Shopping for your college dorm room can be quite an overwhelming process. Here is my list of the top ten items that you NEED to bring with you to college. I promise each and every one of the items listed below will make your life in a dorm a million times better.
The first item on my list is a mattress pad. You will not be able to survive throughout the school year without this. The mattresses that come in the dorms are not comfortable whatsoever and it is unlikely that you will be able to get a good night’s rest sleeping on one, but putting a mattress pad on top makes all the difference. My mattress pad ending up making my bed more comfortable than my bed at home so I would 100% recommend purchasing one.
2. Power strip/extension cords
I am certain that you will have many electronics to plug in with a small number of outlets, so a power strip is a neccesity. Finding one with USB outlets will likely come in handy for charging things like wireless headphones, calculators, or speakers. Extension cords are useful if you plan of lofting your bed and want charge your phone while using it in bed, or if you plan on hanging up lights on your ceiling.
If you are anything like me, you will probably go through at least five plastic water bottles each day, which is a LOT of plastic being wasted. I would definitely suggest investing in a nice reusable water bottle that you can refill throughout the day in order to reduce waste. If you don’t trust the water from the sink or water fountains, I would recommend buying this Brita Water Filter Bottle that filters water and reduces the chlorine taste from tap water.
4. Fan
Most dorms do not have air conditioning so having a fan in your room is another absolute necessity. Having a fan will keep your room cool and comfortable during unbearably hot days.
Most college students living in dorms do not have the luxury of having their own bathroom. Having a bath robe or a towel wrap will make having to walk down the hall after showering much more manageable because you won’t be worried about your towel falling off.
6. Rain jacket and rain boats
I’m going to count these two items as one because they go hand in hand. I never owned a pair of rainboots until college but I am glad I decided to buy a pair because they saved my life on many occasions. I have experienced having to walk a mile to class in the pouring rain and as you can imagine, it is not fun. I would suggest a rain jacket over an umbrella because it is inconvenient to have to hold an umbrella especially when its windy and you’re in a rush.
7. Drying rack
I prefer air drying a lot of my clothes over putting them in my school dryer (which often ruined my clothing) but I lacked the space to hang them all. Having a drying rack was extremely useful because when I wasn’t using it, I could just tuck it behind my bed and then pull it out whenever I needed to do my laundry.
8. Printer
Many people recommend that you don’t buy your own printer but I strongly disagree. I found that having a printer in my room was convenient when I needed to make last minute changes to assignments or when I was in a hurry and did not have time to make a stop at the nearest building with a printer.
Dorms get really dusty. This was probably my most used cleaning item throughout the school year because my room collected an insane amount of dust. The long handle allows you to get to hard to reach spots and you can easily replace the dusters after each use.
10. Shower shoes
I don’t think this one needs an explanation. Please just buy yourself a pair of cheap flip flops to wear when you shower if you have community bathrooms. Thank me later.
I hope that this list makes your overall experience living in a dorm much more enjoyable. Happy shopping!
