Shopping for a college dorm is incredibly daunting. As a sophomore, it feels like every item must be a ride-or-die for my next two years, but in reality, we all make certain monetary mistakes when it comes to shopping for the near future. So, I’m going to try my best to list my favorite (and most used) items for the perfect freshman year dorm.
Reflecting on my freshman year at Boston University, it’s been quite the wild ride. It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times — a classic example of the dualism of college life. Yet, no matter how chaotic the times were, I was taught invaluable lessons throughout the course of my first semester in Boston.
- Vacuum cleaner
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Inevitably, messiness will be a contributing factor to your sanity freshman year. I don’t care if you’re the cleanest person alive; you’ll still need to vacuum up a mysterious mess of food, dirt, and dust at some point.
Other than the fact that a hygienic disaster will most likely hit at some point between September and May, it’s just good practice to vacuum your carpet or hardwood, every now and then. If you or your roommate don’t have a vacuum, someone on your floor does and will likely be chill about you borrowing it.
Editor’s note: Most ResLife offices on campus will lend you a vacuum for free, but they have varying levels of functionality.
- Wooozoo or bedside fan
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Boston summer into fall is hot. Most on-campus housing across American campuses don’t include AC, and the first few weeks of classes are sweltering.
I distinctly remember tossing and turning in my twin-sized bed because it was so horribly hot during the first couple of weeks of freshman year. Not only do fans allow air circulation in the small dorm room, but they also cool you down during the worst of the school months weather-wise. The Woozoo is a small fan and it circulates, so you get the best of both worlds.
- Air purifier
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Again, it is inevitable that your freshman dorm will be stuffy and hot. Air circulation is low unless you are living in a gloriously nice dorm (which most people aren’t). I lived in the Fenway Campus dorms my freshman year, and though the experience was something I wouldn’t trade in for the world, it wasn’t the perfect dorm.
Especially since the freshman illness was still going around, it was so important to have some air circulation amongst my roommate and I during a time when we were both brutally ill.
- Ice tray
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My freshman year, I thought I would go to the dining hall for all my needs. And, as great as the dining hall is, you will not want to trek there when you’re bombarded with homework, sick, or incredibly exhausted. So, do yourself a favor and get an ice tray for all the times you’ll want an ice-cold drink and don’t want to walk four minutes to the dining hall.
- Clothes for every occasion. And then more.
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Last but not least, here is a very vague, but useful, piece of advice. There will be a themed party or event at one point, and you probably won’t have an appropriate piece of clothing for that event. That is when you must use your creative juices to put together a semi-on-theme outfit.
The only way to solve this issue is to have the most amount of clothes possible. No, there isn’t a lot of storage in dorms for clothing, however, where there’s a will there’s a way. If you are ever packing for college and think I have enough clothes, I’ll leave the rest at home — bring more.
Trust me.
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