10 Things You Forgot You Needed For College | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

10 Things You Forgot You Needed For College

Trust me, you'll want these.

43
10 Things You Forgot You Needed For College
wikipedia commons

Moving away from home and into a dorm is a big step on the journey into adulthood and independence. In the hustle and bustle that becomes your packing and moving experience, you will mostly likely remember the basics like sheets, towels and toothpaste. However, there are a few odds and ends that you'll want to have that you may either totally forget about, or decide that you don't want to spend the money on (and are very mistaken).

1. A box fan

Put this in your window and have the closest thing to air conditioning when it's eighty five and you just want to relax but the whole world is a melting puddle of homesickness, emotion and sweat.

2. Q-Tips

Did you think that maybe you'd want to clean your ears out eventually? No, probably not, you were too busy thinking about which comforter at Bed, Bath, and Beyond was the cutest.

3. A mattress pad

Okay, maybe this one was just me, but I basically went into college pretending like it was going to be a really long summer camp and refused to spend the money on a quality mattress pad, and then it was March and my back hurt a lot. Seriously, the fifteen dollar one probably makes your wallet feel better, but I'd invest in this particular dorm necessity; you'll thank yourself later.

4. A lint roller

Because you never know until it's too late and covered in pills of lint.

5. Sunscreen and bug spray

We forget sometimes that the things we use at home that are stored away in the linen closet aren't just down the hall in the residence halls.

6. A pencil sharpener

You can find a several staplers on every floor of every building, and your colored pens are great, sure, but try finding a pencil sharpener that actually works when you can't keep scratching out chemistry formulas in your notebook and need a utensil that can actually be erased.

7. An umbrella

Preferably a small one that can be stored in your backpack because, yes, it does rain in college, despite what they show you on the brochures.

8. One pair of nice shoes

Heels or dress shoes, something. You will need them at some point, for an interview, for a formal. And if you like to wear slacks, remember to bring a dress belt as well that matches your shoes.

9. Denture cleaner

Hear me out. You can use it to clean your retainers (which you should also bring because you definitely wear them every night, right?), and it also works well to clean jewelry when you need to give your earrings their shine back.

10. Dryer sheets

I don't really care if you spent the money on those little balls that look like puffer fish that work like dryer sheets, or if you think you won't need the fabric softening power and delightful smell that they bring to your sheets and sweatshirts. Have some dryer sheets, because you can use them for your laundry, for inside your shoes if your (or your friend's!) feet smell, and you can rub them on the mosquito bites you'll get if you forget bug spray i recommended to help them stop itching.

I'm sure there are more odds and ends that you'll forget that I didn't, or that I forgot and then forgot to put on this list. Happy packing! Good luck at school!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

586
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

499
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1189
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

2448
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments