Saying that moving in to a house for the first time can be a daunting is an understatement. Gone are the days of Bruff, service wave and twin sized beds (thankfully) and you’re finally off campus and on your own. But with this newfound independence comes a whole new element of responsibility. I’ve put together a list of the five best items to purchase for your house—all of which are available on Amazon, also known as the college student’s best friend—to help you make the leap from dorm life to off campus living.
1. Flashlight
Imagine this: you’re getting ready for a night out (or let’s be honest, contemplating whether or not it is socially acceptable to wear norts to happy hour) and the power suddenly goes out. You’re going to have to go outside and find the power box, but in order to do that you’re going to need a flashlight handy. Store it somewhere easily accessible in case of a power outage or fuse box issue and make sure to keep plenty of extra batteries in case of emergency.
2. Toolkit
This was the one thing that my dad insisted on buying me when he moved me in and it’s been surprisingly useful. I still can’t reliably tell a wrench from a screwdriver (only half kidding on that one) but a tool kit is essential to have around whether you’re hanging up pictures or attempting to assemble (read: struggle with) Ikea furniture.
3. Bug Spray
If there’s one thing you don’t want to see when you stumble in to your kitchen to make breakfast in the approximately 3.5 minutes you left yourself before class it’s a cockroach skittering across the floor. Those little buggers are surprisingly fast and resilient, so you’re gonna need some heavy duty bug spray to make sure they don’t turn your first experience in a house into a living hell. So when you see one momentarily resist the urge to scream and hop around in place and grab the closest can of spray.
4. Crock pot
We can’t all be Martha Stewart, but we all have the potential to do better than ramen night after night. Crock pots are great because they enable even the worst home chefs to make healthy, high quality meals with fresh ingredients. Just throw the ingredients in and let the crock pot work its magic while you’re in class—plus you’ll have tons of leftovers for when you’re too time crunched to cook later in the week. Check out this list of recipes here!
5. Candles
Let’s be honest, sometimes your house is going to smell a little funny. Whether it’s a cooking experiment gone bad or a nail polish spill, having a couple scented candles around never hurts (plus it’s awesome to finally be able to use these forbidden items after two years in the dorms).