Chopping knife-- at first, don't worry about getting a collection of knives. One good versatile knife is all you really need. I use this guy here, which comes with a storage sheath.
Cutting board-- my cutting board is 11x14 inches. It's a delicate balance between getting a cutting board that's big enough to chop an eggplant on but small enough to fit on whatever flat surface you can find in your dorm room.
Can opener-- enough said.
Sieve-- this will come in handy when cooking with canned food (wash off as much sodium as possible before using) or washing grains (make sure the sieve holes are small enough to hold rice, bulgar, quinoa...).
Vegetable peeler-- I picked up my vegetable peeler in a grocery store for pretty cheap. It's not at all heavy duty, but it does the trick for potatoes. When peeling something more challenging (like butternut squash), I prefer to chop into large chunks and then cut the skin off instead of peeling it.
Large cooking spoon-- something you can use to saute veggies, stir a soup, and serve food with.
Tupperware-- get microwave safe and a couple different containers. Separate left-overs into meal size portions to take with you for lunch and/ or quickly zap to reheat without hassle.
Mixing bowl-- I would recommend sticking with plastic for now. Since I store my cooking things in a bin under my bed, the less breakable everything is, the better.
Measuring cups-- pretty standard. It's useful to have 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup measures.
Measuring spoons-- the traditional measuring spoon has a round head (as oppose to an oval one). This makes for some tricky measuring when you need a tablespoon, say, of paprika, and the container's opening is rather small. The tablespoon likely won't fit inside, and you'll be forced to measure out three teaspoons instead. I've got a set of narrow, oval measuring spoons, and they've simplified my life because they fit in the tight spaces. Check out something like this.
Saucepan-- try to get one on the large side. Even though you may only be cooking for one, having left-overs to pack a lunch or re-use as the starting point of a new dish is a serious time-saver. If you're trying to conserve space (like I am), buy a saucepan that has a small diameter but is tall. It'll be easier to store than a saucepan with equal volume but a larger diameter. My saucepan is a Krona vented multi-pot with a straining lid (check it out here). It's terribly useful-- you can measure within the pot (there are markings for cups/ liters on the inside of the pot), the lid makes straining easy, and the pot has a lip for pouring.
Frying pan-- again, go for big volume. I love sauteeing veggies and need a large frying pan to contain everything before it cooks down.
Roasting dish-- a rectangular bake/ roast pan works well not only for roasting veggies but also as a lasagna pan, a baking sheet (think homemade pizza), brownie dish etc.
Bread pan-- besides the occasional loaf of zucchini or banana bread, a bread pan works as a small baking/ roasting dish. Use a bread pan to make a small gratin or lasagna (you won't always have enough ingredients to make a mondo version) or use to bake thick brownies.
Pot holders-- when my brother and I were little, we got a potholder-making kit for some holiday or another. For years then on, my poor parents got a new potholder at every gift giving occasion. To make matters worst, the potholders were too small to actually be functional... Get a potholder or two for your cooking collection and make sure they are thick and large enough to properly protect your skin.
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