Starting college is definitely an overwhelming, yet super exciting step to make! There are so many things to prepare for, physically and mentally.
Since moving out of your parents home for the first time, and living somewhere on your own, can definitely be overwhelming, I wanted to make sure that you are organized in mind as possible and made this dorm room essentials list with all of the stuff you should take to college!
Let’s get started!
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DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
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COLLEGE PACKING CHECKLIST
BEDDING DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
I can’t imagine going through college without a comfortable mattress topper!
Let’s face it, dorm room beds are just NOT comfortable. Make sure you get that good night sleep with a high quality, comfy mattress topper!
Not many people think about the fact that your dorm’s bed mattress has been there for YEARS.
And without sounding disgusting, you don’t really want to think about what that mattress has been through over the years.
I highly recommend getting a mattress protector, putting it over your bed’s mattress, and then on top of it putting the mattress topper.
I love this bed sheets set from Amazon. They are high quality, soft, and also pretty affordable. Plus, they come in multiple colors!
As I always say, your bed is the biggest piece of furniture in your bedroom (and especially in a dorm), and it’s the first thing you/people look at when they walk in!
That’s why it’s (design-wise) SUPER IMPORTANT to create a beautiful bed space in your dorm, with a unique headboard and a beautiful bedding set.
BTW, this smart headboard from PBteen includes a USB port and a 3 prong plug-in, making it perfect to charge your devices close to you!
As I said, your bed should be decorated beautifully, since it’s the biggest piece of furniture in your dorm.
You can’t go wrong with a beautiful bedding set to decorate your dorm! It can make a HUGE difference, and definitely add to your aesthetic.
I am no longer a student, but as someone who works from home, and LOVES working from bed sometimes, I can’t not recommend getting a backrest pillow for your bed!
These relaxing backrest pillows are so comfy, and give you enough back support to comfortable be on your laptop in bed, do homework, or just chill with your laptop!
I love decorating my bed with beautiful cozy throw pillows! You can either get cute throw pillows, or use beautiful throw pillow covers for your existing throw pillows.
I’m a HUGE throw blankets lover, and I love feeling cozy while snuggling with a comfy blanket.
Even now when I am writing this, I am all snuggled up with a soft throw blanket.
Anyways, you can’t go wrong with a soft cozy throw blanket to chill with!
If you don’t have a night stand next to your bed, or if you don’t feel like getting a nightstand, but do want to have some surface next to your bed, you can’t go wrong with the BedShelfie!
It’s a bed side shelf that easily connects to your bed, and you can use it for extra space for your phone, cup of tea, etc.
CLOSET DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
Let’s start with a game changer – velvet hangers! I swear your life will split into two, life before velvet hangers and life after getting them.
I don’t know about you, but my closet used to get messy on a weekly basis because clothes will fall off my regular hangers when looking for clothes.
And these velvet hangers are a game changer, because your clothes won’t fall off with them!
Magic Space Saving Hangers are the perfect solution for maximizing your closet space, especially for dorm rooms that usually have small closets.
Basically, with these hangers you can hang like 5 different shirts, and it will only take space of one!
This accessories hanger is the perfect accessories organizer for scarves/belts/hats/jewelry/etc, in your small dorm room closet.
It is super convenient, and only takes space of one hanger, while holding all of your accessories!
Some dorm room closets are open, and don’t have a door at all. I have no idea why it’s like that, but it can definitely make the room much messier if your closet isn’t store-organized looking.
I highly recommend getting a tension rod, and a nice black-out curtain, to hide your stuff and close your closet.
If you have shelves in your dorm closet, I recommend utilizing that space with storage pins, so you can fit more things.
It will make your dorm look much nicer and organized, and you can fit more things in your closet!
Maximize your closet space with a shoe rack! Usually shoes can get messy in your closet just thrown on the floor, so having a shoe rack can definitely help with that.
Also, as a shoes addict myself, I know how you are probably thinking – “what?? only 2 tires??”, but don’t worry in college you’ll need much less shoes than you think, so this will be perfect!
A full-length mirror is a must-have for any bedroom, and especially for a dorm room!
You’ll definitely want and need a mirror for seeing your outfit before you leave, to get ready for college parties/in the mornings, and of course – for the mirror selfies!!
Though having an over-the-door mirror is EVEN BETTER, because it won’t take nay space, and it’s super convenient and dorm room friendly.
For the jewelry loving girlies, I love this over-the-door jewelry organizer mirror!
It’s the perfect way to both organize your jewelry and makeup, without it taking space in your dorm, and also having a full-length mirror!
I love having a mini steamer with me. Some clothes get wrinkled after laundry, or just sometimes you find a wrinkly shirt you really wanted to wear.
In any case – a mini steamer is definitely one of the most convenient dorm room essentials!
KITCHEN DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
If you want to have food and eat in your dorm room, having a mini fridge can come in very handy 😉
Since storage and organization space is tight in a dorm, it’s nice to maximize your storage space.
This over-the-fridge organizer gives you small extra places to store things like spices/sauces/silverware/etc.
Diversify your food options by having a microwave in your dorm!
You can make easy and delicious microwave meals in your dorm, and have more options for what to eat 😉
As a coffee lover, I can’t imagine not having a coffee maker in my dorm.
But beyond my love for coffee, having a mini coffee maker in your dorm can come in very handy during long school days and finals season 😉
For a dorm dinnerware set I have two recommendations.
The first one is getting these 50 cents plastic dishes from Target. They are great for dorm rooms!
I actually have a TikTok video about them that went viral, and then I found out there are mixed opinions about them.
But in my experience, they are perfect for dorm rooms, and even if they stain after 1-2 years, you can get them again. They are very nice and super cheap 🙂
But, if you don’t like plastic dishes, I highly recommend this affordable ceramic dinnerware set from Target as well!
It comes with different sized plates and bowls, and they make the perfect dinnerware set for dorms.
Since I don’t like and won’t encourage using disposable dishes on a daily basis (who will save Earth if not us??), I highly recommend getting a silverware set.
It’s a nice and affordable set, I have the same one at home in rose gold, and I highly recommend them!
Also, it’s nicer to eat food with actual silverware and not with disposable silverware that can break when you bite it 😉
BATHROOM DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
Having a mesh shower caddy is definitely a smart choice!
Usually the plastic caddies retrain the water, and then you will probably carry your shower water to your dorm and get your floor wet.
So, a mesh shower caddy can be an awesome choice (beyond the fact that you can hang it anywhere in the shower).
One of the best college tips I can give you, is to use a towel wrap!
As you can assume, with a towel wrap you don’t need to hold your towel on you, and it’s just much more convenient and easy.
You can either get a regular towel wrap, or get a cute personalized towel wrap from Etsy! The price different isn’t big, and I think it’s much nicer to have a cute towel
If you want to have some extra bath towels just in case, I highly recommend this great bath towels set from Amazon!
I am sure I am not the only one love spoiling herself with a soft bath robe after taking a shower.
So if you want to spoil yourself during college too, I highly recommend this soft quick-dry robe from PBteen!
As a long hair girlie, I love using a hair wrap towel for my hair every time I shower.
Beyond the fact that it dries my hair, I mainly love using it so it keeps my hair out of my face while I do my skincare routine/my makeup in the morning.
Having a makeup mirror in college is definitely one of the must-have dorm room essentials for the makeup loving girlies!
I LOVE this foldable LED makeup mirror from Amazon! It’s perfect because it won’t take up space like a standing makeup mirror, and it also lights up!
But, if you do want a standing makeup mirror, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this LED makeup mirror from Amazon as well.
Since dorms don’t offer way to many drawers and storage options, having a place for your makeup can be kind of tricky.
I love this makeup organizer from Amazon! You can put it on your dresser, or on your desk, and it will nicely organize all of your essentials.
One of the most important dorm room essentials in this post and in general is definitely shower flip flops!! You don’t want to step barefoot in those showers, I swear.
Moving on to a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, a must-have shower essential!
I am 100% I am not the only one who loves to blast out music when taking a shower, and I LOVE this JBL portable speaker that is also waterproof, and perfect for singing in the shower!
EXTRA DORM ROOM FURNITURE
Having a comfy desk chair is SO IMPORTANT for your college life. I can’t imagine sitting for hours doing homework/studying on an uncomfortable chair.
One of my favorite dorm room storage hacks is getting a storage ottoman. It’s a multi-purpose dorm room essential that isn’t only cute, but super practical and functional.
You can store in it shoes, towels, dry food, accessories, and random stuff, while it being a cute seating spot or can also be used as a stepping stool to reach higher places 😉
Having a storage cubes organizer under your bed is definitely the perfect way to maximize storage space in your dorm.
You can get this storage cubes organizer on Amazon, and a set of matching storage bins. This is perfect for organizing your belongings, whether it’s extra clothes/shoes/dry food/school supplies/etc.
DESK DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
I love getting cute desktop organizers and decorate my desk! I found this cute (and practical) round desktop pen holder organizer that is perfect for all of your pens, pencils, markers, highlighters – you name it.
Another option is this 2pcs pen holder cups set for the rose gold loving girlies!
Another dorm desk essential is a notebooks/files holder. I love this acrylic paper holder, because it takes up less space on the desk.
But this beautiful rose gold holder is nice as well and perfect for storing all of your notebooks and papers!
Moving on to another brilliant dorm room storage hack, is using an over-the-desk bookshelf to maximize organization space and make more room for your school supplies and belongings!
If you have a drawer in your desk, you gotta keep it organized for all of your school supplies!
I love organizing my desk drawer (or any drawer at my apartment actually) with drawer organizers.
LAUNDRY DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
Having a portable laundry basket in your dorm room is definitely a must-have for laundry days.
I recommend getting a wheeled laundry basket, but if you want things to be even easier and portable, you can’t go wrong with this laundry bag that also comes with space for your laundry products that you can easily carry around.
I highly recommend using liquid laundry detergent rather than pods in college.
Most college’s laundry machines aren’t that good, and having a liquid detergent makes things much easier!
If you want to avoid wrinkled clothes, you can’t go wrong with this wrinkle releaser spray!
You just spray it on your clothes, and it gets out all the wrinkles!
These mesh laundry bags are PERFECT for keeping your bras and underwear safe during the wash!
I LOVE having these Tide Sticks with me at all times. You never know when you are going to spill something on yourself, or if something happens.
They are actual LIFE SAVERS, and they perfect for just throwing in your purse and having them with you wherever you are!
CLEANING DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
TECH DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS
I think that a good laptop is an essential for anyone in college these days, or in general actually. It’s a great investment, that will be with you during college and beyond.
You can invest in a new MacBook, or find a different laptop under $500!
If you don’t feel like carrying a laptop around, another great option is getting an iPad instead of a laptop or in addition to it.
You can use it for school as notebooks and take notes, have your life organized in one place, and easily carry it anywhere you go!
You never know where the closest outlet to your bed will be, so in any case, having a 10ft phone charger can definitely be very convenient!
You will also not know in advance how many outlets are in your dorm, and how many will be near your desk (which is probably where you’ll have more devices plugged and used).
I highly recommend getting an outlet extender just in case, so you can charge/use different devices in the same time from the same outlet.
As I said, you don’t know where your dorm’s outlets will be, so it’s better be safe than sorry 😉 and also get an outlet extender.
This flat outlet extender is 5ft long, and has multiple plugs and USB ports as well!
You will most likely share a dorm room with a roommate, and most likely have “neighbors” as well, and not everyone’s schedule is the same.
If you are a light sleeper, and if you have trouble falling asleep when there’s human noise around you, having a sound machine can come in very handy!
This sound machine from Amazon blocks out all of the outside noise, and will help you to both fall asleep faster and also sleep tight and good through the night, regarding to what is going on around you!
COLLEGE SCHOOL SUPPLIES
I CAN’T live without my planner, I swear. I have all of my life written down and planned down in it. Especially as a college student, having an organized academic planner is SUPER IMPORTANT.
I am not going to lie, I’m pretty much an organization freak. I have my to-do lists, I like planning my tasks and things I need to get done, and this To-Do List Planner is perfect for that.
It’s pretty much exactly what you think it is – a simplified to do list planner where you can plan out your to do lists, prioritize things you need to get done today, write down notes, write down your to do list, track your meals, water, and health/fitness, and more!
Although I am not a college student at the moment, I LOVE using sticky notes.
When I work and some ideas come up in my mind that I don’t want to forget, I write them down on sticky notes and stick them on the wall in front of me.
Or every time I need to remember something, I use sticky notes and I either stick them on my computer so I remember, or on my desk/wall.
Sticky notes can also be perfect for college students, to remember stuff, write down things you need to do and don’t forget, and even for studying!
If you will be using actual notebooks, I like these spiral notebooks! They come in a pack of three notebooks, and each notebook has 3 subjects.
I am also a highlighter freak, I’ll admit it. I love using color in my planner, notebooks, or even in documents haha Maybe it’s my ADHD, maybe it’s just aesthetically pleasing, but I just love using highlighters for my stuff!
I was also a highlighters freak in school too, and I loved using different colors for different subjects and purposes.
Remember when I just told you that I love using sticky notes to write down things I need to remember?
Well, I found this awesome desktop whiteboard and it’s the perfect solution for writing down mini to do lists, notes, ideas, and things to remember!
Even if you are studying from your iPad or phone, and want to take some notes, or write down important dates asap (before writing them down in your planner or adding events to your calendar), this desktop whiteboard is PERFECT for that!
And that’s it for today! I hope you found the best dorm room essentials 🙂
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