Dorm Room Essentials
I can’t believe it will be 5 short weeks before we are moving Jackson into his dorm room! Its been a whirlwind process. He switched schools in April and we have been like the blind leading the blind trying to navigate what to get, where to go, and who to talk to. We are so excited for him to head out to K-State and join the Air Force ROTC program. I have no clue what I am going to do this fall with only 1 kid at home! Expect to hear from me a lot more on here! HA!
Orientation helped answer a lot of questions but we still have a lot when it comes to getting him settled in. Lucky for me, I found some great resources…mainly my friends who have gone before me! Plus a few articles on what to bring and why. I will link them at the bottom so you can check them out as well.
Every kid is different. What works for us this year may not even work for kid 2 in a couple of years. That’s ok! There are quite a few “essentials” that I heard over and over again when I asked around. I feel like these are the must haves if you can swing them. Here are the top 12 things I heard were essential to moving into the dorms:
An alarm clock is essential to your dorm room for making it to class and activities on time. Save space by using one like this with white noise, a high-quality Bluetooth dual speaker, and a night light. Plus it has a dimming feature on the display and a sleep timer for sounds.
This mattress topper has a removeable cover, straps to help hold it in place, and is made with a gel memory foam. This is one item I made sure to budget for because, lets face it, dorm beds typically don’t offer a lot of support.
Many dorms now have bottle filling stations at water fountains but that can be inconvenient when you need a drink late at night. Even if you have a sink in your room, it may not taste the greatest. Grab a water filter pitcher like this to easily refill your water bottles.
Over and over again, I have heard that a laundry hamper on wheels is a must. It makes it so much easier to head to the dorm laundry without having to transfer clothes. This slim design wont take up too much space but is tall enough to hold more than a single load of laundry.
Even if you know and like your roommate, you don’t always know who all will be in your space while you are out of the room. Keep your valuables safe with a personal lockbox like this one.
There are never enough outlets! Plus, if your bed is bunked or lofted, you will need an easy way to plug in your phone or laptop without having to climb under stuff. This version features USB ports as well as outlets and can be mounted along a wall.
I liked this fan because it has the option to clip on or be a tabletop fan on a desk. Either way, a small fan is a must for keeping air circulating in your space, especially if your bed is lofted. One of our friends just finished her freshman year and said “If he doesn’t already, get him a clip on fan for his bed! I wouldn’t have gotten any sleep without it!”
When I asked friends for suggestions on what to get, this was the #1 reply! It was also recommended to leave a couple with them so they can move some items back at holidays as needed. I like these ones because they have multiple handle points, are a decent size, and zip closed to keep everything secure.
There are a lot of different shower caddy options to keep all your shower items together but I really liked this one because it can hang inside the shower! Even if you have a suite with a shower, you may not have space to keep everyone’s supplies in the shower all at once. Zippered organizers like this make bringing items home on weekends or holidays a breeze too.
Make studying from bed or community spaces easier with a lap desk. This one has a wrist cushion that helps keep items from sliding into your lap and a phone holder.
We will be trekking stuff up the 8th floor and parking for his dorm isn’t super close. Having a moving dolly, especially one that folds up small, will help us get things like a fridge up to his room more easily.
While RA’s or the front desk at most dorms will have bandaids, they may not always be available. Many moms recommended having a first aid kit with the basics, but to also include meds like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, allergy or cold meds, antacids, etc. You can also find boxes with individually packaged meds to round out their supply. This was actually one of the first things I started researching for before I ever even asked around on what to get because I know how important it is to have meds on hand.
I took all the items that moms, friends and online lists shared and pulled them into one “essentials” list for you to use! Please feel free to share the link with friends who have kiddos heading to college for the first time.
This list can seem overwhelming but many of the items can be split between roommates/suite-mates, or might be provided by your school. One of the things that I heard from a lot of moms was “less is more”. Yes they need the basic but don’t stress on getting it all. They can share, make do, or purchase later if its something they really feel they need.
Amazon Prime Days is also coming up quick on July 16-17th and is going to have some awesome deals for college needs! Don’t have a Prime subscription?
Try Prime Free HERE
Make sure to check out these others links of dorm room lists for even more ideas:
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING - 40 BEST DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
LIVING LARGE IN A SMALL HOUSE BLOG - THE ULTIMATE CHECKLIST FOR COLLEGE FRESHMAN
COLLEGEBOARD.ORG - DORM PACKING CHECKLIST
I wish you all the best as you move your big kid in this fall! We got this mamas!!!
*friendly reminder that I may earn a tiny commission for purchases made using links on my site. Thanks for helping to fuel my coffee & amazon addiction!