What to bring to college can be confusing and sometimes stressful. Please use this list to help you well before you load up the car. And remember, Reny’s department store is a 5-minute walk from campus, and a Walmart and Big Lots are just a 10-minute drive away. You can always purchase whatever you may have forgotten.

What to Bring

  • Bedding materials  All beds on campus are Twin XL. Use that size when thinking of fitted and loose sheets, pillows and pillow cases, blankets, and/or comforters. If you want additional padding, you might want to purchase a mattress pad or topper.
  • Alarm clock
  • Flashlight  Even though your phone has one, a regular flashlight is helpful
  • Shower caddy or basket and flip-flops  Unless you live in Francis Allen Black Hall (aka FAB Hall), you will share a bathroom down the hall with other residents. A shower caddy or basket can help carry your toiletries back and forth. Flip-flops are recommended for a community shower to keep your feet safe and healthy.
  • Toiletries
  • Bathrobe
  • Coat hangers
  • Can opener  
  • Basic cooking tools and dishes  There are a few pots and pans in the community kitchens but those can often be borrowed for long periods. A good pot and pan, along with a few other kitchen tools and some dishes, may be helpful if you like to cook. Please note: knives cannot be longer than 4 inches. Talk with your roommate(s) about who is bringing what to save space.
  • Simple medical supplies such as bandages and aspirin.
  • Personal medications and prescriptions
  • School supplies
  • Set of “dress” clothes and shoes  You may be asked to dress nicely for certain formal campus events such as banquets and award nights, so it’s a good idea to have a set of nice clothing on hand.
  • Laundry supplies including detergent, dryer sheets, stain remover, fabric softener, an iron and small ironing board, and a laundry bag or basket.
  • Trash cans and trash bags  There are also recycling bins in each residence hall. The hall cooperatives use the money made from all recycled bottles and cans collected in the building to program for residents like you.
  • Basic cleaning supplies  Items like a broom and dustpan, dusting sheets, glass cleaner, and a basic all-in-one cleaner will help you keep a neat and tidy room. Remember, residents are in charge of cleaning their own rooms and no one will be there to pick up after you. Talk with your roommate(s) about who is bringing what to save space.
  • Adhesive materials  You’ll probably want to hang a few items on your walls or your room door. We suggest using adhesive strips like Command Strips, Scotch Mounting Putty, and Painters Tape. Just make sure whatever you use doesn’t damage the walls or you’ll be charged for each wall damaged.
  • Small whiteboard and markers. Stick this on your door so others can leave you messages when you’re out of the room.
  • Storage items and containers  Places like Reny’s, Walmart, and Target offer an array of containers for you to maximize your space and store items.
  • Floor covering: All residence hall rooms have tile floors, with a few exceptions. Our website includes information on what size to bring for your specific room.
  • Electrical items  All electrical items must be UL-approved. The University of Maine at Farmington strongly supports sustainability and energy conservation, so Energy Star-rated products are strongly encouraged. Make sure to talk with your roommate(s) about who is bringing what to save space and energy.
  • Fan  It can get a little toasty during the beginning and end of the school year so a fan might be useful. Air conditioning units are not allowed.
  • Lamps  There is lighting in all of the rooms but a desk lamp or a floor lamp for the corner of the room can add extra lighting and a softer light to the room.
  • Cooking/heating appliances  Bring whatever you feel that you will need. Remember that the Beaver Lodge and Mantor Cafe are also great places to swing by and grab a cup of coffee in the morning or a late-night snack. Cooking or heating appliances with an open coil or heating element are prohibited.
  • UL extension cords, power strips, and surge protectors allow you to safely plug in multiple items. Please make sure not to place too many appliances on one outlet, as this could cause a fire safety hazard.
  • Cable for cable television hook-up  Each room has one cable TV connection and basic cable is provided for residents with the cost included in your housing. More channels are available on the communal television in each residence hall lounge.
  • Television  Whatever you bring for a TV needs to be able to stand on its own. You’re not allowed to drill into the wall for a wall-mounted TV.
  • Computer and printer  There are computers on campus—Macs and PCs—and printers located in Mantor Library and the UMF Fusion Center. You can also bring your own printer. The campus and all of the residence halls are wireless, but there are also two Ethernet ports per room, so you might want to bring an extra Ethernet cord.
  • Additional furniture  You may want to bring in another chair, a small table, etc.  Just keep in mind all pieces of University-owned furniture (typically one bed, one closet or armoire, one dresser and one desk and chair per resident) must stay in the room for the entirety of the year and are not allowed to be removed from the room. Unfortunately, futons and small couches don’t usually fit in our rooms because most beds cannot be lofted high enough.  So you may want to wait to see if you think a futon will fit before bringing one. for safety and insurance reasons, you cannot loft the beds.
  • Your pet! Stone Hall is our new Pet-Friendly residence hall on campus! You can easily apply to live with a dog (40 pounds or less), a cat, a hamster, a rabbit, a gerbil, a turtle, a guinea pig or a hermit crab. All of our other residence halls welcome fish. We have a limit of one fish container per resident, with a maximum capacity of ten gallons per container.

Items NOT Permitted

  • Any item with an open flame, including candles, incense burners, etc. Lighters are permitted for those students who smoke, but you may only smoke on off-campus property. UMF is a smoke-free campus.
  • Any item with an exposed heating element or coil such as hotplates, Bunsen burners, toasters and toaster ovens.
  • Electrical space heaters
  • Halogen lamps
  • Bed risers are permitted but must be made of plastic and no taller than 6 inches 
  • Fridges and Microwaves  Each residence hall room comes furnished with a MICROCHILL Fridge/Freezer/Microwave combo unit
  • Air fryers

We have several stores in Farmington or nearby Auburn and Augusta, including Reny’s, Walmart, Big Lots, Target and others, in case you forget something or want to wait to purchase a few items after seeing your new home.

Contact Us

For more information on-campus housing, please contact us.

umfhousing@maine.edu
tel  207-778-7372