College packing lists are extremely helpful for knowing what you’ll need to bring — especially if it’s your first year. While they have most of the items you’ll probably need, here are six items I’ve found useful that most lists don’t include.
1. Bed fan
A box fan might cool down your room to a bearable temperature, but a bed fan will make sure you can sleep when it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit and your dorm building has no A/C. Many fans clip onto your bed, so you can fall asleep in a cool oasis of good air flow.
2. Wallet you can attach to a lanyard and keys
Anyone who chronically locks themselves out of their room needs one of these. Vera Bradley makes great wallets you can attach to a lanyard (and some come with matching ones). This way, you can carry your cash, cards, keys and any other essentials. You’ll be less likely to forget something if you have everything with you.
3. Slide-on sandals
No one wants to walk into a dorm bathroom barefoot and socks with flip-flops isn’t the most comfortable ensemble. Rather than putting on those combat boots that take forever to lace up, pick up a pair of sandals you can easily slide on and off.
4. Scent Diffuser
You can think of a dorm as a mini-house. You sleep and hang out there, but you also cook, pile up dirty clothes and throw out trash in the same room. These are not smells that go well together. If you want to make your room smell more like a tropical paradise and less like the ramen you had for dinner, a scent diffuser can help. Most dorms, as well as off-campus college housing, prohibit candles and hot plates, so a scent diffuser is a safe way to keep your dorm smelling fresh without getting in trouble from your RA.
5. Bedside caddy
Most of the beds at UW-Stout are lofted, which means that unless you have your desk right next to your bed, you probably don’t have a nightstand. A bedside caddy hooks onto the railings of your bed and lets you keep all your bedtime essentials in it, like books, charging cords and a water bottle. Most types hold a lot, but are still slim enough to fit in small spaces between your bed and the wall.6. Hanging jewelry organizer
If you’re running out of space on your dresser, a hanging jewelry organizer will keep all your necklaces, bracelets, headbands and other accessories organized in one place. It stays on a small hanger that easily fits in your closet with all your clothes, so it won’t take up wall space. Most kinds hold a ton of items, so you won’t have to be afraid of running out of space.
As you check off items on that college packing list, make sure to pick up these six items to make sure you have a successful college career!