I’m going into my junior year of college and feel like I can offer a lot of knowledge about what to stock your dorm room with– or more specifically, what not to stock it with. Here are my top 5 useless things for your dorm room.
1. Coffee Pot
I know, I know, how can anyone live without coffee? Believe me, I can’t either. But think about it– when you’re running late for class are you going to go through the trouble of brewing coffee or are you gonna rush out the door and get Starbucks? If you are a true coffee lover and fully believe you’re going to make coffee daily, go for it. But if you’re like me and would rather someone else deal with brewing your coffee, leave the Keurig at home and save the counter space.
2. Excessive School Supplies
A lot of people suggest not buying school supplies until the day you get your syllabus for classes. I do not. But I would suggest buying things you know you’ll need. Don’t bring the entire back-to-school section of Target with you (though it is tempting.) Bring the necessities, like pencils, pens, paper, etc. If you’re like me and prefer writing notes on a notebook rather than a laptop, I suggest bringing a notebook for each class you take or multiple subject notebooks. Don’t go crazy with your school supplies, because half of them will end up in a drawer somewhere collecting dust and taking up valuable space in the shoebox that is a dorm.
3. Formal Clothing
As much as we want to be college fashionistas, bringing multiple fancy dresses and heels aren’t ideal. Unless you’re in a sorority and intend on going to multiple formal events a semester, leave the fancy clothes at home. The majority of your wardrobe is going to be T-shirts and leggings anyway.
4. Pots and Pans and Skillets
Oh my. I love to cook. But having to come from the fourth floor of my dorm to the community kitchen with all my cooking utensils and ingredients was the biggest burden. Aside from ramen and frozen dinners, the reality is you don’t cook very often in a dorm. Swap out your cooking supplies for a dining dollar card and UberEats.
5. DVDs and Pleasure Reading
I have brought my favorite movie, (500) Days of Summer, to college with me every semester for the past three years. Have I ever actually watched it? No. Because why watch a DVD when Netflix and Hulu exist? As for books, they will serve as decoration more than anything. I never have the time to actually sit down and read them, unfortunately. I was too busy with my head buried in a textbook that is significantly less fun to read.