1. Rain boots.

When you’re in college, especially when you’re a freshman, you walk EVERYWHERE. The last thing you want to be doing is wringing out your white Converse in the bathroom sink because you got in a thunderstorm. These are an essential, whether they’re $100 Hunter Boots or $20 Target boots, it doesn’t matter.

2. Slippers.

More shoes? Yep. I brought these with me on a whim, and I’m sure glad I did because I used them way more than I thought. Running to the bathroom? Slippers. No carpeting in your room? Slippers. Running downstairs to get your laundry? Slippers.

3. Tide Pen.

I actually didn’t have one of these, but my roommate did and often let me borrow it. I spill on myself way too much, especially at lunch when I’m running in-between classes and don’t have time to change. In comes the Tide Pen, a savior and something you should definitely keep in your purse or backpack at all times.

4. Dry Eraser Markers.

Most dorm rooms will come with a message board on your door so that people can leave notes to you, but they don’t normally come with a dry erase marker. Luckily, my roommate (once again) had the foresight to bring some of these, otherwise our board would have always been empty and boring the whole year.

5. Travel mug.

When you’re in college, especially freshman year, you’ll always be running to class, running to activities, or just running to get food before the dining hall closes. And what are the odds you actually slept a full eight hours the night before? I would not bet on those odds. You can’t run around with a mug of coffee or tea, you will spill it everywhere. In comes the travel mug. Make sure you get one with a secure lid, otherwise you’ll be spilling more than you’ll be drinking.

6. Oxy-clean.

I had stain remover with me, but as I aforementioned, I spill a lot on myself. Laundry machines differ everywhere and some require a lot of pre-treatment in order to get stains completely out. In comes Oxy-clean. As promised, it got out the toughest of stains.

7. Laptop Sleeve.

Many of you I’m sure (and I hope) have a laptop case, but I would definitely recommend having a sleeve as well. Your laptop will go everywhere with you, and I mean everywhere, so having an added extra layer of protection never hurts. Plus, sleeves often make it easier and more comfortable to balance your laptop on different surfaces, your lap included.

8. Lanyard.

Just like your laptop, you’ll take your room keys and student ID everywhere with you (even the bathroom). Lanyards will keep hold of both of those things for you. Luckily, someone had the foresight to give me one of these as a graduation gift, but I definitely would not have thought to bring this. My favorite lanyards are the ones they sell at Vera Bradley, because they have a spot for an id card and keys, making it a perfect fit for any college student.

9. Alarm clock.

Now, in this day and age, you might be wondering why you would need an alarm clock when you probably have a smartphone that has a clock built in. Well, two reasons. One, you can never have too many alarms, especially when your mom isn’t there to wake you up anymore. And two, it’s just nice to have a clock in your room that isn’t your phone.

10. Lamp (or other light).

Dorm rooms get dark, especially in corners, because there is usually only one overhead light and it doesn’t reach everywhere. Especially on days when the sun barely manages to peek out through the clouds, a lamp is a necessity. A lamp can also come in handy when you don’t want to wake your roommate up but need some light so you don’t trip over something.