Each year, Northwestern’s recommended packing list sits atop a little addendum titled “Items prohibited from student rooms.” On this eyebrow-raising list: microwaves, bed risers and more seemingly harmless items. All we’re saying is that alcohol is technically forbidden at Northwestern, too, but that doesn’t mean people spend their Friday nights skipping to the library and squealing, “Gee whilikers, Pat, let’s be dangerous and not study until Saturday night!” Here’s the low-down on banned items on campus: if you need them, what you’ll get in trouble for, and some really strange suggestions from students. Bonus: What about the obvious recommended/banned items? Check out what one writer had to say about fish nets, toothbrushes and explosives.

Just one out of every five students brings a microwave to campus.

You certainly don’t need one. When asked if they brought each item on the banned list, the majority of NU students responded, “No, I didn’t need it” — to every single item on the list! Some were more rejected than others, so make your own call based on how many people nixed each item:

Microwave: 68% | Candles: 72% | Hot water heater: 50% | Big fridge: 60%
Coffee maker: 78% | Holiday lights: 57% | Bed risers: 65%

Additionally, for each item, five to 13 percent reported that they didn’t bring it because they didn’t want to get in trouble. But will you really “get in trouble” for bringing a banned item to campus?

No, the “legal limit” DUI laws haven’t changed, but listen up. Between 413 students, there were 827 instances of banned items brought to campus. Of those 827 instances, eight instances — that’s 0.1 percent — got the student in trouble with a CA. Negligible!

Still worried about getting caught? Then steer clear of holiday lights. They’re the item most likely to get you written up: 75 percent of the oops-I-got-in-trouble moments were thanks to holiday lights. One student got caught for candles, and one reported getting written up for a microwave.

The real truth:
“Candles just make Bobb-McCulloch smell better, who could complain about that?”

Read more quotes on banned items from students:

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Microwaves

• “Maybe a microwave but they are usually in lounges anyway.”
• “I know some people who brought a microwave and got in trouble for it.”
• “If you have a microwave, bring it. There are usually plenty around, so you can just mooch otherwise.”

Coffee maker

• “I wish I could have bought one, but I didn’t have room and was able to just get coffee from the dining hall anyway.”
• “I’ve never seen anyone get in trouble for a coffee maker or hot water heater. In fact, I’ve seen CAs use them.”
• “Coffee maker — if you’re addicted to caffeine.”

Hot water heater

• “The hot water heater was nice, but I only used it a few times.”
• “Hot water heater is only important if you drink a lot of tea/hot chocolate.”
• “Hot water heater is a must and CAs don’t care!!!!!”

Candles

• “They don’t care about non-burning candles.”
• “Lights aren’t a problem, candles and anything that smokes is.”
• “Candles are pointless.”

Holiday lights

• “Holiday lights!!”
• “Holiday lights are pretty useless, and not worth filling up the room.”
• “Holiday lights are fun…”

Bed risers

• “Bed risers if you want them (they really make a room seem nicer).”
• “Definitely get the tallest bed risers possible and lots of under-the-bed storage.”
• “DEFINITELY bed risers!”

Fridge bigger than three cubic feet

• “A big fridge is good if you think you’ll be eating in the room a lot, but if you live near a dining hall, you probably won’t eat in the dorm as much… If you like to munch/drink things that need to be refridgerated — bring it!”
• “Everyone gets a big fridge and in the end they’re really not all that useful.”
• “I guess a big fridge might be okay for all your illegal alcohol.”

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