Imagine, if you will, that you are a high school senior. You have just graduated with plans on attending your university of choice, but before going off to college you have the entire summer to do whatever it is you do. All of a sudden its the end of July and your scrambling through online checklists and pinterest recommendations on what to pack. While all of these checklists are helpful, they often have things that you will never need or even use. They will sit in the package never to be opened. Lucky for you, I have compiled the top 10 things that I used my freshman year of college (not in order of importance).
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1. Twin Bed Spread
I would wait until its about a week out from school to buy this particular product. You will need sheets for your bed without a doubt, but you may not need an XL set. I know I bought an XL and it ended up being way too long! Make sure you buy something comfy for what little time you will spend in your bed.
2. Clothes Basket
You may think that this is a no brainer, but the type of clothes basket you take could influence the amount of space in your room. I prefer a standing basket, however you could also get a folding or over the door laundry basket. The over the door laundry basket could save you room if your room is especially small. There are also many other things you could use instead of a "traditional" laundry basket.
3. Shoe Organizer
Shoe organizers are not just for girls and could save you a lot of space! These shoe organizers can be hung on the back of your door or even in your closet. They can be used to hold your shoes, keep your cleaning supplies, or even act as a cabinet for your snacks! There are lots of things you can do with shoe organizers.
4. Extra Chargers
Between going to the library, classes, work, school activities, and late nights out you will test the limits of yourself and your phones battery. You may need to charge your phone more often then you do now, so you will need to take your phone charge every you go! That means that your more likely to loose it though, so having extra chargers for your phone or even your laptops will save you from running to your dorm because your battery is about to die.
5. Small Fan
If you are a hot person, like myself, then you need a fan running at all times. If your living in a dorm room then you don't have room for a huge box fan like you want. I highly recommend getting a small desk fan and aiming it at your face when you sleep. It may not cool down your entire room, but it will keep you cool at night while you sleep.
6. Clorox and Baby Wipes
Now that you are living by yourself (or with a roommate), your mom isn't going to clean your room for you. You now have to do it yourself and it should be much easier because you have a very small room. You can clean about 95% of your room with Clorox Wipes. It's a fast and easy way to make your room smell good and stay clean. You will also want to get some baby wipes. They are awesome for when you need to wipe off your hands (or maybe you spilled tea on your self for the 5th time in 10 minutes). They are much better for your skin then hand sanitizer or even washing with soap and it cleans just as well. Just don't confuse the two or you will have a bad time!
7. Command Hooks
Your going to want to decorate your room with posters, paintings, or even pictures and your not going to be able to use nails. Command Hooks will be the best things you ever bought. You can also use them to hang up lights if you so choose.
8. HDMI and Ethernet Cord
Because I play video games I already had a few HDMI cords. Even if you don't play video games there are other uses for the HDMI cord. You can plug your laptop up into your TV and watch movies or television shows on a bigger screen. I didn't have an Ethernet cable though. I didn't think I needed the Ethernet cable, but it turns out that the only way for me to hook up my PS4 to the wifi is if I use an Ethernet cable. It also comes in handy if your in the library with your laptop because the connection speed is much faster with an Ethernet cable then with wifi. They even come in fun colors!
9. Mini Fridge
This is one of the most useful things you will buy. I always had things in my mini fridge such as water, yogurts, puddings, or even leftovers from going out to eat or from my mother. If your school, like mine, only has two meals on the weekends or doesn't really have food during holiday breaks then you will definitely need to invest in a mini fridge. It could even save you money if somewhere you can use a microwave or, on rare occasions, find a stove to cook some food. It can also keep you healthier if you like to eat snacks throughout the day because you can keep fresh fruits and veggies in your fridge.
10. Pictures
Bring pictures of friends, family, or trips you have taken is great for two reasons. It makes your dorm feel more like home and it's a great conversation starter. It also tells a story of who you are.
There are many other things that you should take with you that are not on this list, but this is the top 10 things that I used my first year of college. I have learned from my mistakes and I hope that you do too!
