After high school graduation, about 61.4 percent of students enroll in college for the following academic year in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these students choose to live on campus, which means moving out of one living space to another. College students have to buy a lot of items for their dorm room. During this stressful time, it is important that students and parents are purchasing the most necessary items that their students will find the most useful.
Depending on a student’s exact housing situation, some of the items I have compiled in this list aren’t needed. Since for a lot of colleges, first year students start off living at a traditional style dorm that includes a bedroom, no kitchen, and communal bathrooms, my list will be more catered towards that style of dorm. But overall, this list can be useful to all students living on campus and moving into a dorm for the first time.
Bedding, storage, bath, and electronics are the categories that will be my main focus for this list. Now, instead of reading blog posts from adults who may have graduated college many years ago, I decided that for the most updated and accurate list, I am taking advice from current college students on TikTok and Youtube.
The first item placed on this list is a Woozoo fan. I have seen this fan in almost every video I have watched. Dorm rooms tend to get very stuffy and hot during the warmer months, and this fan offers five different speeds and provides 360 oscillation to maximize cooling abilities. Sharing one room with up to three people in May or August when it is hot outside will make everyone wish they had a 360 oscillating fan. To tackle the stuffy issue, improve air quality, and overall health in general, many also recommend an air purifier. On the pricey side, Shark has an air purifier that does not need to be replaced for up to 6 years. Honestly, I don’t think that one is the most necessary to purchase. Any air purifier can help improve the air quality of your dorm.
Obviously, unless you already have a Twin XL, you could probably use your preexisting bedding, but if you don’t have that size bed, you will have to purchase new sheets, comforters, etc. Additionally, a mattress pad can be very helpful to ensure more comfort when getting a new bed. Those dorm beds aren’t the most comfortable and any mattress pad can help.
Storage items are the most important to pack. Dorm rooms aren’t very big, so getting items to maximize storage is needed. I saw many female students recommending a mirror that opens up and allows for storage of beauty items, jewelry, etc. An item that doubles as a mirror and shelving can definitely come in handy. Additionally, a rolling storage cart can be super useful, as it can easily move around the room, does not take up much space, can be used as a bedside cart, and provides storage for items like snacks, skin care, and anything else. Lastly for storage, any drawers or totes that fit under your bed are super convenient. Visibly this type of storage does not take up any room and will allow you to fit so many things you need like clothes and medical supplies under your bed.
College students always use a laptop and it is a given that you will need one. Any laptop will do the job, but more specifically a lot of students who study business suggest getting a Microsoft laptop rather than something like a macbook because they use excel sheets and other microsoft software all of the time. While you can use this on an Apple laptop, they may overheat and get glitchy since they are not actually Microsoft. Depending on what your school allows, extension cords or power strip towers are super helpful. You will need to plug in way more items than outlets your dorm room provides.
Lastly, if you are living in a dorm with communal bathrooms you will need a shower caddy. A plastic one will work the best, and avoid fabric to prevent mold. It will be so much easier to carry all of your toiletries and showering supplies in a caddy than any other way. Also, shower shoes are a given. I found many on Amazon that have drain holes in them so they can dry way quicker than a traditional flip flop. Since you will be going back and forth from your shower and your room, a robe will be super handy. Instead of trying to force clothes on your wet body in the shower stalls, a robe can allow you to dry off and get changed in your room instead if you prefer.
These are just the items I recommend based on videos I have watched. You should definitely do your own research as well depending on your living situation for college. The transition process from living at home to a dorm doesn’t have to be stressful as long as you come prepared.