What to Bring

This list will help you decide what to pack for your move to Hampshire College housing.

What You’ll Find When You Arrive

Each room is pre-furnished with one bed frame and mattress; a desk and chair; an open closet rod to hang clothes; and a dresser for each resident. Storage space in your room is limited.

Necessities

Bedding for an 80-inch mattress (for Twin XL bed); sheets, pillow, blanket, mattress pad
Towels and toiletries
Clothes hangers
Classroom supplies
Mobile phone and charger
Laptop
Laundry basket/bag
Liquid laundry detergent for high-efficiency washers
Desk lamp, non-halogen
Power strip or safety-fused surge protector (not simple extension cords)
Refillable water bottle

Optional Items

Earbud and/or mic headset
Flashlight
Iron (only with automatic shutoff)
Box or small fan (only the Merrill dorms are air-conditioned)
Wall-saver removable poster tape
First-aid kit (plastic strips, aspirin, cotton balls, etc.)
Plates, cups, cutlery
Bicycle with lock
Microwave oven not to exceed 0.7 cubic feet or 800 watts
Mini-refrigerator not to exceed 3.0 cubic feet

Notes on Appliances:

If you're living in a mod (apartment-style housing): Check out our Residences page for more information on your mod. Please note: the College does not provide common area furniture or regular cleaning services in the mods. Microwaves are not provided.

If you're living in Merrill or Dakin (traditional-style dorms): We encourage you to use the full-size refrigerator in your floor's lounge. If you bring your own refrigerator, it should not exceed three cubic feet and should be an Energy Star-labeled product that will use less electricity.

We encourage you to lease a Microchill (microwave and mini-fridge combination unit), as it includes safety features and will be delivered to your room. Save the trouble of carrying this heavy unit (potentially up stairs, as none of Hampshire's housing includes elevators). Rent a Microchill here.

Each Merrill and Dakin lounge has a flat-screen TV with the ability to connect to a computer. Students are welcome to bring a TV for use in their bedrooms, but be aware that there is no cable service.

Leave at Home

Weights
Pets (if you have a service animal or emotional support animal, they must be properly registered and approved by the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services)
Cinder blocks/bricks (or other bed risers, unless meeting certain conditions)
Wall/ceiling stickers (such as glow-in-the-dark stars)
Candles, incense, torches, flammables
Dartboards
Firearms, hunting knives, ammunition, bows, arrows, or any other items that are or could be classified as weapons. This includes paint, bb, air, water, and toy guns.
Kitchen accessories with open heating elements (toaster oven, toaster, etc.)
Air conditioners and heaters
Tapestries/curtains/draperies
Adhesive LED strip lights that will remove and/or chip paint when removed
Extension cords (only surge protectors are permitted)
3D printers
Too many items. There is no storage available on campus. Belongings must be stored in your room during the academic year and taken home or stored off campus over the summer. Bring only what you plan to keep in your room and what you can manage bringing home or storing elsewhere over the summer (at a local storage facility you later arrange).

Buying a computer before arriving?

Learn more about student discounts and recommendations from Hampshire IT. Also, check out the ratings of computers on 23 environmental performance criteria to reduce your carbon footprint. The College has printers in the library for students to use.

Bikes

You can easily reach many places in the area by bike. It takes around 20 minutes to bike to the Hampshire Mall (3.8 miles), around 25 minutes to bike to Amherst town center (4 miles), and about 40 minutes to bike to Smith College/Northampton (7.8 miles). There are bike racks on the front of all PVTA buses.

Hampshire also has a bike shop located in the Robert Crown Center where student workers perform free bike maintenance and repairs.