, printer, etc. In actuality , refrigerators and microwav es will be av ailable in y our residence hall,
and y our printing allotment will allow y ou to print in public buildings like the library . As alway s, Dickinson
encourages and appreciates y our efforts to Engage the World Sustainably !