As the end of high school approaches, many students, especially seniors, are beginning to feel immense amounts of nostalgia, joy, excitement and nervousness. In these coming months, many exciting things are happening for seniors. Decision day, prom, senior barbecue and of course, graduation.
But these students aren’t just thinking about the end of high school, they are thinking about the beginning of college. A new chapter and a fresh start. What better to begin that life with than some brand new necessities for a future college dorm?
The first thing on many new college students’ wishlists: a Woozoo fan. You may be wondering, “why do I need a fan since my college dorm will most likely have air conditioning?”
Pause there. Many old dorm buildings actually don’t offer air conditioning, so a fan could be your new best friend. A Woozoo is small, quiet and offers powerful airflow to small, cramped spaces. You can get this fan on Amazon, but Costco offers a better deal.
Another thing is a nice big, hefty laundry bag. Yes, you should obviously get a laundry bag for college, but you should highly consider investing in a better quality one. It can also serve as a hamper. You can get a nice quality laundry bag anywhere, but a more specific bag many could benefit from, The Hulken, is a rolling grocery bag, laundry bag or even just a regular moving bag. It is heavy duty with lots of space, as well as being available in multiple sizes: small, medium and large.
Good for storing all your favorite snacks and drinks, a mini fridge could be considered an essential item for your dorm. You could even share with your roommate to secure that friendship. The Nostalgia 6-Can Cooling and Heating Mini Fridge is a good choice if you’re looking to keep it on the smaller side, and the Frigidaire Retro Bar Fridge if you want a more aesthetically pleasing, stylish look.
An item that is arguably the most important for your college years is a mattress topper. You don’t want a crusty, firm mat to sleep on for the next 9-10 months do you?
Investing in a mattress topper would not only improve your sleep, but give you some peace of mind that there’s a layer of personal space between you and the last 20 people that slept on that same mat. Some good choices would be the ViscoSoft Select High Density Mattress Topper from Amazon or Walmart and the LUCID 4″ Down Alternative and Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper from Amazon.
Are you someone who tends to wake up a little later? Do you doubt you’ll be able to make it to the dining hall in the morning before class? A coffee machine could be the thing for you.
A highly rated, small and easily transportable machine is the Keurig K-Mini mate, coming in multiple fun colors as well. Another option is the Amaste Drip Coffee Machine. A small at home coffee bar could make or break your mornings.
Looking to add a little life to your room? A quick and fun way to spice up your dorm room would be adding some wall decor. Some ideas include fake vines, fairy lights and wall prints. You can get most of these things from Amazon or Target, but you can also print out some wall prints from FreePrints and UPS.
You can also stop by your local Goodwill and rummage around for some cute, retro picture frames to repaint and put cute photos of home into.
Additionally, most dorms won’t allow you to have an open flame, so a candle warmer could be a nice substitute to keep the room smelling nice. There are many different kinds of designs on Amazon.
This last item is a fun arts and craft project, but it is a must have for those who are worried about homesickness. Get together with your friends before you all leave for college, and make a college cork board. Use a cork board, pins and momentoes to create a cute board to look back to while at college. You can add cute stickers, photos of you and your friends/family, a smaller version of your school flag and anything else you think would be fitting!
Before you know it, move-in day for college freshmen will be right around the corner, so use this list to help you pack and start planning now.
