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Student Life

11 Dorm Necessities, Do Yourself A Favor And Prevent The Struggle

It's not as overwhelming as it seems!

Bailey Beauchamp

Mar 12, 2019

Florida State University

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Moving out of your childhood home and then moving into your first college dorm can make you feel SO MANY emotions! You're excited to finally begin "adulting," nervous about having to do everything yourself and scared about being alone. BUT, the college experience will truly be the best few years of your life if you let it be! Moreover, dorm life is honestly such an amazing experience. You get to make new friends who are going through the same experience as you and you really get to know your college campus.

From my experience, college freshmen either buy way too much for their dorm and end up having no space for everything they bought, or they don't have enough and are left needing certain things. Here are a few things that you will definitely need to make the most of your space in your college dorm!

1. Storage, storage, storage!

Dorms are incredibly small and having only half of a tiny room means you need to make the most of the space you have. You are going to need some sort of large, plastic storage container. I used two plastic three-tier drawers! You can order these from Amazon, Target or Walmart for super cheap.

If you are someone who has 20 pairs of shoes that you have to have, consider getting an over-the-door organizer or a shoe rack!

2. Hangers.

For some reason, when I moved into my dorm I realized I completely forgot to buy hangers for clothes! If you have a lot of clothes you may want to look into hangers that can hold multiple pieces of clothing.

3. Bed linens.

This includes a comforter, sheets, pillows, and an extra blanket! This one is pretty obvious, but I would recommend buying two sets of sheets so it can be easier to rotate them around.

*ALSO* be sure to check the size of your dorm bed, some are a twin and some are twin-extra-long!

4. Your favorite outfits.

Don't go crazy with the number of clothes you get! Firstly, there isn't a lot of space for your clothes. Secondly, you will get an insane amount of free t-shirts during your first semester, so you need to save room.

5. Laundry basket.

Be mindful of the size and shape! You want it to be a good size, but nothing too big and bulky.

TIP: Look for something easy to carry or with handles because you'll be carrying this too and from the laundry room!

6. Pictures and/or decorations that spark joy for you.

This one is so important. After a long day of studying, it's almost a breath of fresh air to be able to see pictures of your friends and family or your favorite quote hanging on your dorm wall.

It also makes the bland room a little less bland!

7. Towels.

Two or three towels will be perfect!

8. Bathrobe.

This is nice, especially if you have roommates or your dorm is cold.

9. Over-the-door mirror!

This is so easily stored and you will honestly use it so much! Mirrors also make spaces seem bigger.

10. Shower curtain and shower curtain liner!

This is something that you might not think about, but if you have a bathroom in your dorm, it will not come with a shower curtain! Make sure you get this!

11. A rug!

Rugs can make your dorm seem brighter and more like home. Plus, it's nice to have your feet hit a rug when you wake up in the morning rather than cold, tile!

Hold off on things like an alarm clock, desk lamp, and TVs until you get there and see what you need! I've had a desk lamp for three years and have yet to use it. Make the most of your space and enjoy your time in college, it goes by so quick!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

11 Dorm Necessities, Do Yourself A Favor And Prevent The Struggle

It's not as overwhelming as it seems!

1. Storage, storage, storage!

2. Hangers.

3. Bed linens.

4. Your favorite outfits.

5. Laundry basket.

6. Pictures and/or decorations that spark joy for you.

7. Towels.

8. Bathrobe.

9. Over-the-door mirror!

10. Shower curtain and shower curtain liner!

11. A rug!

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10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

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