Dorm and College Packing List Spreadsheet

About this template

This college packing list settles the question that comes up when a family packs one dorm room from two homes: who is buying what. It is for students and parents getting ready for move-in day who want one shared list with the essentials already written and the progress counted.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

Who buys it, on every line

A printable dorm checklist has a tick box. This list has a who buys it column with four choices: the student, the parents, already have, or buy there. Plenty of things on a dorm shopping list are cheaper bought near campus than carried from home, and this is the column that shows it.

67 items already written, in 15 groups

You start with a full list of dorm essentials rather than a blank page, with room for 200 items in total.

• Bedding, kitchen, bathroom, study, tech, documents and medical
• Clothes, laundry, decor, cleaning, storage, food and the first week
• A quantity on every line, since two duvet covers and ten coat hangers are not one item each
• Notes on the things people tend to get wrong, such as unreliable dorm wifi, no sticky putty on the walls and the can opener everyone forgets

Counted, not just ticked

The sheet works as a packing tracker as well as a list. It counts items, what is sorted, what is still to get, and how far through you are as a percentage, for each group and for the whole list.

Tasks for the rest of the move

Some of college move in is not about objects at all.

• Tasks: registering with a doctor, setting up the laundry app, insurance and similar jobs
• Dashboard: reads the list and the tasks together
• Start Here and Setup: setup in a few minutes

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you copy, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• Two Excel files: the full 67-item list set three weeks before move-in with 22% sorted, and a blank copy
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions
• The terms of use as a PDF

Your files are ready the moment payment clears. The list is for personal and business use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?

Either. The download has Excel files for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to copy the Google Sheets versions with a free Google account.

Is the list already filled in?

Yes. 67 items are already written across 15 groups, with notes on the things people forget, and there is room for 200 items.

How do we split who buys what?

Every line has a who buys it column with four choices: the student, the parents, already have, or buy there.

Can I see how much is left to get?

Yes. Items, sorted, still to get and percentage complete are counted for each group and overall.

Can I add my own items?

Yes. The list has room for 200 items, so you can add your own alongside the 67 already written.