Five Dorm Room Essentials
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Heading back to college next week? You’re not alone, and many students across the country will be joining you in the weeks to come. In your final weeks before classes begin, you’ll find yourself want to prep for the fall semester. It’s probably too early to start studying — it’s called summer break for a reason — but you might want to consider visiting your local department store to stock up on these five dorm room essentials. Bring a friend or two along to make your trip an especially fun adventure!
1. Bed linens
Even if you’ve got plenty of bedsheets back at your parents’ house, stocking up on sheets of your own isn’t a bad idea for your dorm, especially if your dorm mattress is a different size than the one you have at home. Keep in mind that many dorms use twin XL mattresses, which are longer than a standard twin. Even if your mattresses are the same size, having two linen sets in your dorm can help you postpone laundry day for just a bit longer.
2. Laundry basket
You might get a free laundry bag with your college’s logo on it when you first enter your dorm. For some students, a cheap, low-quality bag such as this one gets the job done, but many students will opt for a laundry basket or hamper instead, and rare (if nonexistent) is the college that gives these to students for free. A wheeled basket might come in extra handy if you live on the same floor as your dorm’s laundry room.
3. Desk lamp
Not all colleges include desk lamps in their dorms, but even those that do might give you tiny ones that give you only weak light. If you’re the kind of person who really needs proper lighting to get good use from a desk or other study setup (or so you can keep reading while your roommate is asleep), buy a desk lamp ahead of time. Bonus points if your lamp is both bright and modestly-sized enough to easily move closer to your bed for any late-night reading sessions (of non-academic materials, of course — restrict studying to your desk).
4. Storage boxes
With storage boxes, you can minimize clutter and free up space in your dorm. Use them to hold extra academic supplies, any clothes that don’t fit in your closet, games or other entertainment items you’ve brought to campus, and more. Keep these boxes below your bed or at the bottom of your closet to minimize desk, dresser, and general dorm clutter.
5. Shower tote
You probably know to bring your basic toiletries with you when you go off to college. What you might not immediately realize is how annoying carrying all those toiletries from your room to your dorm’s bathroom can be, not to mention how easy it is for these items to become disorganized in a common space such as a dorm bathroom. A shower tote lets you carry all your items from your dorm to your bathroom with one easy, quick walk. Just don’t forget your towel!
What dorm essentials would you add to this list? Sound off in the comments!