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10 Dorm Essentials To Make Life A Little Easier

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LUC chapter.

Moving into a dorm? Stressful. Shoving your entire life into a small – and shared – room? Nearly impossible. 

We get what a pain it is to transition into dorm life, so we’re here with some of our favorite products to help make the journey smoother. From skin care to your morning coffee, these essentials are sure to make your room a tiny, square-shaped home.

Face Masks

College might make you short on free time and even shorter on money, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still treat yourself! As the semester gets long, the schedules get hectic, and the breakouts become plentiful, make sure to have a few sheet masks on hand to pop on during a nightly study sesh or over your morning cup of coffee. There’s a reason they’ve been a cornerstone of K-Beauty routines for years. Face masks leave your skin feeling fresh, hydrated, and totally ready to take on whatever the day will bring.

Air Fresheners

Tragically, candles are banned from most dorms. But that doesn’t mean that your room has to smell anything less than amazing! Air fresheners are a great way to keep your space pleasant and inviting. While there are many different kinds of sprayers to choose from, a self-mister will regulate odors on its own and won’t take up precious outlet space. When replacing the cartridges, either maintain the same scent and build up your brand, or keep things fresh and exciting with a new smell to go with each season.

Oil Diffuser

While we’re on the topic of smell, make sure to grab yourself an essential oil diffuser! Different oils can be used to regulate stress, boost moods, and even purify the air. Not to mention, it makes your space smell like whatever luxe oil you’ve chosen to treat yourself to that day. Diffusers are also known to improve sleep, which can be a lifesaver for those weeks when your sleep schedule is all over the place.

Reusable K-cups

For those who want to help reduce their plastic waste while also saving some money, look no further than the reusable K-cup. It’s 2019 and we don’t have time for the disposable cups, especially when buying coffee grounds is much more cost effective. So fill up your reusable mug (with your matching reusable straw) with the help of this reusable K-cup and let’s get our green on!

Tupperware

Apparently becoming an adult means the hoarding of – and subsequent loss of – copious amounts of tupperware. It’s the perfect vehicle for transporting study sesh snacks or for sneaking food out of the dining hall. By packing your own food you’ll save money and truly embrace the mom-friend lifestyle while also proving that meal prepping never looked quite so effortless!

Photo Lights

You’ve got an amazing, photo-worthy life and you deserve to show it off in an equally amazing fashion. With these fairy lights, the photo clips are already built in and easier than ever to display. And when living in such a small area, we love anything that can function as two or more things. Mix a collection of photos from home and of your new life at college to truly see your two worlds colliding, all while freeing space where a lamp would be needed.

Desk Mirror

If we’re being completely honest, having a portable mirror is a serious game changer. Communal bathrooms are a gamble on a good day: you can’t control when it’s going to be crowded and mirror space is limited. With this bad boy you can get ready on your bed, at your desk, or wherever the ideal lighting is. It also means you can do any embarrassing facial examinations you need to without judging eyes staring at you from three sinks over.

Portable Speaker

Music can be one of the fastest ways to make new friends at college. It can also be a great escape from the daily grind. Whatever your situation, set the tone and show off your style with a portable speaker. Bonus points if you snag one that’s also waterproof so you can make those dorm showers a little more bearable.

Shelf Dividers

With limited shelf space, it can be all too easy to feel cluttered and overwhelmed. But fear no more, as this closet shelf divider is here to compartmentalize and categorize in a simple, minimal style. Whether you need something to keep your cleaning supplies separate from your textbooks or an easy way of keeping even chunkiest of sweaters in line, these dividers can handle it all!

Bandaids

You should have at least a basic first aid kit with you, but if nothing else, make sure to stock up on some bandaids. Often overlooked until needed, you’ll find that they come in handy for not only yourself, but plenty of your friends. Especially in the dorms where life can get a little …rowdy at times.

Dorm culture is weird enough. You deserve to have a space that you can feel at home in. As you work hard toward making this school year the best one yet, these essentials are here to help you live your best life.

HCLUC Co-CC Shelby is an LUC senior studying multimedia journalism, cultural anthropology, political science and Asian studies. Although she grew up in South Dakota, she has found homes in Chicago, Morocco, and Vietnam. She strives to continue traveling the world to seek out human triumphs and trials by telling stories through a fresh, unbiased viewpoint. When she's not studying or working, Shelby is a devoted fan of sunsets, strawberry smoothies, and Seth Meyers.