1. Confessions of an over-packer.
I am hands down the worst about this. I over-pack to go spend the night at a friend's house, I over-pack to go to the library, if there was a most wanted for nearing adult age girls who haven't figured out this whole "only bring sensible things" thing, i'd be nearing the top. This was no exception for my dorm, I brought everything. I wanted (and did) make it a super home-y little place for me and my roommate, but moving out was THE WORST. Do not fall victim to the cute little dorm room essentials Target and Bed Bath and Beyond has out. You will regret everything the second you look at your car and stress about how you're going to fit all this back in there come move-out day.
2. Your student ID = life.
It's how you eat and how you get into your dorm, you have to have it. Don't get comfortable with just not bothering to use it when getting into your dorm because people are always in the lobby. I've seen some girls punch a hole in theirs and put it on a lanyard or their key chain. Yes, my friends, it runs that deep to where you see college students wearing their ID around their neck in order to not forget it. You've GOT to have this on you at all times.
3. Have your phone calendar AND a real one.
Life gets real busy, real fast your freshman year. For me, I was end band, full load of college classes, and was managing work and social life. If it weren't for that big-Dollar General-teacher calendar that sat on the wall next to my bed, I would've never been at anything, ever. Seeing what you have to do written out underneath the date really helps put into perspective how you've got to manage your time that day. The calendar on your phone will commonly get overlooked, so it is a life-saver to have one in a part of your room that you will see everyday.
4. Brita pitchers, Tide pods, and Wall plug-ins, oh my!
College dorm room life savers right here! Bottled water gets real expensive by your third week of college when the bank account is lookin' dry. A Brita Water Filter (dorm-room sized) is about $9 at Walmart. Invest in one, they will change the whole game and save you money. Likewise, Tide Pods or Gain Flings, whatever floats your boat, are so much easier to lug down to the basement then a whole box of powdered laundry detergent or the big container of liquid. They save a lot of space in a tiny dorm room and are a billion times easier to carry. Lastly, the wall plug-ins. My favorite are the "wallflowers" from Bath and Body Works. They have the best selection of scents and the wall plug-in itself starts at about $4 and they've lasted me since August. I found out what my roommates favorite scents were and caught a good sale and loaded up on them for the year. For a total of about $8, these plug-ins made all the difference in our dorm room.
