Leaving home for college is always hard but having a good packing list can help with the stress of finally moving out of your parent's house. As a newfound adult, there are many necessities you may forget to bring with you to college. These are the most forgotten items to bring to your new college dorm, and trust me, they'll save your life during your first few weeks at school.
1. Steamer
You have to remember you're living in a dorm and don't have much space to do your laundry let alone whip out an ironing board. Having a small handheld steamer makes it so much easier to get the wrinkles out of your clothes.
2. Extra set of sheets
Okay everyone may be telling you this one is excessive, but just trust me. Sometimes you're just not ready to start a new load of laundry to wash your bedding, but your sheets are starting to look grimy. It's so much easier to put on some new sheets and worry about laundry another time rather than putting it off and using gross sheets forever.
3. Rolling laundry basket
This totally saved me my Freshman year as I had to bring my laundry down a long hallway and an elevator. It may seem kind of silly at first, but it starts to get tiring to carry a huge laundry basket down the hall or some stairs every time you need to do a load.
4. Speaker
It's super nice to be able to have your own speaker to blast some tunes in your room with some friends before a long Friday night. Just remember to try not to piss off your neighbors.
5. Headphones
Alright I know headphones are so a thing of the past and everyone uses earbuds now but it's time to make the switch. When you're in the library studying all night, you are going to be super annoyed with how earbuds feel in your ears. Plus, it's kinda awk when everyone in a 5-foot radius of you can hear what you're listening to.
6. Water bottle & Brita
Dear everyone, that buys tons of plastic water bottles, YOU'RE KILLING THE EARTH. On a more serious note though, no one wants to constantly spend money buying water bottles, and that's nothing compared to having to carry them to your room. It's just easier to carry a water bottle around with you and refill using filtered water. It's better for everyone, including the Earth.
7. Surge protector/Extension cord
So. Many. Things. To. Plug. In. You never truly realize how many outlets you use until there aren't a ton available. Also, super helpful tip: buy a surge protector that also has USB outlets, that way you don't need to use a block to charge your phone.
8. Portable charger
Between long rides home or just long days at class your phone is going to die fast, and you'll be in need of a portable charger. They're super easy to carry around and you don't have to worry about bring your phone cord and block with you everywhere constantly trying to find a seat next to an outlet.
9. First-Aid Kit
As shocking as this may be to some people, you will get sick while you're at school and probably feel like you're dying within weeks after move-in. Constantly being around tons of people in a new environment will definitely have an effect on your immune system. It's good to stock up on cold and flu medicine because once you get sick you won't want to make a Target run.
10. Coffeemaker
For those that have never liked coffee, it's about to be your new best friend. You'll find yourself brewing a fresh new pot of coffee every few hours during finals week. Save yourself some money now and buy a coffee machine and don't waste all your money at Starbucks.
11. Cheap casual tennis shoes
In college often, times when going out with friends you will surely be coming home with dirty destroyed shoes. It's good to buy some cheap knock-off converse for when you know you don't want to mess up any of your fresh new kicks.
12. Mattress topper
Shocking enough some people don't realize just how uncomfortable and grimy the mattress your school provides for you is. If you plan on getting any good sleep at school, make sure to invest in a nice mattress topper.
13. Air purifier
I didn't realize how much of a necessity this was until I was sharing a tiny dorm room with another person. Especially if you're living in an old building like I did, it's nice to filter all the water and mold spores out of the air to breathe easier and honestly just feel better.
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