When we move into our dorms our freshman year, there’s always the standard things on the list people tell us to check off. Toothbrush and toothpaste, an assortment of shoes and jackets, extra plastic bin for storage. While these are all essential, there are somethings you may find you need later on down the line that you never thought you’d have to pick up. To some, these may seem like no brainers, but to others like myself, these items never came to mind when I was prepping to move into my dorm.
So in order to keep someone else from finding out they need something they never thought they would the hard way, here’s a list of some extra things you may want to bring to college with you.
1. Sleep Mask
This may only to some of you. If you’re lucky enough to either have a whole dorm to yourself or live in a suite or apartment where you have a room to yourself, this might not apply to you. But, if you happen to find yourself living with another person, you may find that sometimes you have disagreements or conflict when one of you decides it’s lights out, but the other person does not. Maybe your roommate has to type up a paper or finish up that project. Maybe they’re working on something and even though they only have the lamp on, it can disturb you from sleep.
If you’re unable to come to an agreement as to when the lights should go out, you might find that an easy solution is to pick up a sleep mask. Now, I understand how this may sound like you’re just letting your roommate get away with doing whatever they want even when it’s at your expense. However, using a sleep mask doesn’t just serve to making things convenient for your roommate, but for you as well. I’ve found that not only does using a sleep mask help me to fall asleep easier by blocking out all light while roommate is working on an assignment, but it deters me from looking at things that tend to distract me from falling asleep. Scrolling through me phone, looking at the TV or peeking out the window. Since getting a sleep mask, I fall asleep twice as fast and wake up feeling more refreshed. And as someone who has early morning classes all week, this something I’m quite grateful for.
2. Salt and Pepper
Let’s face it. Sometimes, making that trek to the dining hall just isn’t worth it no matter how hungry you are. You’re comfortably settled into your room, you’ve finally got some downtime and you just want to watch Netflix and relax. Believe me, been there done that. As college students, I’m sure we’ve all got some TV dinners crammed into our mini-fridge and Chef Boyardee’s stacked on our desks. While these may solve the problem with our laziness, it might not be the most appetizing meal. However, you’d be surprised how far a little salt and pepper can go, even with a instant meal.
It might not be gourmet, but it’s definitely a step up. And that’s something right?
3. Mini Vacuum Cleaner and/or Broom and Dustpan
Dorms can get insanely messy. That’s no secret. One second, your beds are made and your desks are organized, and then next thing you know it looks like a S.W.A.T team ransacked your room. Happens to the best of us. It’s easy enough to to make up your bed, take out the trash and re-organize your desk. But hardest part sometimes can be the floor. You may have picked up all the dirty socks and shoved your shoes in your closet, but there’s always that stuff that stays behind. The bits of dust that cling to the floor, the crumbs that are too small for you to pick up. Whether your floors are hardwood or carpet (like mine are) a couple extra tools can make a big difference in how clean your room is. It may not sound like it’s that important, but when you find yourself still picking up the same Pringles crumbs after a week? A broom or a small vacuum might sound pretty good.
4. Humidifier
Aside from the mess, another thing about dorms that’s not that big a secret is that they might not the be the most comfortable places. How many times have this happened to you? After feeling completely fine all day, you head back to your dorm and after a couple hours your lips are dry and chap, your nose starts bleeding or even though you’ve felt fine all day, your nose suddenly decides to stop working and that you’ll be fine breathing through your mouth for the next few hours.
If you’re not too keen on cracking open a window, one good benefit is getting a humidifier. They can help to ease the symptoms listed above and especially come in handy during the colder times of the year. While they may be more on the pricey side, the benefits will definately be worth it in the long run.
5. Coffee Maker
It’s a pretty well known fact that for the most part, college students run on coffee. If you think that’s an exaggeration, go to the campus cafe at any university and watch how quickly the line fills up, or count how many people you see walk by with a coffee cup. While coffee may make us feel better and wake us up, the same can’t be said for our wallets. Two- five bucks for a cup of coffee every day or so may not seem like a lot, but it can add up rather quickly. That’s why coffee makers, like humidifiers, are one of those things that cost a lot but pay for themselves.
Even if you don’t like coffee at all, a coffee maker can still quickly provide you with boiling water that can be used for other hot beverages like tea or hot chocolate, or the water can be used for making food like ramen or instant rice. No matter who you are, it’s bound to come in handy.
