There are hundreds of student emergency kit guides out there with all of the obvious college essentials. Here are some of the most necessary but often forgotten college needs.
20. Advil
This is the most obvious necessity on this student emergency kit list, but I still felt the need to include it. Advil is an absolute must in college for several reasons. Studying for a long time and have a headache? Stayed out a little too late last night? Advil is your answer. I love to keep these small travel sized bottles in my backpack so I have it whenever I need it.
19. Granola Bar
This is a must pack on the student emergency kit. When you’re studying in the library for hours and starving it’s not nice to be able to reach into your backpack for a snack. Granola bars a perfect nutritious easy snack to always have on hand. My favorite are these RXBARS because they keep well in my bag and just have a few simple ingredients. You could also try these homemade granola bars from our site.
18. Ziploc Bags
The Ziploc bag is something I reached for so many times at the beginning of college and was so annoyed when I remembered I didn’t have any. Ziplocs are perfect for bringing a handful of your favorite snack to class or for storing some leftovers in the refrigerator. This is a student emergency kit must.
17. Band-aids
Another more basic item on the student emergency kit is the Band-aid. So many students forget to pack these or choose to not bring them because they think they won’t need them. The Band-aid is for more than just paper cuts, I’ve used them for blisters on the back of my heels after breaking in shoes and for a few bad run ins with my kitchen peeler.
16. Umbrella
I always thought I wouldn’t need an umbrella and that a raincoat would be sufficient, but I promise you after the first time it’s rains you will want an umbrella. Even the most effective rain coat is going to leave you a little wet and there is nothing worse than sitting in class in a pair of wet jeans.
15. Wired Headphones
Wired headphones are on this list not in place of your favorite Bluetooth head phones, but in addition to. Everyone knows the awful feeling of walking to class and having their headphones die, if you have a pair of wired headphones on hand you’ll never have to worry about that again.
14. Rain Poncho
If you’re attending a school with a big sports/tailgating atmosphere a poncho is a must. For gamedays when it may rain a rain poncho is perfect to have in your back pocket. It’s small, compact, and will keep you protected if it starts to rain.
13. Clorox Wipes
Clorox wipes are an absolute must if you are living in a dorm. They are perfect for cleaning any spills in your microwave or simply dusting around your room. When I lived in a dorm I reached for these almost every day.
12. NyQuil
NyQuil is another necessity for the student emergency kit. When you get to school it’s inevitable that you are going to get sick. There are so many new germs around a cough is almost certain. Having NyQuil on hand for when you’re feeling under the weather is going to be a life saver.
11. Batteries
Batteries are an item on this student emergency kit list you may not think of initially, but they will definitely come in handy. Maybe that desk lamp you bought is battery operated or your fan. Whatever it may be it’s good to have these around just in case.
10. Hand Sanitizer
A mini hand sanitizer is perfect to have in your backpack at all times. Sometimes you won’t have time to wash your hands before eating a snack and you’ll want to sanitize. I love having this small spray one from Sun Bum because it’s not messy and smells great.
9. Mini Trash Bags
In your dorm room you’ll have a small trash can and you won’t want to put big bags in your mini waste bin. You also won’t want all of your garbage to be bare in the can because it can stain or get stuck. These mini trash bags are a game changer.
8. Saran Wrap
Saran wrap is great for when you have a little bit of food left and want to save it but don’t feel like transferring it to a Tupperware. I love to just put this over my bowl of plate to keep my food fresh without a hassle
7. Chip Clips
Chip clips are a 100% must. If I had a dollar for every time I let a bag of chips go stale I’d have about $100. These chip clips are perfect for keeping your chips or pretzels tasty.
6. Safety Pins
When I first went to college I had a mini kit of various sized safety pins. At least once a week I would get a text from someone on my floor asking to have one. Safety pins are something you may not need every day but when you need one and don’t have one it’s a huge pain.
5. Makeup Wipes
I wish I could say that very night at school I went to the bathroom and did a thorough 5 step skincare routine but unfortunately that’s rarely the reality. Many nights you’ll reach for your makeup wipes and you’ll be so happy you are at least taking this step to take your makeup off.
4. Tide Pods
When you go to do your laundry at school you aren’t going to want to carry a big jug of detergent all the way down to to the laundry room. Keeping a bucket of Tide pods in your room and tossing a few in your hamper before you go down to do laundry is the way to go.
3. Quilt/ Blanket
This may seem like an odd thing to have on the student emergency kit list, but I promise it will come in handy. On warm sunny days at college, students love to flood the quad and do their work out there. It’s nice to have a quilt or blanket to sit on so all your stuff isn’t on the grass
2. Wrinkle Release Spray
An iron isn’t a super practice thing to have at school, but that doesn’t mean you should walk around with wrinkled clothes. This wrinkle-release spray is perfect because with just a few sprays your clothes will be wrinkle-free and perfect.
1. Tide Stain Stick
Last and certainly not least on the student emergency kit list is a tide stain stick. There’s no worse feeling than getting your outfit on and right before leaving spilling on yourself. With a Tide Stain Remover it’s not a problem at all. Just blot the stain and you are ready to go. These sticks saved my life several times at school