Before you get to college, you’ll spend a week double checking the dorm room supply lists you find online. Your parents will triple check to make sure they don’t leave you shorthanded. On move-in day it will feel like it ten hours before you get all of your belongings in your room. Even so, there will be a few items you won’t realize you needed until it’s too late.
1. An ottoman. Having the ottoman for your dorm room or apartment provides extra hidden storage for all of your miscellaneous belongings. For a lofted bed, it will help you get on your bed easier. When you have friends over it can serve as an extra seat, too. An ottoman is an overall multi-functional piece of furniture to invest in.
2. Envelopes and stamps. Okay, a little old school. Even if you aren’t planning to hand write letters home or to friends, at least having the stamps makes it easier to have the postage already for store bought cards. Especially for campuses without close access to a post office, having envelopes and stamps are almost a necessity.
3. A Netflix account. For those who won’t have access to a TV or might have to share one with a roommate, having Netflix available on your laptop will be a life saver. When you do have occasional free time, you can catch up on all the shows your friends are talking about. It’s worth every penny of the $8 monthly fee.
4. A handheld vacuum. You might not like cleaning, but the dust and hair that accumulates in your small room will drive you crazy before you know it. A vacuum will also prove helpful for those messes that are just too difficult to clean without one. You’ll even become the hallway hero for all the other freshmen on your floor who forgot to bring one.
5. Windex wipes. These are perfect for everything from your small make-up mirror to your large dorm window. There’s no wasting paper towels or making sure that you stock up on Windex bottle refills. Another plus is that Windex wipes take up almost no storage.
6. Shower shoes. There’s no way you’ll want to step foot in a shared bathroom without these. Whether you buy the $1 pair of flip-flops at Old Navy, buy some Crocs or opt for an actual brand of shower shoes, you’ll be thanking yourself later.
7. A refillable water bottle or water filter. It’s so much more practical to refill your water bottle every once in a while then it is to buy plastic water bottles every few weeks. Do you really want to carry a 24-pack of water bottles up to your room?
8. Extra hangers. In college you’ll receive so many free t-shirts that you won’t even be able to handle it. You’ll need the extra hangers for all the new clothes you obtain throughout the year.
9. An Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Prime offers a six-month Amazon Student membership which includes free, two-day shipping. All of your textbooks will arrive on time without you having to worry.
10. A lanyard or ID wallet. Most colleges will charge you a substantial amount if you lose your student ID card, room key or even the mailbox key. Buy something to keep all of these things in one place and keep track of it at all times.
11. An eye cover. You can’t prevent the sun from shining through your dorm room blinds. You won’t always be able to turn off the lights when you’re ready to go to bed at night. Most importantly, when you’re ready for your afternoon nap, you can’t make the sun go down. Having an eye cover for sleeping will help in all of these predicaments.