I did way too much research before buying stuff for my dorm room because I did not have the money to deck out my whole room. Don't get me wrong, I did end up wasting money and space in my dorm on cool decorations. However, I never wasted on big items that either cost an arm and a leg or took up way to much room. This list gives you an idea of what items are super intriguing but completely unnecessary.

1. Appliances

Most colleges provide a microwave and a mini fridge, so you shouldn't have to bring any other appliances. Other appliances are typically prohibited, and you will get in trouble if they are found in your dorm room. I promise they are not permitted for a good reason, even if they make college life decorations. For instance, during my freshman year, the people who lived under me brought a 3-in-1 Deluxe Breakfast Station, which was a coffee pot, a grill, and a toaster oven combo. Sounds great, right? The breakfast station ended up killing the power in their dorm, and they had to have maintenance come and fix it in the middle of the night. Luckily, they avoided getting in trouble, but they could've ended up with a hefty fine if they had been caught. Don't get me wrong, the breakfast station is super cool, but that doesn't mean it should go in your dorm room. In short, there is no reason to bring any other appliances than what is provided because it will cause problems for you and take up too much of what little space you have.

2. Ironing board

This is the most obvious item you will regret buying. You will regret buying an ironing board for so many reasons. The first reason you will regret buying an ironing board is that you will have no space for an ironing board to go. You have limited space in your dorm room and should make the most out of it by using the space for essentials and decorations, rather than an oddly shaped, bulky ironing board. Also, when are you going to iron your clothes? Between classes and extracurriculars, you are not going to have time to iron clothes. You may somehow have the time but you probably are not going to want to waste it ironing clothes in your small room. I keep emphasizing the size of dorm rooms because it plays a big role in what items you buy. Overall, there are easier and smaller options you could use instead of an ironing board.

I know most people also claim an iron is a waste of money for college but I do not necessarily agree with that. As I said before, you do not want to waste the free time you have ironing clothes. However, I ended up needing it from time to time and had to ask around my dorm and hope someone had one. I still avoided the ironing board and brought this pad that allows me to iron clothes on any surface. I personally do not recommend steamers because they do not work for me but I know a lot of people who used those in replace of an iron and ironing board.

Overall, an ironing board takes up too much room to bring and you should look for an alternative that takes up less room and, possibly, less time.

3. Printer

I am so glad I decided to steer clear from buying a printer. I thought I needed one because I wouldn't want to walk to the library or the closest computer lab and I wouldn't lose track of my papers. I was told countless times that having a printer in my dorm would be a waste and boy, were those people right. For instance, a girl who lived next to me brought a printer and ended up never using it because she ran out of paper, and it was nearly impossible to connect to the school's internet. My college gives me printer money every month, so I would be wasting more money. I do not have by buying a printer. Not to mention how much space printers take up and how much money they cost.

You can't just buy the printer by itself. You have to buy the ink and the paper as well, which is not cheap. At my house, any time we need printer ink, we would just buy a whole new printer or hope there was some form of sale. Even if your school does not give you a printing allowance or offer free printing, I do not recommend buying a printer for your dorm due to the costs.

4. Bed risers

I remember seeing bed risers all over the internet and how cool I thought they were. I mean, they raise your bed, and they have outlets?! Sadly, they aren't necessary for the dorm beds and will just be a waste of money. At most colleges, you can raise and lower the bed because, quite frankly, they are made to do that now. If you are not sure if the beds at your college do that, still hold off on buying bed risers until you move in. Otherwise, you could end up wasting money that no college student should be wasting. The bed risers with outlets appeared most appealing to me due to the lack of outlets in dorm rooms. However, the lack of outlets can be easily fixed with a couple of power strips. Overall, do not fall for it, bed risers aren't worth it.

5. Pots and pans

It is quite obvious that you would regret buying pots and pans, but people still do it. I promise you will not be cooking anything at your dorm building for multiple reasons. You may think you will end up cooking but you won't due to the lack of free time you will have and the lack of other kitchen appliances. My dorm building only provided an open and maybe a fridge in their common area. So, while you may have the ingredients, you won't be able to properly coom them all. Plus, the fridges in your dorm will have limited room for ingredients and, much less, meal prep. Basically, you will not have any room for pots and pans and you won't even be able to use them.

Although, I did end buying an extremely cheap baking pan so my roommate and I could bake cookies. So, if you do end up fiending over pots and pans, just wait to buy or bring them if you end up needing one.