It's that time of year again: College time! Only a few weeks away, college is the perfect getaway from the hum-drum life of work, a monotonous hometown, and an excuse to see your best friends from last year. Although getting ready sounds exciting, it's pretty difficult if you don't quite know where to start in packing! Here are the top 10 items you will need when going off to college; they are in no particular order.

1. Laundry Hamper

This is very important for when you're doing your laundry for the first time or the hundredth. The laundry room may be on the first floor of your dorm building while your room is on the third (believe me, I know). Therefore, having a hamper will help keep your clean and dirty clothes organized and it's a great way of carrying your clothes to the laundry room without worry.

2. Vacuum Cleaner

I would suggest bringing a smaller one so that you don't have a really huge one taking up a lot of the space in your room. This is a great way of keeping your dorm floor clean at all times.

3. Mattress Pad

A lot of dorm beds and mattresses aren't very comfortable. A mattress pad will allow you to sink into the comforts of your mattress after a long day of classes without worrying about hurting your back in the process.

4. Shower Caddy

A great storage for all of your shower and toiletry needs! It's clean, affordable, and holds everything you need when going to take a shower.

5. Fan

Dorm rooms get pretty stuffy and hot. Sometimes, it's not always an option to open the windows and air out your room. With a fan, however, the room stays nice and cool and aired out at all times.

6. Hangers

This may not seem very obvious, but dorm rooms don't have hangers provided for their students! So, if you plan to bring a ton of clothing, hangers are a great way to stay organized without having to worry that half of your clothing will end up, eventually, on the floor.

7. Under-the-Bed Storage

The closets have minimal space for all of the clothing, towels, and other essentials that you're planning on bringing. Having extra boxes or storage trunks under the bed are a great way to keep yourself organized and your side of the room neat and tidy.

8. Mini-Fridge

Need I say more? A great place to store the extra food that you will be buying on or off campus.

9. Flip-Flops for the Shower

Even if you're living in a suite of 6 girls whom you know very well, flip flops help keep the inside of the shower clean and keep you from worrying about any foot fungus or germs that could be hiding.

10. Full-Length Mirror

A great way to start off your day by posing in the mirror trying to figure out what to wear. Mirrors are essential at home, so they're going to be even more important when you're getting ready for that party or that interview.

See? It's not so bad! Just put these few items at the top of your list, and you'll be all set to start off a great year!