Well, it’s that time. Your child will soon be leaving for college. You want to make sure they have everything they need for this new adventure. It’s been a long time since you lived in a college dorm. Maybe you never had the experience of living in the dorms at all. You are wondering what are the must-haves to survive in a college dorm these days?

If you haven’t seen a college dorm in a while, they are pretty bare bones. If your child chooses a traditional-style dorm it will usually have two beds, two desks and chairs, two closets, and possibly two sinks. Nowadays, they also have the option of an apartment-style dorm. They usually have a private bedroom for each person living in that dorm. The bedroom will have a bed, small dresser, desk, desk chair, and closet. The roommates will share a bathroom and living area. Some have full kitchens and others have a kitchenette area with no appliances.

I asked my daughter what her college dorm must-haves were after her freshman year living in the dorms,. Here is a list of the things she felt were most important to college dorm life.

1. Mini Refrigerator for College Dorm

If your child is living in a traditional style or an apartment-style dorm that doesn’t have a full kitchen, a mini-fridge is very nice to have. Freshmen will be required to purchase a meal plan at most universities. Even with having a meal plan, it is important to have a mini-fridge for many reasons. There are many mornings your child will either not have time to go to the dining hall for breakfast, or they won’t want to get out in the cold to get breakfast. Having a mini-fridge will allow your child to skip the dining hall for breakfast. They can keep quick breakfast items in their mini-fridge. Having a mini-fridge is also great for storing any left-overs they have from the dining hall or those rare occasions your child goes out to eat. Also, if your child likes to eat healthier and is trying to avoid the dreaded freshmen fifteen, a mini-fridge is great to keep healthy snacks around.

2. Microwave

Having a microwave in a college dorm works hand-in-hand with the mini-fridge. A microwave is important for the same reasons as having a mini-fridge. Some quick breakfast options will require a microwave. Most leftovers your child might have will require reheating. With all the microwave steamable vegetables available today, your child will have many healthy options for dinners made in the microwave. And what late-night study session would be complete with a little microwave popcorn!

3. Coffee Maker

When did your coffee habit begin? Most likely, during your college years! Your child will be no different. Coffee has become very trendy. It is likely that your child already has a coffee habit. But if not, it is likely they will after college. Instead of spending an enormous amount of money on those fancy coffees at the coffee shops, have them learn how to make their own favorite coffee drinks. It is quicker and will save a ton of money in the long run.

4. Filtered Water Pitcher

This item may seem a little unorthodox, but it is another idea that will save you a lot of money in the long run. Water never tastes the same as water from home. And if your child is anything like mine, they will drink too little water if they don’t like the taste. The other option is for them to buy bottled water. But the cost of only drinking bottled water really adds up over time. The solution to this is to have them use a filtered water pitcher. Combine this with a couple of reusable travel mugs/tumblers and they always have great tasting water without the need to buy bottled water.

5. Dorm Room Bedding

Your child’s dorm will provide a bed and a mattress, the rest you will need to provide. Bedding items you should consider are bed bug protector, mattress foam pad, pillows, sheets, comforter and/or blankets. Before you go out and buy all your child’s bedding, you should do some research on the dorm they will be living in. Most dorms will provide either twin beds, extra long twin beds, or full size beds. You will want to make sure you know what bed size is provided before purchasing all your child’s bedding.

6. Curtains for College Dorm

Another area you might want to research is how many windows the dorm has. Most will have at least one window. Some will provide mini-blinds. Some will provide a curtain rod. Your child’s sleep schedule will likely change when they are in college. If your child has a late study night and needs to catch up on some sleep during the day, I would recommend blackout curtains. Sleep is important to their health and success.

7. Bath Essentials for Dorm Life

For all dorms, your child will need their own towels and washcloths. If they have a bathroom to themselves or share it with just a couple of other people, they will also need a plastic shower liner and shower rod rings. Additional items to consider are a bath mat, shower organizer, and some type of organization/storage containers. This type of bathroom will be similar to the one they share with their siblings at home.

However, if your child does not have their own bathroom and is sharing a bathroom with an entire floor of dorm residents, The necessities, such as a shower curtain and rings will likely be provided. Your child will instead need a shower caddy to carry their shower skincare & hair care items to and from the bathroom. You may also want to provide them with a pair of house shoes and a robe to travel to and from the shared bathroom.

8. Storage for College Dorm

College dorms provide very little storage for their residents. Your child will have a closet and if they are lucky they might have a couple of drawers in a small dresser or desk. That is it! To help find places to put everything your child will bring to college you may want to look into purchasing some storage containers. I would highly recommend plastic storage containers that slide under the bed. These are great for storing an extra set of sheets, blankets, towels, and clothes that won’t fit in the small closets. I’ve also seen them used to store snack foods.

Another storage/organization options you may want to consider are a three-tiered rolling cart, closet organization items, and desk organization items. The three-tiered rolling cart is very versatile. It can be used for bathroom storage, storing food or kitchen items, or for rolling from your child’s dorm room to a shared bathroom.

Closet organization is also helpful, as the closet in a dorm room usually has a hanging rod and may have one shelf. Any items you can add to the closet that will create more usable organized storage space will be useful.

9. Removable Adhesive Strips

Using your wall space in a dorm room is a great way to create more usable space. But as with any place you are renting, creating holes in the wall using nails or screws is not allowed. Nowadays, there are great products that you can use to hang pretty much anything on the all. Removable Adhesive Strips are the answer to this issue. For dorms, these strips can be used to hang anything from decorative items, additional shelves, hooks for coats and/or towels. The uses are endless. I would recommend on move-in day your child stocks up and has a variety of sizes of these strips along with a variety of the hooks that can be used with them. You’ll be surprised at how many uses you will find for these adhesive strips and hooks.

10. Planner or Calendar

If you can get your child to use a planner or calendar to keep track of when all their assignments and papers are due, they are likely to have more success in their classes. I know for some this will not be their thing, but for those who do like to have their life organized, a planner or calendar is just the thing for college life. My daughter has used and continues to use a whiteboard calendar that she hangs over her desk. Whether they use a calendar planner that they hang in their dorm room, one they can carry with them, or one that is electronic on their laptop or phone, they are helpful to keep them academically on track.

11. Lighting for College Dorm Room

Dorm rooms are not known for their excellent task or mood lighting. The rooms do have ambient lighting and some natural lighting from a window. But this lighting is not great for tasks and studying. One type of lighting that you might want to consider is lamps. These lamps can be placed on desks or beside the bed for better task lighting. In addition to lamps, you may also want to consider a stick-on battery-operated light for the closet. This is really helpful since the closets don’t always have lights. One other type of lighting that really helps your child make their room their own is mood lighting. Many college students decorate their dorms with battery-operated strand lights.

12. Laptop

Last but by all means, not least, your child will prosper by having a laptop in college. This was the one item that I believe my daughter could not be successful without. She would agree. Having a laptop allows your child to take notes on their laptop in class, attend online classes, write papers and do their homework in the comfort of their dorm room, and submit assignments online. In the age of COVID, I don’t believe my daughter would have been able to complete her classes without this one item, a laptop. Worth every penny!

I hope that this list of College Dorm Must-Haves gives your child a great start to planning and preparing for their college life. Considering these items and researching what items your child’s dorm provides will give you peace of mind that you have provided them with the necessities for this next phase of life.

Comment or email me, I would love to hear what items your child thought was a must-have item for college dorm.

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