College Dorm Necessities: Things to Take to College

When getting ready for college, many students wonder what college dorm necessities they will need. Making sure you have the right things to take to college will help you be more comfortable in a college dorm. It is an exciting time in life to move to college and being prepared with the right college dorm necessities can make the college life experience more enjoyable.

Here is a checklist of things to take to college:

1. School Supplies: You are going to college to learn, so school supplies is one of the most important things to take to college. Be prepared with notebooks, binders, pencils, colored pencils, a calculator, pens, and a black marker. You may also want to get a small school planner to help you organize class times and your assignments. You will also need a strong, sturdy backpack for carrying your school supplies around.

2. Mini-Fridge and/or Microwave: Campus food can be hard to come by late at night or on weekends. A mini fridge and a microwave can make it possible for you to keep leftovers and reheat them or even get easy to prepare meals such as Ramen Noodle Soups (one of the "true" college necessities!) and other foods. Since this is something that will likely be shared, check with your roommate to see if they would want to split the cost with you.

3. Bedding: You will need everything to make your college bed more comfortable, since a good night's sleep is important for getting good grades! Some of the college dorm necessities for bedding include: foam pad to make the bed softer, a fitted sheet, regular sheet, and comforter or blanket. You will also need pillows. Check with your room mate to see what kind of bedding they will want to get, so you can both coordinate your colors if you want.

4. Lighting: Most college dorms only have one overhead light. To help with late night study sessions while the other room mate is sleeping, consider bringing small desk/end table lamps and/or a book light. You could even opt to use Christmas lights strung around the room.

5.Toiletries: You will most likely need to shower while at college, so these are very important things to take to college. Make sure you have an easy to carry and store bath caddy, towels, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush or comb, deodorant, make-up, and any other personal items you may use regularly. A pair of flip-flops is also recommended for showering since you will likely be sharing the showers with the other people on your floor.

6. Alarm Clock: Having an alarm clock is essential, since there will be no one around to make sure you are awake for class. If you have a cell phone, you can use that as an alarm clock, however it never hurts to have a good back-up in case you accidentally hit the snooze button.

7. A computer: A computer is another college dorm necessity. I suggest buying an affordable lap top if you can, as this will give you much more freedom than a desk top. You will use the computer for everything from typing up papers to researching, and it can save you valuable time instead of having to wait at the school's computer labs. It can also be a great source of entertainment, as you can download videos, music and more and keep in touch with friends and family through email.

8. Light cleaning supplies: It's easy for a college dorm room to get pretty dirty pretty quickly. Make sure you have a dust pan, broom, Windex, and paper towels on hand. You may want to consider getting a small lightweight vacuum if you have carpeting.

9. Clothes: While this might seem obvious, you will want to make sure you have the right clothes for college. You should have at the bare minimum 4 pairs of pants, 5 t-shirts, 5 long sleeved shirts, two sweatshirts or sweaters, and a jacket. You will also need around 10 pairs of socks and underwear. You may want to bring one or two "dressy" outfits, since they may be needed for job interviews, class speeches, or other occasions. You should also bring 2-3 pairs of shoes.

10. Laundry Supplies: Chances are you will need to do laundry at college a few times. You should have a small bottle of detergent, a stain remover such as Shout, quarters, and a laundry basket. You may also want to consider getting a small iron and ironing board, though that is not a college dorm necessity.

11. First Aid Kit: You will want to make sure you have the basics for a first aid kit: Band-aids, antibacterial cream, Tylenol or ibuprofen, and of course any vitamins or medications you take regularly. You may also want to consider including cold medicine since it is likely you will catch at least one cold while staying in a college dorm.

This list of things to take to college and college dorm necessities should help you be prepared to have an enjoyable college dorm experience. While there may be other college dorm necessities you may want to consider, this basic list of things to take to college should be everything you need to start off your semester the right way.