What to Bring

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

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

  • Mask/face covering, hand sanitizer
  • Earbud and/or mic headset
  • Bedding for an 80-inch mattress (for Twin XL bed); sheets, pillow, blanket, mattress pad
  • Towels and toiletries
  • Clothes hangers
  • Class supplies
  • Mobile phone and charger
  • Computer/Laptop
  • Laundry basket or bag
  • Laundry detergent
    • Hampshire uses High-Efficiency Washers
  • Desk lamp, non-halogen 
  • Power strip or safety-fused surge protector
    • Appliances and devices that are plugged use energy even when they're not in use. Power strips that can be turned off prevent unnecessary use of electricity.
  • Refillable water bottle

Go-Kit Items

If you are required to isolate or quarantine on campus by the Contact Tracing team, you will need to immediately move to an isolation or quarantine space. There will be little time to collect supplies. Additionally, you will not be able to leave your isolation or quarantine space during isolation/quarantine. To prepare for this, assemble a Go-Kit before you arrive on campus.

  • Sheets and bedding
  • Toiletries and laundry detergent
  • Self-care medications
  • Prescription medications
  • Thermometer
  • Mask/face covering
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Phone/accessory and charger
  • Laptop/entertainment options
  • Additional class/work supplies (pen, pencil, notebooks, etc.)
  • Snacks

Optional Items

  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Outdoor foldable chair or camping/stadium chair
  • Iron (with automatic shutoff)
  • Plants, knickknacks
  • Window or Box fan (only Merrill is air-conditioned)
  • Hot pots with automatic shut off
  • Wall-saver removable poster tape
  • Computer
  • First-aid kit (plastic strips, aspirin, cotton balls, etc.)
  • Computer or stereo (w/headphones)
  • Plates, cups, cutlery
    • Bringing a set of reusable eating ware can help reduce waste on campus. You can bring it to campus events or use it in your room for snacks!
  • Bicycle with lock
  • Microwave oven not to exceed 0.7 cubic feet or 800 watts
  • Refrigerator not to exceed 3.0 cubic feet
  • Printer

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 House or Dakin House (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), click here to rent a Microchill (once you have your fall housing assignment) with the partnering company with which we work.

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 with the office of accessibility resources and services)
  • Cinder blocks/bricks
  • 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.
  • Electric heaters
  • Kitchen accessories with open heating elements (toaster oven, toaster, etc.)
  • Air conditioners
  • Tapestries/curtains/draperies
  • Adhesive LED Strip Lights that will remove and/or chip paint when removed.
  • Extension cords

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.

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 (4 miles), and about 40 minutes to bike to Smith College/Northampton (7.8 miles), and 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.