Disclaimer: Always be sure to follow your campus’ rules and regulations for student living. Do not damage or alter school-owned property.
I live in one floor of a school-owned duplex with five roommates. Each one of us has our own bedroom, but together, we have a lot of shared living space. When we first moved in, the unit was quite bare. We had two bathrooms, a living room, a dining space, and a kitchen space that basically had nothing in it. Together we pooled our resources, including necessities and fun items, and turned our living space into more than just a dorm. It was now our home for the school year.
It can be difficult to figure out exactly what you need when you move into apartment-style on-campus living. In fact, I ended up going to the store a few times to get things that I hadn’t really thought I needed to get. Who knew I would be making lots of popcorn and I would need a giant bowl to share it with? Anyway, here is a list of things, some boring, some fun, some intuitive, and some not, that you can use to turn your student living unit into a place that you *actually* want to be in.
Cleaning Supplies
It is no surprise that everyone needs to have quite the plethora of cleaning supplies when sharing a living unit with five other individuals. Plus, after a whole summer of being unoccupied, living units can get quite dusty. My roommates and I all pooled together resources, and whenever something runs out, we contribute and take turns buying more stuff. Here are the supplies I recommend most:
- Swiffer/Mop: for cleaning those bathroom and kitchen tiles
- Toilet cleaner: no one likes a gross bathroom experience, plus a plunger and a toilet scrub wand
- Shower spray/mold killer: spray inside the shower at least once weekly (or based on directions on cleaner) to prevent mildew and mold growth
- Vacuum: because spills and dust and dirt happens
- Paper Towels: great to use for spills, napkins, and for any other absorbent need
- Trash bags and trash cans: we’ve got one large trashcan in the kitchen area, and one small trashcan in each bathroom, with bags to match. Disposing of waste in a sanitary way is essential
Life Supplies
It is good to have things that will help with everyday life needs. Sometimes life happens, and you will want to have the stuff to deal with it. Here are the things my roommates and I have for those little “bump in the road” moments.
- First aid kit: for the bumps and scrapes. It is always good to have Band-Aids, antibacterial cream, cotton balls, and other basic things on hand for the occasional mishap.
- Toilet paper: everyone has to use the bathroom at some point
- Tough mess kit: for when things get messy. Ours includes a giant bucket, single-use gloves, cleaning bleach, giant scrub brush, and face masks. Sometimes messes happen, sometimes people get sick, and sometimes you just wanna deep clean the whole place.
- Refillable hand soap pumps and soap refills: instead of buying a bunch of new soap pumps whenever we run out, we just refill them with bulk soap. Everyone deserves to wash up when they need to!
Comfort Supplies
Besides the stuff in my own room that I keep for myself, my roommates and I have a few shared items that add to the comfort of our living unit. Make sure to clean shared items, such as throw pillows, hand towels, coasters, and high-touch surfaces regularly!
- Throw blankets: for when it gets cold, and for when friends visit
- Throw pillows: for pillow-fort making and late-night movies
- Room fragrance (check your school’s policy before bringing in candles or wax warmers): for when things get smelly.
- Couches/chairs: our unit came with a couch already, but we also brought our own comfy lounge chairs.
- Shower mat: so the bathroom floor doesn’t get all wet, no one likes getting wet when they just wanna use the bathroom and not the shower
Kitchen Supplies
Some of my roommates like using the kitchen. It is great for when we have friends over, if we don’t want dining hall food, or for late-night snack prep. Here are our most commonly used items:
- Forks, knifes, spoons, and serving utensils
- Cookie sheet/ metal oven tray
- Spatula and stirring spoons
- Frying pan
- Soup pot
- Popcorn bowl
- Bowls, cups, plates, and mugs
- Electric kettle (check your school’s policy regarding electric kettles and heating elements, substitute with traditional stovetop kettle if not allowed)