So, you’re about to move into your college dorm. You’re scared, confused and nervous, but you can be all those things and still be prepared!
A dorm may seem intimidating, but it will be your makeshift home for two whole semesters, so it has to be the most ‘you’ environment you can make it! Here are five things that will help you the most in creating the best dorm atmosphere!
1. Air Purifier
First and foremost, there is a high chance you will get sick in your dorm if you do NOT bring this wonderful beast. Since you are living with someone new, within a new place and surrounded by a variety of new people, this helps keep the air in your room clean, keeping you and your roomie healthy and ready for any college adventure! And while these can be on the pricier side, it is worth it. You can even do what my roommate and I did: one of us bought the purifier and the other bought vents to replace throughout the semester!
2. Desk Hutch
This. Saved. My. Life. You are not provided the most spacious desk in a dorm room, so you must be creative! The hutch helped leave open space on my desk surface, provided up to four shelves and gave me room to place other things on top of it as well. The extra space on my desk allowed me to layout my necessities (pencil holder, printer and more) while also having room to work. Within the shelves of the hutch is where I held my jewelry, makeup, books, notebooks and more. I also got it in the ‘natural wood’ color so it would match the color of my desk, although any color is fine. The biggest thing to remember in a dorm room is storage; you are not provided with a whole lot of it, so you HAVE to make your own. This works into my next suggestion…
3. Three-Tier Rolling Cart
Any cart you can find, whether it be from Target, Walmart or Michaels, is worth it! I use mine for a variety of things. The two bottom shelves are where I hold food, the top is where I put my napkins and silverware items, with the side pockets being where I place other snacks or cooking materials! The nice thing about this too is that with its wheels, you do not have to decide on a concrete place to set it; if you need to get past, you just roll it to the side. Once you get to college, you understand the need for all the shelves and storage. If you think you are bringing too many storage items, you are not (because you can never have enough).
4. Britta Filter
You will think you will be okay with walking down the hall to the water fountain anytime, but you will not be. Leaving your room at midnight to get a glass of water and running into people dressed in their clubbing attire while you are in your pajamas is an… experience (an experience you do not wish to encounter). Having a Britta filter water bottle saved my life, and it is not about laziness: it is creating a comfortable space of living for yourself. There are countless times during the semester that I found myself yearning for home just to have the comfort of being able to get a glass of water at ease.
5. DampRid
6. Bonus: Jar Opener
Small but mighty (and needed)! I cannot tell you the times I have struggled with a jar of jelly, or my roommate can’t get her waterproof mascara open. While you can usually ask someone (roommate, hallmate or maybe even an RA if you’re feeling courageous) or just take some time working on getting something open, you have to remember that sometimes you will need things in a hurry. Picture this: It’s 8 a.m., you have five minutes to get to a class that is 10 minutes away, and you need to eat, but you can’t get the peanut butter jar open (because you did not bring a jar opener). You end up having to leave the unopened jar and race to class, leaving you with an empty stomach as you have to sit through a two-hour lecture. Jar openers are relatively easy to find and cheap, as the silicone flappy ones are my ideal choice!
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