Alrighty folks, the year is winding down. Maybe you’re not really looking forward to being a sophomore in Mather, or maybe you had a great number and will be sittin’ pretty in an NCA with your buds. Or maybe you’re an incoming freshman, about to embark on the whole adventure of college, and your biggest concern is communal bathrooms. Regardless of where you’re living or who you’re living with, there are some things that are key for any dorm room.
Fridge and Freezer
Most colleges have a system (Kenyon does!!) where you can rent a fridge and freezer set for the school year. This is amazing for ice cream after nights out, storing yogurt for mornings you don’t want to walk to the dining hall, fruits and veggies, etc. etc. Do I even need to go on? More food, more happiness.
Microwave/Tea kettle
Now some colleges don’t allow microwaves. BUT IF YOURS DOES…it is incredibly helpful. There are countless videos (many from Buzzfeed) on the infinite amount of meals you can create with a microwave. Personally I used mine often to boil water before I got a tea kettle. Some people, in the winter, microwave their socks and gloves before braving the cold. I’m sure you’ll find good use for your microwave. If not, most colleges will allow a small electric kettle, which is perfect for tea and boiling water for coffee. I got a tea kettle and French Press for those mornings where I really wasn’t feeling dining hall coffee, and it made everything better.
Lamp/Sparkly Lights
Yes, those sparkly lights do make your room look great, but they also serve another purpose: mood lighting. Often college dorm rooms have a horrible tendency to have really abrasive lighting. As someone whose eyes are very sensitive to fluorescent lights, I loved having both sparkly lights and a lamp. At night, if I was studying in the room or just hanging out with friends, I’d turn off the light and switch on the little lights, and it made everyone feel a lot more relaxed and at ease.
Coat Rack
People laugh at me for this one, but I swear it has been one of my best purchases!!! My winter coat has no business in my closet where it simply just takes up room. My roommate and I put our winter coats, rain coats, and also any little purses or backpacks on our coat rack to make room for our lighter jackets in our closets. And it’s been wonderful.
Hanging Shelves
I was blessed with a fairly large closet, but I know a lot of my friends didn’t get as lucky. I got hanging shelves from target that were incredibly cheap. It stuck right in my closet. It doesn’t take up a lot of room, so you can still hang things up, and it fits a lot in each shelf. I put my pants, shorts, skirts, and workout clothes on the shelves, and routinely rotate them so in the winter my pants are at the top and vice versa. In addition, if you can loft your bed, I would highly suggest getting a couple of cheap drawers to go underneath. They’re great for storage, or if you’re a compulsive shopper like me, great additional closet space
Rug and Furniture
I love having a rug. Yes, it gets a little dirty and causes the need to vacuum more often, but I’ve been very happy having it. My dorm room in McBride was unusually large, and because of that didn’t really feel home-y until we added a rug. My roommate also brought a beanbag chair at the beginning of the year, which helped a ton. They’re easy to move around, so when it feels a little too cluttered we can put it in the corner, but if we have people over it’s always helpful to have somewhere to sit. I love having some sort of chair-sitting option so my bed remains my personal space when I have guests over. Another amazing option is buying storage cubes that are cushy so people can sit on them. A lot of my friends have these and store things like hats and scarves, or swap out clothes for different seasons, but no one can see it and they’re functional as seating!
Full-Length Mirror
Maybe this is a little obvious, but I think it really comes in handy. Some dorms have full-length mirrors in either the bathroom or hall, but I personally love having my own full length mirror in my dorm room in case I don’t feel comfortable going out into public.
Food Supplies
Many people steal from their dining hall, but as we’ve learned at Kenyon, THAT IS INCREDIBLY SELFISH!!! There are so many options at Walmart and Target for cheap ceramic or plastic plates, bowls, and silverware. Trust me, there are so many instances where I wanted to just eat soup in my room rather than braving the dining hall, and felt bad about using a plastic spoon. It also helps make your dorm room feel more like a living environment to have reusable dishes and silverware. I brought some of my favorite mugs from home and it helps to have that personal touch. Also, if you’re feeling into it, swipe a couple of pairs of chopstick whenever Kenyon serves Asian food. You can use them to eat chips in your bed so your fingers don’t get dusty, use them to mix soup or makeup, etc. As well, definitely also bring your own water bottle. My Swell bottle is great because it helps keep my water cold and my tea hot, and I can bring it on the go.
Movie Projector/ Monitor and Speakers
These can be a little pricey but if your roommate chips in then it’s totally worth it. I cannot tell you how many times my friends and I have wanted to have a movie night just to crowd around one tiny laptop screen and barely be able to hear what’s going on. With a movie projector (which you can rent from the library, but it’s always nice to have your own) you can just tack a sheet onto a bare wall and project a movie for your friends to watch. Speakers are also super helpful for when you have people over and want to play music, or for when you’re watching a movie and want the sound a little louder.
Whiteboard
Whiteboards are fantastic! I have one pinned to the front of my door, and the people on my hall love leaving little doodles. My roommate and I also wrote down some house rules, which are always helpful. I also have a whiteboard calendar which helps save paper. My friend and her roommate use their whiteboard to write down both of their schedules of when they both have classes, AT, and club meetings so they can expect when each of them will be in the room.
Drying Rack
I absolutely love my drying rack. It collapses on itself so when I’m done, I can just lean it against the wall. Often times the drying machines don’t quite work, or I’ll have a couple of delicate shirts or leggings that should air dry, and a drying rack does the job well. Also if I’m watching a TV show with my friends, I prop my computer on the top of the drying rack and we sit on my bed, and it’s a nice viewing arrangement.
***A Handle of Vodka***
No, I am not telling you to get drunk. Have someone of drinking age buy you some vodka, because it is super helpful for getting stains out, cleaning clothes, and getting rid of unwanted smells! After a night out, sometimes I can smell smoke on my shirt from the people around me. If you put vodka and water into a spray bottle, it’ll get rid of the smell. The more you know!
Plastic Bucket
You can get a cheap plastic bucket anywhere. They’re super helpful for washing your delicates if you feel uncomfortable going to the laundry room, or if you have just one thing that got dirty and you don’t want to do an entire load. For another reason, if your friend gets a little too crazy, a bucket is an excellent alternative to resting your cheek on a public bathroom toilet. Just being realistic here, people.
Vacuum
So, at Kenyon, all of the dorms typically have a communal floor vacuum, and while it does work well and many people are fine without it, I personally prefer having my own vacuum in my room. You can opt for a small hand vacuum, but I don’t mind having one that’s full size. It doesn’t take up too much room and it motivates me to clean a lot more often than I would.
Deck of Cards/ Board Games
Are we really adults yet? A pack of cards is incredibly handy for before you’re going out or even if you’re bored (board) with a couple of friends. Same goes with board games! It’s actually really fun to have Jenga, Cards Against Humanity, or even like CandyLand or a puzzle lying around for those nights where you don’t feel like just watching a movie and just want to hang out with friends.
Adhesive Wall Tape and Hooks
(Captain HOOK—get it????)
Pretty much every college is strict on not allowing you to nail things into the walls. You can get fairly strong double-sided tape at any store (they sell them at the Kenyon bookstore!!) and wall hooks. I use these hooks for everything: hanging up my towels, a hook for my purses, to hang my keys on when I come on the room, etc.
Medicine and Sewing Kit
I have a bedside table that I got really cheap at Walmart that has been a godsend, and in the first drawer I keep all my medicine and sewing supplies. I keep my personal medicine, as well as Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl, etc., band-aids, and anything else I feel is necessary that I wouldn’t want to go to the health center to get. I also have a sewing kit with a couple of needles and various colors of thread. I know how to sew a little, and it helps a lot to be able to patch things up quickly if I get a hole in my shirt, seeing as I live kind of in the middle of nowhere.
So that’s a couple of suggestions of some different things to bring for your dorm room! The most important thing is that it feels like home for you. I love coming home to a dorm room that feels like mine— that’s comfortable and welcoming. Whether that means putting a couple of photographs up of family, having a ton of pillows on your bed (me), or having a good stash of tea on hand, think about what makes you happy at your home, and bring a little of that to college.
Image credits: Giphy, Tumblr