The saying “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” is so true when you’re packing for going away to college. Looking for your morning caffeine fix? Yeah, you’re going to need a coffee maker. Even if you’re just craving Easy Mac, you’re going to need a microwave! HC has a checklist of the appliances you’re going to need for your dorm room and where to get them – so you don’t have to struggle without your morning coffee!
1. A Kettle: Hamilton Beach 1.8L Cordless Electric Kettle ($19.99)
You won’t believe how much coffee, tea, and hot chocolate you drink (especially in the winter when your dorm room is cold!) until you can’t drink it. This Hamilton Beach Cordless Kettle from Best Buy is a collegiette’s dream since it’s cordless, meaning you have nothing to trip over!
2. A Portable Vacuum: Shark Portable Vacuum Cleaner ($34.99)
While mom nagging you to clean isn’t likely to be your idea of fun, you’ll soon see that a dorm room that isn’t vacuumed gets gross pretty quickly! You probably won’t have space for a full-size vacuum cleaner, but you will want to stop your dorm room from getting disgusting, so make sure to invest in a portable vacuum. This Shark portable vacuum cleaner from Best Buy is a great product, and even better, it’s on sale!
3. A Hairdryer: Conair Infiniti Cord-Keeper Professional Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer ($29.99)
Few collegiettes can go through the entire year without drying their hair, so this is a real must-purchase! The Conair Infiniti cord-keeper professional tourmaline ionic hair dryer helps to reduce heat on your hair, which will keep it in better condition. Even better, the ionic technology helps to reduce frizz, and the cord-keeper function will keep things neat.
4. A Styling Wand: Remington Silk Ceramic Slim Styling Wand ($24.99)
If you’re used to curling your hair, then not taking a styling wand with you to college would be a huge mistake! The best feature of the Remington silk ceramic slim styling wand is that it has a 60-minute auto shut-off feature—how many times have you left your house or dorm and realized you forgot to unplug your straightener or curling iron? Relax, collegiettes: you won’t burn down the dorm if you accidentally forget to turn this styling wand off.
5. An Iron: Proctor Silex Steam Iron ($17.99)
This comes in the same category as the vacuum cleaner: you say you won’t use it, but trust us, you will! When you’re running out the door to an internship interview with a creased top, you’re going to wish you had invested in this Proctor Silex steam iron. No one wants an intern who isn’t presentable!
[pagebreak]
6. A Microwave: Haier 0.7 Cu. Ft. Compact Microwave ($39.99)
Whether it’s to satisfy your popcorn craving at a dorm movie night or to make Ramen at 2 a.m. while you’re pulling an all-nighter, you will at some point need a microwave. Compact microwaves are ideal for dorm rooms since you probably won’t have as much space as you would like. This Haier compact microwave is the perfect size for collegiettes with small dorm rooms!
7. A Compact Fridge: Haier 1.7 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator ($79.99)
This might seem like a bit of a splurge, but trust us; you’re going to be so glad that you had one! Whether you want to hold drinks, milk, or even fruit, you’re going to need a fridge. Again, you can’t exactly bring a full-size refrigerator into your dorm room, but buying a compact fridge is much more realistic. The Haier compact refrigerator even has space for two one-liter bottles in the door, which frees up even more shelf space.
8. A Fan: Dynex 9″ Table Fan ($9.99)
We all know that it gets hot at the beginning of the school year… particularly if your dorm isn’t air-conditioned. You don’t want to be caught unable to work or even sleep because it’s too hot, so be sure to invest in a fan. This Dynex table fan is perfect because it’s compact—great for storing during the winter. You’re starting to realize dorm living is all about space saving, right? Well, this fan is just what you need on your space-saving mission!
9. A Coffee Maker: Keurig Elite Single-Serve Brewer ($119.99)
For those of you who can’t even consider college without your morning dose of coffee – and who think that instant coffee is a sin—be sure not to leave home without a coffee maker. This Keurig elite single-serve brewer is about to be your new best friend. The K-Cups make this coffee maker super easy to use (and clean!).
10. A Make-Up Mirror: Conair Classique Collection Double-Sided Lighted Makeup Mirror ($19.99)
HINT: The lighting in your dorm room and your bathroom is probably going to be awful. So unless you want to go out with your makeup looking potentially awful, you might want to invest in a makeup mirror. This Conair Classique Collection double-sided lighted makeup mirror is ideal since it has both a magnification side and a regular side. This means you can do your makeup and touch up your eyebrows, all without having to move!
Going to college means that you have to have all of your own stuff, and that includes appliances! Don’t be unprepared for going away, collegiettes, and make sure that you purchase these appliances so that your transition to your new dorm is as easy and stress-free as possible!