Heading off to college soon? Here are all of the dorm room essentials you’ll need and actually use throughout your college years!
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Hey there high school graduate! If you’re heading off to college soon then you’re probably freaking out right now about what to bring with you. It can be very nerve-wracking being a freshman in college especially since you don’t know anyone yet.
On the long list of things you should be worrying about like finals week, what to bring with you to college shouldn’t be one of them. If you’re struggling to narrow down your dorm room essentials list or need help deciding what you actually need, this post is for you!
I have gathered all of the essentials that I have personally brought with me to college and a few other products that I forgot to bring but should have. All of these items are on my must-haves list for college and I still use them to this day as a sophomore.
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DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
1. UTILITY CART
I’m sure you guys have seen this before. This is definitely on my top 3 dorm room must-haves. It’s great for organization and you can also use it as a nightstand.
2. MATTRESS TOPPER
Sleeping on a dorm room bed without a mattress topper is a nightmare. It’s literally the MOST uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced. Do your back a favor and buy this before you head off to college.
3. MESH SHOWER CADDY
If your college has a communal dorm bathroom, then you should definitely buy this mesh shower caddy. It makes carrying all of your shower essentials super convenient and you won’t have to carry 10 different items in your hand.
4. LAUNDRY BACKPACK
No one wants to carry a giant and heavy laundry hamper to and from the laundry room. Instead, buy this lightweight and small laundry backpack that you can carry with ease. There is also a pocket on the front to hold your laundry detergent and fabric softener.
5. UNDER THE BED STORAGE
There is absolutely no storage space in your dorm so you will have to use the space under your bed for organization. Buy these under-the-bed storage containers that you can use to store away your extra clothes, blankets, or other essentials.
I also recommend you only bring the clothes that you will for sure wear. If you think that you “might” wear something, do not bring it with you! There is already very little amount of space so it’s best you use that for things you actually need.
6. ROBE
Unless you want to flash everyone when you’re going to and from the bathroom, I suggest you buy a couple of robes. The one I linked above is the exact one I brought with me and it’s super soft and warm.
7. MICROWAVE
As a college student myself, I cannot live without my microwave and I highly recommend you bring one with you as well. You’ll be using it on the daily to warm up meals and snacks. Plus, you can make quick and easy meals in a mug when you’re in a time crunch.
8. BRITA
Need I say more? I use my BRITA water pitcher every single day. I do not have the time or money to be going out and buying cartons of water bottles every week.
9. MINI FRIDGE
Although, there will be a cafeteria in your dorm or somewhere nearby, having a mini fridge in your dorm room is super convenient. You won’t need to leave your room for a drink or a little snack every time you are thirsty or hungry.
Stock your fridge with some of your favorite drinks and foods. Make sure you are also eating some nutritional food as well and not just unhealthy junk.
10. CLIP-ON FAN
Dorms get HOT real quick, especially if there is no air conditioning. Get a mini fan that you can just clip on your bed. I swear you will thank me later because you literally cannot sleep without it.
11. SPACE-SAVING HANGERS
The closet space in a dorm room is close to none. These space-saving hangers will help you fit more clothes in your closet and make sure everything stays organized.
12. SHEETS
This is pretty self-explanatory but you’re gonna want to bring two sets of sheets so when one is in the laundry, you can use the backup. I personally love the look of white sheets and that’s all I got. It goes with everything and will always be in style.
13. SHOWER SHOES
I HIGHLY recommend you buy shower shoes. If you’re using a communal bathroom to take showers, you never know what people are doing in there. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
14. WATER BOTTLE
Make sure you stay hydrated and buy yourself a nice water bottle. I personally love the hydro flask because it keeps my water cold all day long. I also had a few friends who really loved the Stanley tumblers as well. Just get one that you really like.
15. HANGING MIRROR
These kinds of mirrors with storage space inside of them are my favorite. You can hang it up on your door and keep all of your jewelry, skincare, and accessories inside. It’ll be organized and all in one place.
16. VACUUM
I highly recommend you buy a small vacuum for your dorm room. You can run it through your room once or twice a week and my favorite part is that it doesn’t make a lot of noise like some of the other vacuums out there.
17. BED SKIRT
Almost every single student has a bed skirt in college. Since you’re going to be using under-the-bed storage space, buy a bed skirt to hide all of the containers and bins.
18. EXTENSION CORD
I only had 2 charging outlets in my dorm room and I had to share it with a roommate. Buying an extension cord for my dorm room made my life so much easier. I had to charge my laptop, headphone, my phone, and various other items. That one outlet was not going to do much for me.
19. EXTRA LONG CHARGER
The charging outlets in dorm rooms are usually very far away from the bed. So, I suggest you get one extra long phone charger (probably about 10ft long).
20. NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES
I had some pretty loud neighbors during my freshman year of college. I actually had to go out and buy myself some noise-canceling headphones and they worked wonders. These headphones will ALWAYS be on my top dorm room essentials list.
21. HEAT RESISTANT MAT
If you use hot tools to do your hair, I recommend you get one of these heat-resistant mats so you don’t ruin the surface of your desk or vanity.
22. TRAVEL SIZE BOTTLES
I did this when I was a freshman and still do it as a senior. I buy value-size bottles of my shampoo and conditioner and pour them into little travel-size toiletry bottles. They take up a lot less space in your shower caddy and you can always refill them later.
23. MAKEUP ORGANIZER
A makeup organizer is a must for all girls. I’ve linked the exact one I have and it’s amazing. There is plenty of space for my everyday makeup and it stays organized.
24. MEAL PREP CONTAINERS
This has made its way onto my dorm room essentials list this year. I love to meal prep and these containers are what I use to keep all of my meals in. I did not do this my freshman year and boy do I regret it.
25. WRINKLE RELEASE
This stuff is like magic! I do not have the time or energy to iron out all the wrinkles on my clothes. Instead, I just spritz a couple of the wrinkle-release sprays onto my clothes, and a few seconds later, the wrinkles are practically gone!
26. EMERGEN-C
Whenever I felt like I was going to get sick, I would just drink Emergen-C and I don’t know how but it helped a lot. I highly recommend you bring a pack with you to college along with some other medicine in case you get sick.
27. LMAP
The overhead lighting in dorms sucks! They are really harsh and hurt my eyes whenever I would turn them on.
I actually brought three lamps with me. One was more decorative and the other two were regular lamps. You should get at least two ( one for your nightstand and one for your desk).
28. DOOR STOPPER
I love my door stopper, It makes me feel a lot safer and comfortable being alone in my dorm room. It’s super affordable and I would highly recommend you buy one to make your door more secure.
29. DESK ORGANIZER
I’m always losing and misplacing my supplies and these desk organizers have made my life SO much easier by keeping everything in one place. Before I got these, I would just leave my pens and other items scattered across my room and I had to go out and buy more the following week.
This is definitely one of my favorite dorm room essentials.
30. CHAIR
I absolutely love this chair I got from Amazon. It’s super comfy and is great as a vanity chair and a desk chair.
31. BLANKETS
This is my favorite blanket ever! It’s super soft and cozy. You can also use it as a throw blanket on the chair. It comes in multiple different colors so, you can choose which one you like best.
32. DISPOSABLE PLATES AND CUPS
Trying to do dishes in a dorm is hard! I just bought these disposable plates and cups, they make my life a lot easier. No one wants to be doing dishes and it’s also great if you’re in a hurry.
33. SLEEPING PILLOW
This is the best sleeping pillow I’ve bought. It feels like I’m sleeping on a cloud (it stays cool all night long). I would highly recommend you buy a nice and comfortable pillow so you can get a good night’s sleep.
34. MIRROR
This isn’t one of the dorm room essentials you HAVE to get but, If you do your makeup regularly, I highly suggest you buy one. As I said earlier, the dorm room lighting sucks and I could barely do my makeup.
One of my friends had this and she bought me one as well and it has changed the game. There is also a magnifying mirror which is great for doing your eyeliner.
35. DECORATIVE PILLOWS
Again, not a necessity but it’s super cute. I love buying fun pillows in different shapes, since you cannot really decorate your dorm room (besides the walls), having throw pillows on your bed or chair is one way to make it look cuter.
36. CLEANING SUPPLIES
Even though it’s such a small space, your dorm room will get dirty fast. I like to wipe everything down with the Lysol disinfectant wipes at least once a week.
37. BACKPACK
You’re going to be carrying really heavy books, your laptop, and other items so, I would definitely recommend you buy a good and sturdy backpack.
38. FIRST AID KIT
Bring a first aid kit along just in case you get minor cuts and scrapes. The one I’ve linked above includes everything you’ll need!
39. UMBRELLA
I actually forgot to bring this with my freshman year, but you need to bring rain gear with you! Class is still going to be in session when it’s pouring down rain, so bring an umbrella or a rain jacket with you.
40. MICROWAVE SAFE DINNERWARE
If you like to make easy and quick meals in your microwave, you need to bring microwave-safe dinnerware. I tried making mac n cheese in a paper bowl (cause I’m lazy) once and it caught on fire. Don’t be me!
41. PLUG-IN AIR FRESHENER
I love these plug-in air fresheners. They last forever and smell incredible. Some colleges don’t allow any plug-in fresheners or candles so definitely check beforehand.
42. BEACH TOWELS
If you like to go to the beach often with your friends or go outside and sit on the grass to study, definitely bring a few beach towels.
43. SWEATPANTS
This is basically all I wear to classes. Nobody dresses up in college except maybe a few people every couple of weeks.
44. WALL DECOR
Since there is very limited space in your dorm room already, the main area you’re going to be decorating will be the walls. You can hang up posters, string lights, neon signs, etc. It’s all about your preferences and the aesthetic you’re going for.
45. COMMAND HOOKS
If you’re going to be hanging up posters or other decor on the walls, you’re obviously going to need something to hang it up with. I just bought command hooks but you can also use mounting putty.
46. TRASH-CAN
Trash cans are definitely one of my top dorm room essentials. You’re going to need someplace to throw away your trash and this one in particular is great because it has a lid. So, whatever gross smell is in there will stay in there.
47. SCENTED TRASH BAGS
These are my favorite trash bags because they’re scented and mask any gross smell that is in the trash can really well.
48. FAUX PLANTS
I kept a few faux plants in my dorm room. They are a great way to liven up the place and they add to the decor. (plus, they’re super cheap.)
49. NESPRESSO
I am a coffee freak! I literally cannot function without my hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. This Nespresso coffee machine works really well and is the one I brought with me but, a few of my friends also like the Keurig one. They both are awesome but the Keurig one is a lot cheaper.
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THIS POST WAS ALL ABOUT THE BEST DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
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