6 Dorm Room Essentials Every New Student Needs

Traditionally the first year of college is a year that new students will spend living in a dormitory, and they will likely share this space with a roommate. Chances are they will not know their roommates until they arrive at school, but one guarantee is that the living space will be small. While college-aged students are mature enough to share a space with a roommate, you can still set yourself up for success or your children by investing in essentials that will maximize the small living space of a dorm room. Keep reading for all the must-haves new students need this year.

Functional Furniture

Living in a small space means that every piece of furniture you bring into the room serves multiple purposes. Everything needs a place, no matter how small the space, from over-the-bed storage units to cube shelving to hold clothing and other personal effects. The great thing about shelving units that double as storage is students can place personal items like artwork, plants, and other knick-knacks that remind them of home on these furniture pieces.

Wall Calendars

While college students are used to years and years of schooling, college is the first time they won’t have a parent or guardian to help them manage their time, and if we’re honest, many adults still struggle with time management. One of the most important items you can bring into a dorm room are 2023 wall calendars to keep school tasks, sorority or fraternity commitments, and other events in your mind. College is about networking, building relationships, and learning, so having a visible place to keep things organized is a must. While our phone calendars are great, nothing can replace physical reminders like a wall calendar.

Power Strips

Sharing a dorm room with a roommate means that outlets are worth their weight in gold. To avoid any negativity in the dorm room, students should include at least one power strip on their school packing list. You can get the most out of your electronics and keep them organized by having a single place where they can all charge. Keeping in touch with parents with charged smartphones and meeting paper and exam deadlines won’t be an issue when your laptop is fully charged.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

Another electronic that is essential for your dorm room is noise-canceling headphones. Even if you and your roommate become the best of friends and have everything in common, there will be times when you need peace and quiet, even if they’re in the dorm. Noise-canceling headphones can help you drown out the sound of the music being played, conversations your roommate is having with friends who are in the dorm at the same time, a noisy snorer, or even help you focus on homework when your roommate isn’t at home.

Space-Saving Hangers

As referenced earlier, space is prime real estate in a dorm room, so having a way to store all your clothes in the tiny closet that the college dorm room provides is key. While you may think that thin hangers will be enough to store your clothing, even if you’ve pared down to a capsule wardrobe, space-saving hangers are much more efficient. If you’re unfamiliar, these special hangers let you hang up to 5 items on one hanger in a cascade.

Beautiful Bed Linens

It may seem counterintuitive to invest a lot of money in bedding when going to college, as you have no guarantees about who will be in your dorm room and how they will respect the items you bring with you. However, we spend over a third of our lives sleeping, which is critical to mental function and clarity which you need in spades during college. Protect your sleep by investing in the highest quality bed linens in breathable fabrics like cotton or linen. You can also include comfortable mattress toppers to make sleep even dreamier, and a mattress protector to prevent damage to your mattress should anything be spilled on it.

You’ll need countless other items for your first year in college, from shower shoes, makeup organizers, and even a lap desk if your room doesn’t come furnished with a desk. But, the above items are something every new student not only needs but from which they’ll benefit.