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Whether starting your dorming journey or returning for another year, combing through the do’s and don’ts of your shopping list can be tricky. Here are 10 things I found essential during my past year of dorming!
- Packing Bags: Moving Bags are where it’s at! These made moving in so much easier, especially because they come with back straps. I could fit all my clothes and more into these bags and save space that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had used boxes.
- A Giant Dry Erase Calendar: If you’re like me and need to see your schedule to stay organized, this is for you! I kept this on the back of my door last year, constantly referred to it and used it all throughout the school year. 10/10 recommend!
- Mesh Laundry Bags: These are a MUST HAVE, especially if your dorm has communal laundry machines! I used these to keep my undergarments and socks together. My roommate used hers for delicate clothing items as well. This saved me the trouble of digging through my laundry for missing socks or potentially leaving any small clothing items behind.
- Mattress Topper: I’ve heard it doesn’t matter what kind you get, but as long as you get one, you will be alright. I highly recommend getting one at least 2-3 inches in thickness. Mine personally was a 2 inch memory foam topper and I loved it so much!
- Phone Wallet: This is the MOST important thing you need to get. I will tell anyone that it will be a rough ride until you get one. On campus, you will need your ID EVERYWHERE! Your dorm building, your room, everywhere. It is so much more convenient to have a phone wallet so you don’t run the risk of forgetting your ID somewhere.
- Rolling Laundry Basket: Don’t buy into the propaganda. As someone who believed the TikToks about getting a laundry backpack, don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad but a full load can get really heavy and big. Getting a rolling laundry basket was such a life saver and much easier. I got a metal one but it had big holes so it does the job for me. I would recommend looking for one with smaller gaps.
- Extension Cords: You NEVER know where the outlets in your room will be so making sure you have at least one (I recommend two) extension cord is essential. I use one for my bed area and one for my desk area. I also highly recommend getting ones with flat plugs so that there is minimized damage to the cord if it is bumped up against something.
- An Air Purifier: I kept this thing on the entire first semester and couldn’t tell if it worked. Two days before I went home for Christmas break, I unplugged it and the next day my room became so muggy and damp that I knew the minute I came back for Spring semester I would never turn it off again, until I moved out.
- Velcro Command Strips: Since you cannot nail anything into your walls, these are the next best thing. The Velcro strips are much stronger than the regular ones and can hold much more. I also highly recommend getting command hooks, which come very in handy for hanging things up like towels and jackets.
- A Full Length Mirror: No need to spend outrageous amounts of money on a mirror, a simple one like the one attached will do. I only spent $7 on my mirror and hung it up with command strips and it did the job. You never know how helpful a mirror truly is when putting your outfit of the day together, until you don’t have one.
I wish anyone gearing up for the back to school / move in season the best of luck and hope any of these picks help you with your journey!