Packing for Oregon State

We encourage students to pack minimally when moving in to Oregon State residence halls. Oregon State is known for its commitment to sustainability; we invite you to be a part of that tradition by minimizing waste and being thoughtful before making purchases for your college room.

Take a look at what's already provided in your room before shopping. Bring the necessities, then determine what else you might need after you have lived in your space for awhile.

  • Many items can be purchased in Corvallis after you arrive, from local retailers including the OSUsed Store.
  • Coordinate with your roommate if you plan to bring appliances or other large items.
  • Unwrap and unbox new items and dispose of the cardboard and packaging at home. This saves space when you pack and helps prevent an overflow of the campus trash and recycling bins.

This is not an exhaustive list, so please contact UHDS if you have questions about bringing something.

General Requirements

All items need to meet the following criteria to be permitted within the residence halls.

  • All items should be in good working order. Any damaged or altered items are prohibited.
  • Appliances should be UL-listed and have an automatic shutoff.
  • Devices must not interfere with OSU's wireless or network infrastructure, or exceed the building's electrical load.
  • If the use of your item poses a health or safety concern, causes a disruption to the community, or causes property damage or property loss, you may be subject to disciplinary action and associated costs or sanctions, regardless of whether item is approved.
  • If you have a special need for an exception, please talk to your Resident Director, who can guide you through the process.
  • Electric bikes/scooters, space heaters and some kitchen appliances may need approval via the Resident Director.
  • For further information about items that are allowed or prohibited, see the UHDS Policy Guide, or contact us with specific questions.

  

Bedding & Bath
  • Sheets (all halls have extra-long twin mattresses)
  • Comforter, blankets, and pillows
  • Towels (bath, hand, washcloth)
  • Shower caddy for transporting toiletries to and from shared bathrooms
  • Robe and flip-flops or shower shoes
  • Shower mat, if you are in a suite-style room with a bathroom in your suite
  • Your own bed or mattress, unless previously approved via a disability accommodation request. All provided furniture, including the provided mattress, must stay in your room.

  

Laundry & Cleaning

Laundry machines are provided in every residence hall and do not require coins or fees to operate. UHDS custodial staff clean public areas of residence halls and community-style bathrooms daily. Residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and in-suite bathrooms.

  • Laundry basket or hamper
  • Laundry detergent (eco-friendly, HE liquid detergent recommended)
  • Clothes hangers
  • Cleaning supplies, such as disinfectant, glass cleaner, a duster or hand vacuum, and broom or dust pan. (Cleaning supplies may also be checked out at the front desk of each residence hall).
  • Bathroom cleaning supplies, such as gloves, shower cleaner and a toilet brush (for students living in halls with in-suite bathrooms: ILLC, Tebeau, West, Bloss, Halsell, and corner suites in Hawley & Buxton).
  • A clothes iron. This must be UL-listed, have a double-insulated, three-prong cord, and have an automatic shut-off

  

Personal Supplies
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Tissues or handkerchiefs
  • First aid kit (bandages, aspirin or non-prescription pain reliever, cold or allergy medicine)
  • Thermometer
  • Personal supply of face coverings for use as needed
  • Curling irons, hot curlers and flat irons. These must be UL-listed, have a double-insulated, three-prong cord, and have an automatic shut-off.
  • Mirror. Mirrors are provided in all residence hall bathrooms, and rooms with in-suite bathrooms include a vanity mirror. Some residence hall wardrobes have a mirror attached inside the wardrobe, but not all wardrobes include a mirror. Please see the decor section for information on hanging items in residence hall rooms.

  

Room Supplies & Decor
Selecting your decorations:

UHDS Statement on Inclusive Environments:

In order to help maintain a welcoming living environment for all who are living with us and ensure the benefits of our communities, we ask you to consider how you will positively contribute to the community you are joining by what you bring to campus.  

For many residents, symbols such as the Confederate flag incite feelings of fear, anxiety, and create a disruptive environment because of racist connotations and events that the flag represents. Oregon State University is committed to creating inclusive, safe, and thriving environments for all students, inclusive of a diversity of race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religious affiliation, and other identities, and believe that all students and staff have a role to play in helping create and maintain these communities. Racist iconography and other hate symbols do not comport with these values.  

If you are thinking about bringing such symbols or other imagery, ask yourself:

  • What does this decoration/symbol mean for me?
  • What could this decoration or symbol mean for others?
  • What impact might this have on someone with a different viewpoint from me or who feels targeted by this decoration?

When choosing decor, talk with your roommate about whether there is any content you might be uncomfortable with in your shared living space. Are there any symbols, words, or phrases that are off-limits for you?

  • Rug, if desired for inside your room (most residence halls have hard-surface floors)
  • Lighting: incandescent, LED, and florescent lights are allowed, including decorative lights, as long as they do not violate manufacturer guidelines. 
  • Dry erase markers (each room door comes with a provided exterior dry erase board)
  • Decorations, such as posters and pictures from home.
    • Hanging your decorations: Decorations may be mounted using finishing nails, thumbtacks, sticky tack, or painter's tape; no command strips.
      • (Note: Previous versions of the UHDS Policy guide listed command strips as an acceptable mounting option for walls, while finishing nails and thumbtacks were not recommended. This policy changed beginning in the 2019-20 school year. Thumbtacks and finishing nails are now acceptable; command strips are not)
  • Candles, even if you do not intend to burn them. Items that could produce an open flame are not allowed in residence halls.
  • Lighting with halogen bulbs or lighting with incandescent bulbs that exceed 60 watts
  • Items with adhesive that sticks to wall surfaces, such as command strips, command hooks, or removable wallpaper

  

Kitchen & Cooking Supplies

Residents may not cook food in their room, but heating water, using a microwave that is part of a microwave/refrigerator combination unit, or brewing coffee is allowed provided the fire detection system is not activated.

  • Any approved cooking appliance must be attended at all times.
  • All cooking appliances must be UL-listed, have a three-prong cord, have an automatic shut-off, and have a built-in thermal safety fuse.
  • Water bottle and reusable mug or thermos
  • A few dishes (bowl, plate, silverware)
  • An on-the-go reusable utensil kit (for example, a fork, spoon, and knife wrapped in cloth)
  • Pot/pan/cooking utensils for use in shared hall kitchens
  • A coffee maker that does not use a warming plate
  • Small refrigerators. Please note that all halls already have at least one shared, full-size refrigerator available for resident use. Please coordinate with your roommate before bringing a refrigerator; we strongly recommend no more than one refrigerator per room, due to load limitations on our building electrical systems. Refrigerators are allowed if they meet the following criteria:
    • Energy Star-rated
    • draw 11 amps or less
    • 3.2 cubic feet or less
  • A microwave/refrigerator combination unit such as a Microfridge ™. Please note that all halls have shared microwaves available for resident use; microwaves are typically available in the lounge on every floor of every residence hall. Microwave/refrigerator combination units are allowed if they meet the following criteria:
    • use one-plug technology
    • UL-listed
    • is not kept in confined areas.
    • FREE! Microwave/refrigerator combination units are provided free of charge in the common area of each Tebeau Hall suite, and in each bedroom of Halsell Hall suites.
  • Other small appliances:
    • all cooking appliances must be UL-listed, have a three-prong cord, have an automatic shut-off, and have a built-in thermal safety fuse.
    • electic kettles used to heat water are allowed.
    • Rice cookers and slow cookers must be stored and used in hall kitchens.
    • Toasters or toaster ovens are only allowed with prior approval by a resident director; they may only be used in hall kitchens or in the kitchen area of Halsell Hall suites.
  • Any item that produces an open flame or features an exposed heating element or cooks/prepares food while it is uncovered.
  • Any item that is not UL listed.
  • Microwaves that are not part of a microwave/refrigerator combination unit

Reminder: Activation of the fire system, such as a smoke detector, even if by accident, may result in disciplinary action by the University and the Corvallis Fire Department. For safety purposes, residence hall smoke detectors are sensitive.

  

Study Supplies and Devices
  • Computer (contact the Basic Needs Center if you need assistance procuring a computer)
  • Headphones
  • Ethernet cable for residence hall network
  • Power strips (power strips and plug multipliers must have a built-in surge protector)
  • Pens, pencils, paper and notebooks
  • A personal printer. Personal printers are allowed but not suggested; there are many printing stations on campus, including BeaverPrint stations available at each service center.
    • personal printers must use a wired connection to your computer; wireless printers will not work on OSU's wireless network.
  • Wireless network routers or wireless access points
  • Personal printers that use a wireless connection
  • Any device that would exceed the building's electrical load

  

Other Items
  • Small fan
  • Small step ladder or stool
  • 3D Printers. These are allowed in residence hall rooms only with advance permission from the building's Resident Director. Search the UHDS Policy Guide for "3D Printer" to read the full 3D printer guidelines before bringing one to campus. Multiple 3D printing stations are available to students on the OSU campus.
  • Personal television. These are allowed, although not suggested, as long as they are not wall-mounted.
    • Large-screen TVs are provided in hall lounges.
    • Rooms do not have cable TV connections. All residents have free access to streaming entertainment options via their computer or mobile device.
  • Air conditioners
  • Portable space heaters that are not radiator-style/enclosed, UL listed and in perfect condition
  • Extension cords without built-in surge protectors
  • Fog, smoke, and haze machines
  • Gasoline or hybrid powered scooters or bikes
  • Any appliance that produces steam, smoke, or grease-laden vapors. Clothes irons and electric kettles used to boil water are the only exceptions to this.
  • Hookahs, hookah smoking accessories, e-cigarettes, vaporizers. See OSU's tobacco-free campus policy.

Bringing a bicycle to campus

Renting a loft kit

Provided furniture

Bringing a car to campus