If you can squeeze a few more things into the car, here's a list of five items I didn't know existed/thought I would never need for school that turned out to be super handy!
1) Backpack cover: It rains a lot. If it's not raining, it could be snowing, sleeting, hailing, misting, or any other form of precipitation. The only major bummer is that you still have to walk to class or anywhere else you need to go. To avoid getting all your books and study notes soaking wet in the process, you can get a handy backpack cover. It's essentially a giant shower cap that stretches over your bag and keeps all the water out! It's a life saver for any bad-weather walking.
2) Bucket: I thought my mom had totally lost it when she asked me to "go grab that bucket" in the hardware isle at target when we did my first college shop last fall. First, what would I be needing a bucket for at Tufts, and second where on earth would I put it in my tiny dorm room? My mom promised me I'd want it and so into the cart it went. Well, she was right. Shower caddies are great and all, but do you really want to put that wet soapy mess on the floor in your room when you're done? If you have a trusty bucket you can just plop it right in there until it dries. It also comes in handy for storing wet/muddy/salty shoes or for making igloo bricks in the snow. Needless to say it's a must-have!
3) Bluetooth headphones: Dorms can be kind of loud sometimes. On any given night the room down the hall could be blasting music or someone else could be practicing their trumpet outside your window. Maybe your roommate snores? Or listens to heavy metal? Or taps their foot? You still love them, but your brain needs some quiet time or maybe you just want to go to sleep. Never fear, Bluetooth headphones to the rescue! These little buggers connect wirelessly to your Bluetooth enabled music playing device and help keep noise out and good sounds in! Best part is, with no extraneous wires they are safe and comfy for sleeping.
4) Duck Tape: This one doesn't need much explaining. Duck tape will fix just about anything and now comes in any color and pattern imaginable (pretty sure they have some with elephants)!
5) Adobe sponge/dish soap: I thought I'd left doing dishes behind for good, but plenty of things at school still needed washing! Like my re-usable water bottle (which I admittedly don't wash out enough), bowl I use to make instant Mac and cheese, and container that I frequently use as my portable peanut butter stash (tip: if you don't wash that out right away the peanut butter gets crusty and gross, blah).