College is a new chapter of your life, and there is so much excitement surrounding the imminent changes to come. Next to meeting new friends, taking classes with world-renowned professors, and exploring campus, I was so excited to decorate my dorm room and make it my own. I scoured Pinterest and Instagram for months for inspiration and watched YouTube videos about essentials as I prepared to pack up my things and move out of my childhood room. There are so many resources and opinions on necessities for college, so I’ve compiled a list of a few things that I think have been the most important and helpful so far this year, especially with the pandemic.
- Baskets
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I didn’t buy baskets before I moved in, but I didn’t last a week before I went to Target to buy some. Having shelving is great, but baskets are necessary when it comes to organizing your things. Without baskets, there is just not enough room or storage in your dorm to separate your things on their own.
- Drawer Organizers
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The drawers in your room will most likely be a large abyss, and anything you put in them will slide around and get jumbled instantly. Having drawer organizers to separate your things into smaller sections will be very helpful, especially when you need to find something quickly. Then, you don’t have to take apart your whole drawer in order to find a highlighter.
- First Aid Kit
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You’re bound to need some band-aids during college, whether it’s a paper cut or a trip-and-fall scrape. Having a small collection of band-aids and antibiotic cream on hand is really helpful in case of a mini-emergency.
- Emergen-C
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As classes and assignments ramp up, you are bound to find yourself lacking sleep. I’ve always found that I tend to feel worse when I’m sleep-deprived, and Emergen-C has been my lifesaver when I need an extra boost for my immune system.
- Brita Water Pitcher
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Unless you feel like carrying gallons of water from your local store to your dorm, I’d suggest buying a Brita Pitcher. Not only does it save you the pain of lugging a heavy water jug across campus, but in the long run, it will save you money and reduce plastic use!
- Printer (Not Wireless!)
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Need to print a syllabus or a paper that’s due tomorrow? Most schools have printers available to students around campus, but those buildings are not necessarily open 24/7. Owning your own printer (even a very basic one) is something you can use in your college years and beyond, and you don’t have to worry about waiting in line to use it. From my personal experience, you don’t want one that is wireless, because the Wi-Fi at some schools will not allow you to connect Bluetooth with your devices to a printer.
Preparing for college is complicated. Especially during this pandemic, college life is unlike it has ever been before. You will most likely be spending a lot of time in your room as you navigate this new chapter of your life. I hope that these items will make the transition easier for you, just as they did for me!
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