Wait! Before you click out of this, I know there are so many of these floating around but the ones that I saw had listed items that were common sense (like a fan, or a desk lamp). But I thought for a while about stuff I forgot, and needed to buy, and about things I thank God I remembered.
1. Tool Kit- My tool kit saved my hide so many times. From letting me put my wobbly drawers back together, to helping me make friends when I lent it to the people down the hall, I'm so glad I had this thing!
2. Motion Censored Light- best for when you or your roommate get in late and the other is asleep. Instead of flipping on the light and risk waking them up, just use this glorified adult night light.
3. Robe- this might not be something you would forget, but it's something I definitely looked over. I wasn't even thinking about robes until I got one for Christmas. I questioned it: "But I don't use robes?" and mom told me that I'd like it for college, and boy was she right! No slipping towels while trying to get from the bathroom to your dorm room without anyone seeing. Also, no more wet clothes from getting dressed in the shower stall before properly drying off.
4. Desk Organizer- this one was definitely just me. I had so much stuff on my desk and didn't know where to put it. I didn't even think of a desk top organizer until I was walking through Target mid semester and saw one and thought... "I need that right now" but instead I went home that weekend and took a small (not as small as I would like) standing shelf from my room and used that (which was a complete pain, and always in the way).
5. Extra Power Cord- I kept a specific power cord solely for my fridge because if I wanted to power off all of my electronics, I would have ended up turning off my fridge and microwave too! That would end up as spoiled milk and a REALLY bad smell that never seems to go away...
6. Flashlight- very self explanatory. Flashlights are always handy and helpful.
7. Resume Paper- a special type of paper that is a little stiffer than your average printing paper. It makes you look extra professional when handing in that resume assignment, and makes a statement at the career fair.
8. Paper clips- was this just me? I'm not sure, but I had to go out and buy paper clips my second day at school because I knew I would need them. Good for holding papers together, but GREAT for hanging tapestries in the drop ceiling.
9. Reusable Water Bottles- great for storing and refilling when you're too broke to keep buying the Gatorade from Target.
10. Painters Tape- I cant stress this one enough. Painters tape will stay on any type of wall (even dreary painted cinder blocks). So when you put up the painters tape, you could superglue anything to the tape and hang anything, AND NOT RUIN THE WALL!! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS FOR MY ENTIRE FRESHMAN YEAR?!?
11. Rubbing Alcohol- a must for successfully putting up command hooks.
Step one: rub desired area of wall with rubbing alcohol, and let dry.
step 2: stick command hook to desired area of wall.
Step 3: hang item, smile, and laugh, because you won this round.
12. Safe- Lets hope you never need this, but it could be nice just in case you end up with a roommate with sticky fingers.
13. Planner- they don't give these to you anymore, so it's our responsibility to buy them ourselves. I actually thought to myself last summer, "who needs a planner anyway??" Halfway through the first semester when I kept forgetting things, I thought, "Me, that's who". Dry erase boards can only do so much.
14. Extra blankets/ Blow up mattress- for when your high school friends visit, or when your college friends need a place to crash.
15. Sunscreen/ Aloe- you'll definitely need either of these AT LEAST once.
16. Sewing kit- I'm kind of on the fence about this because not everyone would use this, but there were times I accidentally ripped a hole in my shirt and wished I could sew it up really quick. Good in a pinch for girls who are sick of having the hole in their yoga pants, thus ruining their outfits.
17. First Aid Kit + Hydrogen Peroxide- you'll thank me when you hurt yourself and the nurses aren't there over the weekend so you have to take care of yourself like a real adult. Now take the Littlest Pet Shop band-aid, put it on your boo boo, and stop whining.
Most of these things are inexpensive, and easy to find. And no, they are not completely necessary, but they will without a doubt make your first year of college a lot easier. I wish I would have known these things before move in day. So hopefully you read through this list and that I have reminded you of some things you may need! Good luck!
