It’s tempting to buy and bring just about everything along to college, especially freshmen year. “I’m going to bring this meat slicer because, you never know, late night deli sandwiches!”
You can’t bring everything because your dorm and your car won’t hold it all. So here’s what happens — you end up buying and packing a ton of college dorm room supplies you don’t need and forgetting a bunch of stuff you absolutely can’t live without.
This incoming freshmen did the wise thing — he asked a bunch of upperclassmen for a list of the essential college dorm room supplies to take with him in the Fall.
Incoming freshman here. I’m in the midst of buying all of my stuff for my dorm, and I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on dorm necessities, and useful gadgets. I’m going to school in the city, so my dorm will be on the smaller side. Are there any products you swear by? Or things I should totally avoid getting because they’re a waste of money?
Here are the most important college dorm room supplies you’ll need this year — according to current college students.
FOR PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT
“Definitely invest in a good pair of headphones. There will be times when you don’t want to hear your roommate yelling or people down the hall when you’re working.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Foldable Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
FOR YOUR LAUNDRY
“Get dryer balls! They keep you from having to constantly buy and carry fabric softener and last until the spikes get dull. I’ve had mine for a year and they’re still good. Also, get a laundry bag, preferably one made out of fabric so that it’s easier for you to carry your clothes to and fro the laundry room.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Smart Sheep 6-Pack
FOR LISTENING TO STUFF
“Some sort of speakers for your computer for movies and music with people. I would lean towards not getting a bluetooth one, for battery reasons. And because people will try to connect to it to mess with you.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Desktop Speakers From Deep Sonar
FOR STAYING ONLINE
“Be sure to bring an ethernet cable! Campus wi-fi is notoriously slow and unreliable wherever you are.”
OUR SUGGESTION: 50 Foot Ethernet Cable From Jadaol
FOR STORING STUFF
“Storage bins! I regretted not having these until my sophomore year because they really come in handy.”
OUR SUGGESTION: 5 Pack From Rubbermaid
FOR SLEEPING BETTER
“A mattress pad is amazing if your beds are basically cardboard and springs like mine was. It’ll help you get to sleep on time and stay asleep. If you’ll have roommates I would also grab a sleep mask and earplugs.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Bedsack Classic Mattress Cover
FOR BETTER VIEWING
“If you have a TV, buy an HDMI cord so you can hook your computer to the TV. We would watch a DVD or a movie on Netflix so more people could watch it together.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Cable Matters (2-Pack) HDMI
FOR STAYING COOL
“A small desktop fan. Most dorms don’t have AC.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Honeywell Quiet Table Fan
FOR STAYING ORGANIZED
“Dry erase board, a wall calendar, and a 2016-17 planner. This is for pure organizational reasons. It’ll help you keep track of important dates, reminders, and other things such. Most, if not all, dry erase boards come with a black marker, two magnets, and an eraser.”
OUR SUGGESTION: Combination Calendar, Dry-Erase & Cork Board
FOR EMERGENCIES
“Bring a small first aid kit! Band-aids, thermometer, even some basic medicine like Ibuprofen and Sudafed are helpful to have on hand. It’s something you get used to always having at home, but if you get sick you really won’t want to run to the store!”