Dorm Essentials
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Dorm essentials have been on the forefront of my mind this month. Why? Because my oldest moved away to college, and for the last few weeks she’s been gathering items for her dorm room. She ended up in a dorm with 4 other girls, each with their own room, and one common area with one shared bathroom space. So she was able to pick out things that she thought she would need in her own room, and things that she knew she would share with her dorm mates.
There are a lot of lists out there that incoming freshman can use to help them shop for college, but some of the lists I’ve come across have quite a few extra items (in my opinion). For instance, I didn’t think it was necessary to shop for things like hair ties and floss, when she could just pack her own from home. But there were some items that she didn’t have that were essential to the comfortability and usability of her dorm room. Those items are listed below!
House Shoes/Slippers
The floors in dorms and hallways and common areas aren’t exactly barefoot friendly. A good pair of slippers (#ad) with a tough sole are an essential for being comfortable in your dorm space. My daughter loves her slippers and wears them on the regular. They keep her feet warm, which will be especially nice when cooler weather hits, and they keep her feet clean.
Space Saving Hangers
Her dorm, like many others, had a small space with a closet rod for her clothing to hang. It was very small… like 1/8 the size of her closet here at home. Even after paring down her selection of clothes to take with her, she would have had zero room. So, she found these dorm essential space saving hangers (#ad) that give you more hanging capability in smaller spaces. They’re also cute colors and have worked wonderfully.
Small Vacuum
After talking with her dorm mates, it was decided that my daughter would be the one to bring a community vacuum (#ad) for the dorm. Obviously, something small is best because you never know what size closets or storage areas you’ll have in a dorm. She purchased a pretty cheap vacuum that converts from an upright to a handheld, and has an extra attachment for flooring. It is a dorm essential for when people track in dirt from outside, a spill occurs, or when the dust bunnies start to pile up in the corners of the rooms. This one is great because it comes in a variety of colors.
Hanging Closet Organizer
My daughter uses a hanging closet organizer to organize her shoes. It came with drawers to hide mess, but she uses the drawers on top of her closet space to organize her hair tools and bath refill items. So many things could be organized in this organizer, like sweaters too bulky for drawers, purses or bags, and in this hanging organizer, there is a spot to organize your socks/underwear. It can also be separated to customize your space.
Lamp/Desk Lamp
The lighting in a dorm can be very harsh lighting. One of the things we noticed right away was how bright and harsh the fixture was in her dorm. A single light floor lamp (#ad) was the perfect solution to this problem. It just made her dorm room feel more cozy and homey. She also purchased a desk lamp (#ad) that she can use for reading or while doing homework at her desk.
Rolling Three Tiered Cart
She was given this rolling three tiered cart (#ad) for a high school graduation gift, and it is so cute! It’s also handy! This cart can easily roll out to the sink area while she keeps her makeup bags and brushes on it. Or she can roll it close to her bed for a landing place for side table type items like her phone and watch. It is even easy to roll when she just needs it out of her way being that she’s in a small space! Countless items can be stored away on it, which is why this versatile item is a dorm essential.
No Holes Hanging Strips
Obviously it is against the rules for holes to be put in dorm room walls. My daughter’s dorm room walls are actually cinderblock, so we wouldn’t have been able to put holes in them anyway. We used these 3M Command Strips to hang everything because they will just peel away when she moves out. These are definitely dorm essentials since empty dorm room walls would be depressing. Hanging pictures and decor that reminds her of home is the way to go.
Keurig Coffee Maker
Last, but definitely not least, is the dorm essential that tops everything. At least for my daughter. She loves her morning cup of joe, so of course she was also gifted a Keurig coffee maker (#ad). Currently she has placed hers out in the kitchenette area to share with her dorm mates. But it is also small enough that she could keep it in her dorm bedroom too. If you are a coffee connoisseur or know one, then you’ll definitely want to invest in one of these for your dorm.
Being away at college can be a little less daunting when your dorm space feels like home. I hope this post helped you to find some items to make your dorm, or your teen’s dorm a little more like home. If you are a parent dealing with your child heading off to college, check out these other posts here.
