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What to Bring and What to Leave Home

Here are some guidelines to help you decide what to bring and what to leave behind.

Provided Furnishings

Bedroom

Every room comes furnished with the following:

  • Bed
  • Closet
  • Desk
  • Dresser
  • Mattress

Furniture provided in the Residence Halls cannot be removed.

Living Room

These units have furnished living rooms with a table and chairs, sofa and cushioned chair:

  • Honors College and Sawtooth Hall (Sophomore and above units)
  • Keiser Hall
  • Suites (Clearwater, Payette and Selway)
  • Taylor Hall
  • Townhomes (Aspen, Cedar, Hawthorne, Juniper, Tamarack and Spruce)
  • University Square (Jade, Jasper, Garnet, and Topaz)
  • Yale Court

Kitchen

These units also have kitchens equipped with a refrigerator, stove, oven and dishwasher:

  • Honors College Sophomore and Above units (no dishwasher)
  • Suites (Clearwater, Payette and Selway)
  • Townhomes (Aspen, Cedar, Hawthorne, Juniper, Tamarack and Spruce)
  • University Square (Jade, Jasper, Garnet, and Topaz)
  • Yale Court

All First Year Residential Halls, except for University Square, have community kitchens for residents to use.

Items to Bring

Appliances with closed coil elements

  • Coffee pots
  • Hot pots
  • Hot air poppers

Other appliances

  • Fans
  • Hair dryers
  • Irons (self-shut off preferred)
  • Lamps (excluding halogen lights)
  • Mini refrigerators (no larger than 3.2 cubic ft.)- Rent a Microfridge®
  • Microwaves (700-800 watt units are optimal)
  • Computers, stereos, TVs, and other audio/visual equipment

Units with Full Kitchens

Honors College Sophomore and Above units, Suites, Yale Court and the Townhomes have full kitchens. If you live in one of these units, you may bring:

  • Toaster
  • Toaster oven
  • Electric skillet

Furnishings

  • Bedding- Order Linen
  • Dishes
  • Utensils
  • Personal hygiene devices
  • Posters

Items to Leave at Home

  • Appliances with exposed heating elements like toasters, toaster ovens, broilers, hot/induction plates
  • Damaged appliances with frayed cords, bent plugs, broken safety handles/legs, etc.
  • Electric skillets
  • Fog machines
  • Halogen lamps/lights
  • Power tools
  • Window air conditioning units
  • Space heaters
  • Wireless routers

Other items to Leave Home

  • Any item with an open flame, like candles, styson burners, or incense
  • Bed frames
  • Personal mattresses
  • Desks
  • Desk chairs
  • Real Christmas trees/wreaths
  • Water beds
  • Weapons

Cleaning Supplies and Paper Products

You are responsible for bringing your own cleaning supplies and laundry detergent.

Toilet paper and hand towels are provided in buildings that have community bathrooms.

If you live in a suite-style building or single room with adjoining bathroom, you’ll need to provide your own toilet paper, hand towels and other necessary paper products.

Decorating Your Space

Make your space your own. Just make sure it isn’t damaging, defamatory or degrading, and doesn’t violate state, university or Housing and Residence Life standards. Be sure to consider your roommates’ tastes too.

Here are some guidelines:

  • Use products that won’t damage walls when hanging pictures (like 3-M Command picture hanging strips or push pins)
  • Decorations are fine on walls and furniture, but not on ceilings, doorways, stairs, corridors or other equipment
  • Keep combustible decorative materials (paper, streamers, lights) to 10% or less of your room’s wall space
  • Keep rugs, bed sheets/spreads or tapestries off the walls
  • Bring your small twinkle lights, artificial trees, and wreaths, etc. Just make sure they are UL listed.

When placing items on door exteriors and room window that are externally facing (into public spaces), please consider Boise State’s Statement on Diversity and Inclusion as well as Housing and Residence Life’s Community Standards.