Having the most extra mom of all time, I moved in my freshman year WAY too prepared. What I learned is that it’s better to be too prepared than not prepared enough. That being said, I compiled a list of ten unexpected things you *need* to have in your dorm room.
1. Wax warmer
This was the BEST thing I could have bought for my dorm room. As an avid candle user, not being able to light candles in my dorm room was torture! A wax melter is the next best thing. Basically you buy wax cubes, put them in the base of the warmer, plug it in, and the lightbulb inside will melt the wax. Your room will smell amazing.
Let’s be real, your dorm room doesn’t always smell too great. I mean come on, you’re living with two or three people in a tiny room! Having your dorm room smell amazing all the time is a great thing.
Bath and Body Works sells the best wax cubes and I highly recommend!
2. Printer
Having a printer in your dorm room is SO convenient. Before I bought my own, the only way I could access a printer was in the library which was a PROCESS. Having a printer in my room is really great since I have to print a lot of assignments for my classes. My friends and roommates also use my printer which just shows how nice it is to have easy access to a printer.
I have the Epson XP330 that I got at Target for around $45.
3. Sleeping mask
Getting a sleeping mask is very important if you’re the type of person that needs the room to be completely dark when you’re going to sleep. It’s uncommon for you and your roommates to all have the same sleeping schedule.
Of course, you need to be considerate of when they’re sleeping, and vice versa. One of my roommates sophomore year was constantly going to bed very early and always wanted all the lights off. Everyone should be considerate of your roommates that don’t want to go to bed as late as 10 p.m. every night.
4. Emergen-C
Getting sick when you’re away at college is the WORST. Living in close quarters with tons of people means that you are at risk of getting sick at all times. Emergen-C is a vitamin supplement that you mix with water. You can drink Emergen-C when you feel like you’re getting sick or if you already are.
I absolutely love Emergen-C! Whenever I feel a sore throat coming (which is my first symptom of a cold), I drink one of these and either the feeling passes or it prevents my cold from getting a lot worse. Emergen-C comes in a lot of different flavors and although it never tastes that great, I swear by these things!
5. Face masks
Staying on top of your skincare routine is crucial! When I went away to college my freshman year I really slacked on my skincare routine and ended up having the worst acne of my life. It really killed my mood and self-confidence. With all the late nights, unhealthy eating, napping in makeup and the overall stress of college, your skin can become your worst enemy. It’s really important to stay on top of your skincare in college since A LOT of my friends and I began breaking out our first semester away. I’m a big fan of Freeman beauty face masks!
6. Brita Water Bottle
This is the number one thing I suggest bringing to college with you! You don’t want to be constantly wasting your money on disposable water bottles and you definitely don’t want to be drinking the dirty school tap water. Having a water bottle that filters as you drink is the BEST. It saves so much money and also helps the environment because you aren’t constantly trashing plastic bottles (save the environment 2018!).
7. Tupperware
Tupperware is a necessity for when you want to smuggle food out of the dining hall. Walking to the dining hall for every meal can get very annoying. Bringing Tupperware and stealing some food for a later (FREE) meal is something that I highly recommend.
My roommate and I would often go to the dining hall for lunch and get pasta stir-fry that we would never finish. We would throw it in some Tupperware, bring it back to our room, stick it in the fridge and then reheat it in the microwave for dinner.
8. Hanging shoe rack
I have always found it difficult to find a place to put my shoes. I used to keep them in a box but found it annoying to constantly have to dig through the box to find the pair of shoes that I needed. I came across my current shoe rack and my life changed. It’s very skinny so it doesn’t take up much room in my closet but it also gives me a good amount of space for my shoes. I’m not able to fit all my shoes in this rack but I keep the shoes I wear the most in the rack and keep all the rest in my box.
A hanging shoe rack makes it so much easier to get your shoes every day and you only have to dig through your shoe box every once in a while.
9. Dust buster
This was another super convenient thing for me to have in my dorm room. Some colleges provide vacuums that you can borrow, but I don’t think that my school did that. Of course, my ass was not bringing a giant vacuum to school with me since there already was not enough space in my room. That’s why having a smaller, more compact dust buster was great. Every once in a while I would need to suck up the hair that would collect in my room and my dust buster really came in handy.
Funny enough I actually won the dust buster I own after my high school graduation…little did I know it would really come in handy!
10. Slippers
Having slippers in my room was one of the best decisions I made my sophomore year. It’s nice to have an easy slip-on pair of lounge shoes for your dorm room. I was constantly wearing my shower shoes around the dorm since they were the easiest pair of shoes I had to slip on. Once I got a pair of slippers I never went back.
Good-bye shower shoes, I will see you when I shower.