Dorm Must Haves

Coming from the person who took two trucks FILLED TO THE BRIM of crap to school, yes I was the girl that everyone talked about as bringing in wayyyy too much crap- one guy made the comment “does she think all of this will fit in there?” and another “does she know how small these rooms are?” Yes, yes I know how small the rooms are, and yes all of my crap fit into my room. A semester and a half in, and heres what I’ve realized are essentials to your room and what you can leave behind.

MUST HAVES:

· A throw blanket, or two. As someone who gets cold easily and friends who are the same way, an extra blanket is essential to have laying around for the friend who gets cold as soon as she comes into your room.

· A husband pillow. You know, those large pillows with the arms on the side. These are so important if you do your work on your bed like I do.

· A whiteboard. As someone who learns from writing things a million times, whiteboard and dry erase markers are my go to study tool.

· Shower shoes. An obvious choice, but I knew people who forgot them or ones who didn’t know how nasty rooms got.

· Snacks.For when you don’t feel like going to dinner, or the midnight snack, food is a must have. The ramen stereotype is all too real.

· Melatonin. For the night when your roommate snores just a little too loud or when you have an exam the next day that you just cant stop thinking about.

· A comfy mattress pad. Some people don’t realize how awful college beds are. I can assure you, my tempur-pedic mattress pad was one of the best investments for my room.

· A robe. Robes make it so much easier than hoping your towel doesn’t fall off when making that awkward trip back to your room.

· Under bed storage. As someone whose room doesn’t include a dresser, under the bed drawers are a must have. I have 12, 4 rows of 3 stacked on each other, and they are a life saver. Some are for food, and some are for my clothes.

· Bed risers.If you want to fit anything under your bed, risers are a must.

· A first aid kit. Include things like band-aids, aspirin, Benadryl, allergy pills, and Mucinex.

· Cleaning supplies.Paper towels, Clorox wipes, a vacuum/Swiffer. Even if your school has maintenance that cleans a little like my school does, you’re gonna want to clean up the drink you spilled, or the crumbs on the floor when the accident occurs.

LEAVE ME HOME:

· your entire closet. Despite what you might think, the likelihood of you wearing that maxi dress is very slim. You don’t need every pair of shoes you own or that shirt you’ve worn once. I also recommend going more comfy rather than dressy- sure bring some fancy things, but you’re not going to wear a skirt and blouse to every class.

· Valuables. Leave your nice purse at home, and your good jewelry. You might trust your roommate, but do you trust her friends you’ve never met or maintenance?

· Make-up. I’m not saying don’t bring anything, but you don’t need the lipstick you bought two years ago that you never wear anymore, nor do you need three mascaras. It just takes up valuable space.

· Every piece of décor that you see. I went shopping to get décor, and I brought stuff from home. Though I wanted my room to look cute, I only had so much space to use before it got too crammed. Bring pictures, wall items, and things to put on your desk sure, but don’t over do it.

· Things you never used at home. If it wasn’t integral to your life back home, chances are it wont be in college. Don’t bring something just in case you need it if you never used it in the first place.

Two things that I think are important to me but are in no way “essential” are my polaroid camera and my gold fish. Okay, my fish died a few months ago, BUT they were a huge topic of conversation the first few weeks of school, plus everyone thinks they’re cool and people would come visit them all the time. It was a fun time. Rest in peace Iggy and George, we miss you. My polaroid on the other hand, lets me update my room all the time, because I tape every picture I have on my wall. It also is a great way to capture memories.