Dorm Necessities (+ the Only Packing List You’ll Need)

If you are in college or will be starting college this fall, you are probably thinking about what things you will need for your dorm. Dorm necessities tend to vary from person to person, but the basics are usually the same. In this post, I am going to tell you about my dorm necessities.

I have only lived in a dorm for one year, since I spent my first two years of college at a community college close to home, but my one year of dorm life has taught me a lot. Especially when it comes to what I NEED and what I can live without.

Multiple Pillows

You probably won’t have a ton of space for comfy furniture in your dorm, so you want to make your bed as comfortable as possible. Over time, I have come to need at least two pillows to sleep. I decided to take three pillows, though. Two to support my head, and a back up pillow to keep my main pillows from falling off the edge of my bed.

I move a lot when I sleep, so I need as many pillows and back up pillows as I can get.

Mini Fridge w/ Separate Freezer

I like to drink cold water, so I need a freezer to keep ice in. Yes, there are places in my dorm where I can go get water, but they’re not always so convenient. I ended up on one of the older floors…one of the floors with no fancy filtered water fountain or place with cold water. I need my freezer.

Water Bottle & Pitcher

Going along with the previous item, I like having water in my room so that I don’t have to walk to the next building over when I’m thirsty. I keep plastic water bottles on hand, but I like having a reusable one and a pitcher, too. I take the reusable bottle to the water fountain, fill up its 40 oz, and then put it in my pitcher in my room. It’s much easier than carrying my pitcher.

BEdside Table

I know that most dorms may not have the space, but a bedside table is one of my non-negotiables. I like the convenience of setting my phone next to my bed rather than on it, and I like having reading material for late at night. If you don’t use a night stand or something, how do you do it?

ID Case w/ KEY-RING

If you live in a dorm, odds are you will have a key for your room and you will need your student ID to get into the building. I like to keep both of these handy, so I have an ID case with my student ID, drivers license, debit card, and other important things all in one place. Points if you also get a lanyard, because then you can hang it on a hook by your door. You won’t ever forget your keys again.

I am actually asking for an upgrade in the form of a smartphone wristlet for my birthday, which is less than a week away. 🙂 That way, I can have a place for my ID, keys, and phone.

Bicycle

This isn’t as important as some of the other things on my list, but it’s on here because I do like having it. My campus is fairly small, and the town is not necessarily big enough for me to want to have my car, so a bike is a nice compromise.

I first brought my bike down to help with getting from one end of campus to the other in ten minutes. It was necessary, because for some reason, my university put the music building in the complete opposite corn of campus from the marching band practice field. But that is a rant for another day.

Ethernet cord

This is a must if you hate slow internet. I decided to get one after hearing about it in a YouTube video, and I am so glad I got one. At the start of the year, I couldn’t figure out how to connect my laptop to the school’s wifi, so having a direct line to the internet was amazing.

It also helps to be able to connect through an Ethernet cord if you need to study or work on a paper at peak times. The more people using wifi = the slower the wifi gets. An Ethernet cord lets you bypass that.

A Hanging Mesh Shower Caddy

This was literally my holy grail this past year. I bought a couple of regular shower caddies, one hard shell, one mesh. They just did not reach my expectations. I wanted something that I could bring into the shower with me but would not get wet or have to sit on the ground.

This shower caddy blew me away. It was so convenient. It barely got wet, and it hung over the rack where the shower curtain hang. I’m a fan.

 

I hope these items inspired you or helped you narrow down what you need for your dorm room. As I said at the beginning, everyone is different. You may not need or want everything on this list. I just wanted to share to give you some inspiration if you are out of ideas for dorm stuff.

Have you lived in a dorm? What are your dorm necessities? Want my full packing list? I’ll be sending it out THIS Friday, July 22, so subscribe below!