Basic Furniture
Your room will have basic furniture including:
- Single bed frame (bed height can be adjusted from 5" to 30" off the ground)
- Twin XL mattress (mattress dimensions - 80" long x 36" wide)
- Desk and chair
- Bookcase/shelf
- Bureau
- Wardrobe or closet
The furniture must stay in that room/apartment. Furnishings need to meet safety standards and be assembled properly. Residents may be held financially responsible for costs associated with replacing missing furniture and/or removing furniture from their rooms. As specified in the Terms and Conditions for the Room Condition Form (RCF) you were asked to complete, you can review a list of estimated Repair and Replacement Costs.
Decorating Your Space
Residents are encouraged to decorate and personalize their rooms. Head over to our Facebook page to see examples of decorated student rooms. As you decorate, please keep the following policies in mind:
- Decorations must not cover more than 50% of the area on each wall and room door
- No items are allowed to be suspended from the ceiling, light fixtures, sprinkler head, or fire equipment.
- Residents of North Apartments and the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC) are only allowed to use push pins to hang decorations.
- Residents in all other areas are only allowed to use removal strips (such as 3M or Command Strips), commercial hanging putty, and painters tape to decorate their walls and doors.
- Any use of other materials such as nails, screws, and masking or duct tape are not allowed as they may damage the walls, which will result in a fee for residents.
- Applying wallpaper, borders, stickers, and/or painting or drawing on walls, doors, windows, shades, or furnishings is not permitted.
What to Bring
Before you decide what you intend to bring to campus, review important reminders and suggested items. A printout of the What to Bring Checklist is also available. Please keep in mind, some items are prohibited from the residence halls. Students that live outside Massachusetts and wish to ship items to campus prior to Fall Move-In should review the Luggage Program.
Suggested Items
Remember, your space on campus will most likely be smaller than your room at home. Keep this in mind when packing.
Below is a list of suggested items:
Personal Items
- UCard: (You need this for Move-In, access to your hall, and your meal plan)
- Government Issued ID (License, State ID, Passport)
- I-9 documentation
Shared Items
Suggestion: Talk to your roommate and see what items they will be bringing on-campus!
- Audio Equipment
- TV ( No Cable TV provided in rooms)
- Gaming Console
- Printer and Printer paper
- Coffeemaker with an automatic shut-off and integrated duel safety circuit
- Microwave/refrigerator with integrated circuit (check out MicroFridge© rentals)
- Microwave up to 700 watts and 0.7 cubic ft.
- Small refrigerator 3.0 cubic ft. or less – with a ground adapter plug
- Area rug
- Posters/art/decorations
Room needs/storage
- Storage
- Storage items (bins, under the bed storage trays, stackable crate, pillow top ottoman with inside storage, shoe rack)
- LED desk lamp
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Drying rack for laundry
- Mini toolkit (including screwdriver, hammer, wrench)
- Command hooks/strips for hanging pictures/poster (CHCRC residents should bring pushpins as command strips are not permitted there)
Linens/Laundry
Note: If you are ordering before the beginning of the semester be sure to have the order shipped to your home address as we will not be accepting packages.
- Sheets and pillowcases
- Towels
- Pillows
- Mattress pad/Memory foam topper
- Blankets
- Comforter/Quilt
- Clothes handers
- Laundry bag/basket
- Laundry detergent, fabric softener and stain remover
- Mini sewing kit
Office/Desk Supplies
- Stapler and staples
- Pens and pencils
- Folders with pockets
- 3 ring binders
- Index cards
- Sticky notes
- Paper clips and binder clips
- Rubber bands
- Tape
- Scissors
- Highlighter pens (Multiple colors)
- Ruler
- Stackable desk trays/Desk Organizer
Electronics
Note: all electric cords, plugs, and appliances must be in good condition. All appliances should have an Underwriters’ label or seal of approval from another recognized testing laboratory. All appliances with exposed heating coils or those that can become excessively hot are potential fire hazards and are prohibited from your room.
- Laptop & Charger
- Portable speakers (if you want to play music from laptop/phone)
- HDMI/VGA cord
- Power strip/Surge protectors (UL approved)
- Headphones
- Cellphone/Charger
- Any other necessary chargers
Personal care items
- Medications and a lockable storage bag
- First Aid Kit (Adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment etc,)
- Toiletries (ie. Shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, shower caddy, shower shoes, etc.)
- Cleaning Supplies
- Clothing (Suggestion: If possible, bring clothes that coincide with that season!)
Miscellaneous
- Umbrella
- Backpack
- Sports Equipment
- Bike and bike lock (optional)
Sustainability
Sustainability is a community effort at UMass that crosses units and disciplines and is woven throughout our academic and social spheres. Making sustainable choices starts with the purchases you make before coming to campus. We encourage you to consider the sustainable options below when deciding what to bring.
- Reusable water bottles (we have hydration stations, don’t waste your money and plastic on cases of water bottles!)
- Tupperware to keep leftovers in your fridge
- Reusable cutlery
- Cloth napkins and cleaning towels
- Reusable bags for grab-n-go and other purchases
- Bike for getting around campus
- MicroFridge for keeping and reheating leftovers while saving energy
- Buy gently used items at the New2U tag sale like rugs, furniture, and décor!
Air fresheners can impact indoor air quality by adding potentially hazardous pollutants to the air and are associated with a range of adverse health effects. Therefore, Residential Life highly recommends that you avoid their use in the residence halls. Learn more about air fresheners.
Learn additional ways you can live sustainably on campus!
First Week of Class Essentials
Residential Service Desks receive over 60,000 packages during the first 4 weeks of the semester which can cause extreme delays for students. Bring items essential to your health and academic success with you instead of waiting to order them once you’ve arrived.
- iClicker – if your class requires an iClicker you will need it during the first week for attendance
- Required textbooks
Prohibited Items
To maintain the safety of the residence halls for all students, items that may be a fire hazard or other hazard are not permitted. Candles, hoverboards, octopus lamps, and toasters are a few examples of prohibited items. For a complete list, please review Residence Hall Policies. Possession of any prohibited item violates these policies and/or the Code of Student Conduct and will result in disciplinary action.
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