20 college dorm room essentials you will use daily

College dorm room essentials

Do you want to know something that all students from any college around the world agree with?

College dorm rooms are tiny

This is a straight fact and you need to always have that in mind when you’re going to college. You want to pack only the things you need to save as much space as you possibly can.

I have spoken about everything you need to pack for college and today, I will be talking about the college dorm room essentials you need and will use EVERY SINGLE DAY. Before I share my top 20 dorm room essentials, let’s talk about the best places to get dorm stuff.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Best places to get Dorm stuff

There are so many stores and sites you can get dorm stuff from dorm room essentials to dorm room decors. Here are places I highly recommend you check first for the best items and great prices:

Dorm room essentials you need

Storage boxes

They come in different sizes and materials. I love the cotton or plastic ones. These are important for organizing tiny things like your socks and underwear to huge things like your towels and clothes. I have the ones with lids that I can easily stack up. You can easily fit them under your dorm bed and anything you put inside will be safe from dust and moisture. This particular storage box can be used as a stool as well so if you get this one, you don’t need to get a dorm chair.

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A power strip

Always go for the one that has a very long cord. If you have a lot of electronics, you will surely need a power strip so that you can charge multiple things at once. There is no such thing as having enough plugs.

Shower caddy

College bathrooms are not very big and that’s where a shower caddy comes in handy. Having a shower caddy will allow you to have all your shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and any other thing you need in the bathroom all in one place. It keeps everything organized. Always go for the one with holes under it so that water can drain from it easily.

Waterproof flip flops

Having good flip-flops will save you from slipping in this bathroom. There are so many out there but I always recommend the ones that are waterproof and yet stylish in a way that you can even wear them to class if you want to, like the Nike slides.

Shoe rack

Getting a shoe rack will help you to have all your shoes in one place and organized. They come in different forms and sizes but I suggest you get the one that can hold at least 8-10 pairs of shoes.

Portable speaker /headphones

You will think you don’t need one till you are about to do your dishes or laundry and you have nothing to entertain yourself with. Get yourself a speaker or headphones so that you could listen to your favorite song or podcast ( if you’re obsessed like me) while doing some chores. You will thank me later.

Laundry hamper

Having dirty clothes all over the place is one of the reasons dorm rooms look very untidy but with a laundry hamper, you will have all your dirty clothes in one place. Mine comes with side pockets which are nice because I get to keep my detergent there and two sturdy rope handles that allow me to carry everything at once without having to do multiple trips.

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An electric kettle

I just don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t have an electric kettle. There was a time the heaters in our bathroom had a problem so there was no hot water at all in the shower stalls. Fortunately, I had an electric kettle so every time I wanted to take a warm bath, I will heat water and turn it into a bucket and take it with me to the bathroom and fill the rest of the bucket with cold water. It could be a lifesaver during winter.

If you love taking tea or coffee always, having an electric kettle will allow you to quickly make a cup every time you want and save you the cost of buying it outside all the time.

Water filter

Having a water filter will save you from drinking dirty chlorinated water all the time especially when you have decided to stop spending so much on plastic bottle water.

Clorox wipes

Do you want to quickly disinfect? Clorox wipes are a must-have. You can easily clean items with it while disinfecting them at the same time because some things in college need quick disinfection before use, like the toilet seat.

Desk organizer

As someone that has an obsession with cute stationeries, a desk organizer has helped me a lot. I get to arrange all my pens, markers, sticky notes, and files neatly in one corner of my desk, thanks to a desk organizer.

Wastebasket

Having a wastebasket in your dorm room will result in having a very clean room because every piece of paper, bottle, and the chocolate wrapper will go into the wastebasket which can easily be emptied later.

Dish drainer

As long as you have utensils you use, a dish drainer comes in handy because you get to arrange all your plates, cups, and spoons all in one place after washing them. I won’t recommend using the one available in your kitchen because those are unhygienic and your things get missing easily. Get one and keep it in your dorm room.

CHECK OUT: 15 tips that will help you become a better student this year

Makeup organizer

You can’t always have your makeup products in a small makeup bag. Get a plastic makeup organizer and place all your makeup products on it. You will be able to find the product you need easier and quicker and if you have some extra space, you can use it to hold your jewelry. It could serve two purposes.

First aid kit

Having a first aid kit is very Essential. It should have your medications (if you’re on anything), some bandages, scissors, some paracetamol, and much more. There are quite a few pre-made ones available that are really good but you can easily make one yourself by adding all the things you think might come in handy.

Mattress topper

You deserve a good night’s sleep after a long day at school. Getting a mattress topper will make your dorm bed to the next level. Dorm room mattresses are very thin, hard, and uncomfortable so getting a good quality mattress topper like this one will have you sleeping like a baby with no deadlines every day.

Command hooks

Drilling holes into the wall is prohibited in most dorms. That’s where command hooks come into action. They are very easy to install and you can use them to hang your dorm room decors, indoor plants, and even your towels.

Dorm lock box

I don’t need to really explain why you need this but get a dorm lockbox. Dorm room theft is very common and with a dorm lock box, you can keep your most valuable items and even your important documents safe always.

Clear drawers

We love a versatile queen. Clear drawers are a great way to add more storage to your dorm room. You can keep your snacks, your papers, literally anything you want and because they are clear drawers, you can easily see and get what you want.

Final thoughts on dorm room essentials you will use daily

Being in college is fun and when you know little secrets like this, it makes life there easier and more exciting.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did while writing. I know you have a few more minutes to spare so check out these posts as well:

Are you going to college this year?

Did you get into your dream college? Let me know in the comments!

Comments

Deandra says

June 11, 2020 at 7:58 pm

I’ve never lived in a college dorm, but my friends did and I can agree that these are all very essential!

- rumaisah says
  
  June 14, 2020 at 5:54 pm
  
  Girl life during my first year was awful. I am glad I will be able to help the freshers with this post. thanks for reading.

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