For residential first year college students, shopping for college is both a blast and a hassle; they get to create their new style for their room and buy things to help them get through the first time they live on their own. On the other hand, they are dealing with trying to figure out what to bring and what not to, school limits and restrictions and wondering how much space they really have (Why schools haven't started putting dimensions of the rooms online, I'll never know).
So here is a list of Dos and Don’ts of what to bring to college
DON'T BRING:
T-shirts
I promise you that you will either be given a bunch of free t-shirts from clubs and organizations or you will buy shirts from the school store (everyone does).
DVDs/CDs
If you ever get the time to watch a movie (or decide to blow off homework to “relax”), you’re probably going to pick something off of Netflix/Hulu/Amazon anyway, so don’t waste your space on DVDs. As to CDs, who really listens to them anymore? Between YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play and all of the others, CDs are just a hassle to deal with. If your music is that important to you (as mine is to me), download it on your computer before you leave for college.
Iron & Ironing Board
Unless you are really serious about wrinkles in your clothes or you have a lot of fancy/expensive clothes, don’t waste your space with this. You are not going to want to waste the time of going through your laundry after it’s done to iron. Laundry day is difficult enough with fighting over washer/dryers with the rest of your floor, ironing will just not get done. Alternative: A handheld steamer for those few items/occasions when you probably should have a non-wrinkled shirt (aka interviews).
A printer
If you have one, great. If you don’t, don’t spend money on one. The ink and paper will become an extra expense that you really don’t want to have to make, especially when your school probably (definitely) has printers in the library that are either free/included in tuition, or that you can use. Personally, my school gives students $20 a semester for printing and it only costs $0.05 per page to print (almost everyone I knew had money left on their library account by the end of the year).
Bed risers:
Most beds can already be adjusted to rise the mattress and have under-bed storage, or the school provides loft kits that are compatible with the school’s furniture.
Shoe Organizer
No one ever ends up using these. Obviously women (or men) who really love shoes will probably need one, but most students won’t. They just get in the way, especially when most rooms only have the one door to hang it over, or the organizer is too awkward in size to hide away.
DO BRING:
Water filter & Reusable bottles
No one wants to have to walk down the hall to the kitchen/water-fountain fifteen times a day for water, and no one wants to kill the earth with a bunch of plastic water bottles. By purchasing a Brita water jug and filter and a reusable water bottles, you’re saving time, money, and energy.
Rug
Warning: dorm carpets are disgusting. Rooms are typically carpeted or hardwood/tile and both are disgusting. The carpet is uncomfortable to sit or lay on, and hardwood/tile is typically cold; by bringing a cute, soft rug, you’re decorating your room and creating a comfortable space to sit on the floor.
SHOWER SHOES & SHOWER CADDY
This will be the best purchase you ever make for college. Not only do you have to share a bathroom with the rest of your hall/wing (if you’re lucky enough to get a private bathroom your first year, everyone who has shared a college bathroom envies you), but you have to carry your stuff down the hall. Your life will be 200 time easier if you have a caddy to carry all of your stuff, and you will thank yourself for the shower shoes that will avoid the disgusting bathroom gunk.
Cleaning Supplies
Mom and Dad aren’t there to clean up after you, so you’re going to have to do it yourself. You are a lot messier than you think you are, and your room will probably smell a little bit. Do yourself a favor and purchase some trash bags, dish soap and sponge, laundry detergent, and Clorox wipes (you will make a mess that you will have to clean up, I guarantee it).
Medicine
I think this one is kind of a no-brainer, but some people forget. Obviously if you are on prescribed medication, bring that with you. But also bring some Motrin/Tylenol for everyday aches and pains, some Band-Aids and healing ointment, a small bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, and vitamins. Keeping yourself from getting sick is one of the best things you can do for yourself at school (your grades will reflect your sickness).
Extension cords/ power strips
As far as my room goes, this was the best thing I ever brought to school. I chose to loft my bed the first year, so my phone charger did not reach my bed. Like everyone else, I like to play on my phone before I go to bed, so I combated my bed’s height by using an extension cord to reach my bed. Ironically, I had to plug the extension cord into a power strip because there are just never enough outlets. Buy a power strip or two and save yourself some frustration.
Stepstool
Dorm rooms don't have a lot of space, but if you use the height to your advantage, you can make the small space work. Obviously people blessed with height probably won't need one of these, but anyone under 5'5 probably will to be able to reach the top of the closet.
***Microwaves
A lot of colleges don’t want students bringing in their own microwaves because they are a fire hazard. If there are restrictions by your school, pay extra attention to those items. Personally, my school doesn’t allow students to bring in their own, but we are able to rent a microwave/fridge combo for the year, so see if your college offers that.
Good luck shopping incoming freshman!
