Perhaps you’ve prepared yourself for a college or university journey after you graduate from high school. You’ll be much older and more independent, ready to leave home to start your higher education. You pack your belongings and relocate to a new city. It could even be a long distance from your home. It will be an entirely new experience for you. Your college hostel or dorm room will become your new home. You’ll be spending a lot of time in the dorm room, and with a well-thought-out checklist of dorm room essentials, you can make your college dorm feel like a second home away from home.
So we thought we’d put together a comprehensive checklist for your college dorm room to make your life a little easier. You’ll feel relaxed when you’ll have most of the necessities on hand. Aside from your clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, perfumes, stationery, and other academic materials, it may be a good idea to purchase some of these items when you show up at the hostel to start your new journey happily. So, make sure you have everything you’ll need for your first year of college with this checklist. Also remember that these are only suggestions; you might also tailor this list to your specific needs.
What Should I Bring to A College Hostel? | Dorm Room Essentials
To tell you the truth, there’s a lot. So, we’ve decided to bring you a series of articles dividing them into five categories, which we’ll go over in more detail later in each article. The categories are as follows:
- Essentials for The Room and Storage
- Toiletries
- Electronics
- Clothing
- Stationeries
So, in today’s article, we’ll be talking about the essentials you’ll need for a college dorm’s room and storage.
Essentials for The Room and Storage
Here are 14 items to consider taking with you for your dorm room and considering the storage necessities. But don’t worry, each and every one of these items are not mandatory to have, and some may even not appear obvious at first. But most of them will come in handy once you begin your hostel life. So patiently go over the list and see what you skipped.
- Bedside Lamp
- Bed mattress
- Blankets
- Cloth Hangers
- Drying Rack for Laundry
- Iron
- Mesh Bag for Laundry
- Mini Sewing Kit
- Mini Toolkit
- Mini Trash Can
- Pillows
- Storage Bins
- Table Lamp
- Under The Bed Storage Trays
1. Bedside Lamp
Are you one of those people who is always in need of a charging port? If that’s the case, you’ll love it if your bedside lamp comes with additional charging ports. We’ve mentioned two such fantastic dimmable bedside lamps that also include compatible bulbs in the package, so you won’t have to waste time looking for them.
EVISTR Bedside Desk Lamp
This bedside lamp has USB ports (5V/2.1A when single USB is used) and can be used as a phone charging station organizer for smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices. By simply rotating the knob, you can gradually dim the brightness from 0 to 100%, reducing glare and strain. The lamp is equipped with a standard E26 Edison bulb that produces a warm 2700K light.
Touch Control Table Lamp
This table lamp can meet your various lighting needs thanks to its highly sensitive built-in touch control sensor. This one has two 5V/2.1A USB charging ports as well as a two-prong AC outlet. The package includes two free A19 LED dimmable bulbs, which produce 5000K daylight white light at 800 lumens while using only 7 watts, saving you a lot of energy and money.
2. Bed Mattress
Most of the time, college hostels include a mattress with the hostel bed. If you’re not sure, it’s not a bad idea to ask them about it. If they don’t, make sure to ask for the size of the college hostel bed as well before purchasing one.
3. Blankets
What’s better than a relaxed night’s sleep with your favorite blanket around you after a long day of lectures, gym, and other extracurricular activities? So remember to bring a cozy blanket or two to keep you warm or cool depending on the weather at your college.
Home Throw Blanket by Graced Soft Luxuries
On both sides, you can get a luxuriously high-grade faux fur with a high-end design and feel. This 50 inch wide, 60 inch long blanket is ideal for use as a couch blanket, decorative throw, or bed throw. As a result, this grey throw blanket is large enough for you to snuggle in comfortably. The best part is that this high-quality soft and comfortable faux fur throw blanket doesn’t shed and comes with a 365-day manufacturer warranty.
DISSA Sherpa Fleece Blanket
The throw blanket will provide warmth and make you comfortable whether you use it in an air-conditioned dorm room or in the winter. One side of this blanket features super soft sherpa fleece, which is cozy and warm, and the other side features a flannel with a 3D touch and a different color and white stripe pattern.
4. Cloth Hangers (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
When choosing cloth hangers, go for plastic or wooden hangers. Wire hangers are a good short-term solution, but they won’t hold your clothes in place for very long. They’re simply too thin, collapsing under the strain of heavier clothing. If your dorm room is small, a smarter hanger like the HOUSE DAY Black Magic Space Saving Clothes Hanger is a good option.
White Plastic Hangers
The slim design of these elegant plastic hangers will help you streamline your college wardrobe with ease. Each hanger has shoulder notches to keep your clothes from slipping off and to allow you to hang accessories as well. Your clothing will be free of snagged or ripped look thanks to this smooth finish.
HOUSE DAY Black Magic Space Saving Clothes Hanger
Each hanger organizer can hold 5 garments horizontally (up to 6 lbs) and 8 garments vertically (up to 8 lbs). It’s ideal for hanging coats, suits, jackets, sweaters, shirts, pants, jeans, dresses, purses, and other accessories. To keep clothes from slipping and falling, each clothing hanger has five slots. This set of cascading hangers also includes swiveling 360-degree rotating hooks with a wide diameter to accommodate a variety of closet rods.
5. Drying Rack for Laundry
If you don’t have the privilege of using a washing machine with a drying feature, air-drying is the next best thing. After all, this method uses less energy, which saves money and has a lower environmental impact. On the other hand, by reducing wear and tear in the dryer, air-drying extends the life of clothing. So, you’ll need a cloth drying rack to accomplish this.
Bartnelli Bamboo Laundry Drying Rack
This laundry rack is a natural, eco friendly drying stand made of 100% bamboo wood that is both durable and non-rusting. The clothing rack has plenty of hanging space and up to 21 feet of drying space, so you won’t have to worry about your laundry piling up all over your dorm room.
Qurutma Wall Mounted Clothes Drying Rack
This drying rack’s compact pull-out design feature is easy to install, fast, and simple, allowing you to save space, and keep your dorm room clean and tidy. This sturdy stainless steel accordion rack has 22 linear feet of drying space for towels, sweaters, wet jeans, fine clothing, and more! Most cloth clips can be used with the rod for added convenience.
6. Iron (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
There are many rules and regulations about what you can and cannot bring into the dorms at colleges. Cloth irons, on the other hand, are allowed as long as they are used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Rowenta Steam Iron
This ion offers a high-precision tip for hard-to-reach areas, as well as even steam distribution and smooth gliding across different clothes. Its self-cleaning and Anti-Calc systems, as well as its removable lime-scale collector, make it simple to maintain a high level of steam performance over time. You’ll love this powerful steam shot that removes all wrinkles, even the toughest ones. The best part is the 3-way auto-off feature, which turns off the iron after 8 minutes of inactivity on the heel, 30 seconds on the soleplate, or if it is tipped over on its side.
Sunbeam Classic Iron with Shot of Steam
The Shot of Steam feature on this ion provides an extra burst of steam on flat surfaces or when steaming hanging clothes or drapes vertically. Its Anti-drip system eliminates unwanted drips by preventing water leakage at any temperature setting. For safety and peace of mind, this one offers a 30-minute timed Auto-off feature.
7. Mesh Bag for Laundry (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
First and foremost, in each season, you should have enough clean clothes and underwear to last at least a week. Nevertheless, you don’t want to end up doing laundry more than once a week. You can do it on a weekend day and something you won’t have time or willpower to do otherwise. So, if that’s the case, you’ll need a laundry bag to keep your dirty clothes separate from your clean ones, till they are cleaned.
DuomiW Mesh Laundry Bag
This bulky mesh laundry bag is perfect to last a week of laundry. It is made of plastic locks and has a smooth appearance. It is also easy to maintain, bundle, and maintain. The items are kept without falling off by a drawstring belt with a rope lock.
Daly Kate Commercial Mesh Laundry Bag
This big mesh laundry bag is made of eco-friendly polyester mesh that is long lasting and tear-resistant. Breathability is provided by a high density, open weave mesh that allows air to flow freely through clothing, keeping dampness and odors at bay. Moreover, its machine washable feature makes it Wash and Care in One, preventing winding, deformation, and snags in your clothes.
8. Mini Sewing Kit
To own a sewing kit, you don’t have to be a seamstress or a fashion designer. We all wear clothes, and you never know when a sewing kit will come in handy. So, keep a sewing kit on hand will be useful in case you need to make an emergency repair. You can go fix the missing buttons, snags and rips as needed, or make changes on the fly.
MYFOXI Sewing Kit
A large range of different sewing needles, spools of thread in multiple colors, buttons, safety pins, pearl pins, rippers, a measuring tape, and an easy pull threader are included in this sewing kit. The zippered pouch, though small enough to fit in a purse or backpack, stores a large bundle of essential sewing tools and accessories you’ll need if you got an emergency in the sewing department at the hostel.
AUERVO DIY Sewing Kit
Stainless steel scissors, measuring tape, 18 colored threads, 30 needles, 15 color and safety pins, 3 white buttons, 2 needle threaders, and seam ripper are all included in this one. All of the sewing accessories are contained in a small zip case, which keeps them organized and compact. It’s easy to carry and store because it’s lightweight.
9. Mini Toolkit
A college toolbox is something that may have slipped your mind completely. A basic tool kit will come in handy for the zillions of small projects a freshman will encounter during college life. Few of the things to consider in your toolkit are as follows:
Hammer
For anyone, this is a must-have. Don’t picture a massive framing hammer. For all the small projects that may arise, such as hanging pictures on the walls, a small, lightweight craft or hobby hammer will suffice.
Screwdrivers
For the college toolbox, consider a medium-sized Phillips head and a small- to medium-sized flat head. You can use them to open paint can lid, remove battery covers, and even drive a screw into something.
Pliers
When it comes to putting together that simple-to-assemble desk, a medium-sized pair of pliers will prove to be very helpful. They’re also great for making a thousand different adjustments or removing a stubborn jar lid.
Adjustable Wrench
While you may not use the wrench very often as a college student, it will come in handy when tightening a loose bolt on a bed, table, or cupboard door. Rather than purchasing a full set of wrenches in various sizes, adjustable wrenches are a cost-effective one-size-fits-all tool.
Assortment of Screws
A small set of screws in various sizes is available at the local hardware store. You never know when or how they will come in handy.
Ditole 9-Piece Small Tool Set
One electrician pen, one screwdriver, one insulating tape, one claw hammer, one vise, one utility snap-off knife, and one tape measure are included in this basic tool kit, which is securely kept in a convenient blow molded case for easy tool storage and portability. This set’s strength, longevity, and anti-corrosion are attributed to high-quality steel and a heat-treated chrome finish.
40-Piece All Purpose Household Tool Kit
One claw hammer, twenty screwdriver bits, one bit driver, one bit holder/extension, eight hex keys, four precision screwdrivers, one slip joint plier, one tape measure, one utility knife, and one scissor are among the tools included in this kit. All of the tools are made of high-quality materials and are meticulously manufactured to ensure durability and longevity. They also meet ANSI quality standards and come with a lifetime warranty.
10. Mini Trash Can (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
We hope we won’t have to go into too much detail about this. Obviously, you’ll need a bin or a dumpster to keep your room clean and tidy. Since you must manage the space in your room, we recommend you to opt for a smaller version. Also, remember to empty your trash can at least once a week.
Simplehuman’s Round Stainless Steel Step Trash Can – 4.5 Liter / 1.2 Gallon
JOYBOS Bathroom Trash Can with Lid – 14 Liter / 3.7 Gallon
This trash can have a press top lid that opens with a single touch click. Despite its large storage capacity, this rectangular trash can fit nicely into small spaces and does a good job of concealing odors. It’s also very simple to change the trash bag. So, to dispose of the trash or trash bag, simply slide the entire cover up and off.
11. Pillows
Because dorm beds lack headboards, you’ll appreciate the idea of adding an extra pillow to add a touch of luxury. However, don’t go overboard with throw pillows and other decorative items. When you’re sleeping, you might not have enough storage space for them.
Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows
This awesome pillow has a 250-thread-count cover and is filled with a down-alternative filling. The breathability of this bed pillow can provide soothing relief if you easily overheat, or if you’re looking for cool queen size pillows for night sweats. This side sleeper pillow, unlike a memory foam pillow, is designed to make your hostel life easier! When it comes to cleaning, simply toss them in the washer and tumble dry them.
Bedsure Standard Pillows
This pillow, made of 800 GSM virgin fiber polyester filling, feels airy and soft to the touch. And you’ll feel as if you’re sleeping on a cloud, according to the manufacturer. Simply grab both sides of the pillows and work the air into them to puff them up. For a lofty and full performance, leave the pillows for at least 48 hours before using. The pillows can be machine washed and tumble dried on low heat. However, please note that this piece should not be ironed or dry cleaned.
12. Storage Bins (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
When preparing to move into a dorm room, the most important thing to do is stock up on space-saving storage containers that make living in a small space a breeze. So having storage bins that fit the countless nooks and corners just waiting to be turned into usable space will be a dream come true.
Amazon Basics Collapsible Fabric Storage Cubes Organizer with Handles
This is a set of six collapsible cloth storage cubes that will help you organize and tidy up your hostel room. You’ll love the sleek, durable, and breathable fabric it’s made of, as well as the easy-to-grab handles. Also, when used with a storage-cube organizer, it can be used as open-top bins or drawers. It comes in grey color, and it is not transparent. This one measures 10.5 inches in length and width, and 11 inches in height when it comes to size.
IRIS USA 53 Qt. Plastic Storage Bin
This option will impress you if you are looking for transparent and more secure storage bins. The anti-break, durable polypropylene material of IRIS USA’s large clear plastic buckled lidded storage bin tote is a perfect storage organizer that can fit all of your personal items safely. Moreover, the See-Through design, which includes a durable lid and secure latching buckles, allows you to quickly pinpoint any stored items without opening it. This one measures 15.75 inches in length, 11.25 inches in width, and 12 inches in height.
13. Table Lamp (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
Study lamps have been around for a long time and are a must have at college dorms, whether you’re studying or sneaking in with your favorite night read. Their designs have evolved to suit the changing landscape, inspired by the era and time. The top factors to consider when purchasing a study lamp are design, size, type of light, brightness, anti-glare protection, and energy consumption.
LED Desk Lamp with USB Adapter
This LED desk lamp features a swing arm desk light with clamp, three lighting modes with ten brightness levels, a 360° spin with USB adapter, and a memory function. It has a dimming design (from 3200K to 6500K) and a memory function that saves your last setting for the next time you use it. With a flexible three-axis design, this one saves space while providing a larger lighting area.
LED Desk Lamp with Pen Holder
It has three brightness and color modes (which you can control by touch), totaling nine brightness levels as a dimmable desk lamp (max 350lm). The small desk lamp has a telescoping chrome that allows you to point the light in any direction. You can easily take it to your preferable studying area in the hostel or college thanks to its lightweight design and built-in battery. Other than the built-in pen holder, with the phone holder design, it’s easy to watch video tutorials on your phone while studying.
14. Under The Bed Storage Trays (One of the Must Have Dorm Room Essentials)
Make use of under-bed space, whether at home or in your dorm room – don’t let the space beneath your bed go to waste! When you make use of some under-utilized space under the bed, your hostel room can feel a lot bigger. Items that are out of season should be put away, to take when they are needed
Low Profile Under Bed Storage Containers
These storage containers have a good quality design and can handle all types of storage needs, from blankets and pillows, out-of-season clothes and shoes, to books. It measures 33 inches in length, 17 inches in width, and 4 and half inches in height, and each one holds 45 liters, which is enough for one large duvet cover or more than 15 items of clothing (jackets, sweaters, jeans).
3 Pack Large Rolling Under Bed Storage Bin With Wheels
Even with a 9 pound quilt or 10 normal size shoes on top, the dimensions of 37 inches in length, 19 inches in width, and 7 inches in height are extra large and tall. The three-piece set with eight sturdy wheels and handles, under bed moving organizers are simple to pull out. Even on the shag carpet, this under bed storage plastic trunk rolls easily. You also don’t have to worry about it’s durability, thanks to their high-quality plastic material and construction.
Dorm Room Essentials | Conclusion
It takes some time to adjust to dorm life. After all, you won’t know what you need until you’ve established a routine in college. Obviously, there are the apparent necessities like bedding and school supplies, but there are some things that you don’t think about until you’re affected. On the bright side, however, it may be more cost-effective to purchase some of these items once you arrive (save some bucks on packing and shipping). It may also be a good idea to pack for one season at a time and switch items when you return home for breaks.
However, the first time living in a dorm can be challenging at times, but if you have the right products and everything you need, you’ll be fine in no time. After all, college enrollment peaked at 21.0 million in 2010, according to College Enrollment & Student Demographic Statistics. So every year there’s going to be a group of freshers who are confused about their college life. However, we hope to support them as much as possible, and we believe that this article has given you some ideas for college dorm room essentials. To conclude, remember that as Malcolm X says, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
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