Oddly Specific Dorm Items I Actually Used in my First Quarter of college
With the end of my first quarter, I thought I’d make this post for those of you already making a dorm checklist. Nothing below is advertising, I simply listed some things I thought would be useful for you too!
1. Desk Lamp! I know you are probably thinking that this is somewhat obvious, but hear me out on this one. You’ll probably need a desk lamp, especially if you study late in the night or in the AM like me (please try to avoid this). I got the Ottlite Led Desk Lamp from Costco, and it has an alarm, wireless charger, and time/temperature display on it! I didn’t use the alarm as much, quite frankly because I woke up at different times every day and found it easier to set an alarm on my phone. However, the wireless charger is a HUGE plus, and it has adjustable lighting (so for those of you who like really bright light or prefer a more natural yellow, there you go!)
2. Dorm Bed Curtains/Cover! This is something I never anticipated I needed but if you are on the bottom bunk and light-sensitive like me, it can come into handy. Since my roommates and I have different sleep schedules, it would sometimes be a bit difficult to sleep if they were studying with fairy lights/desk lamps on (eye masks didn’t help me as much as I thought they would). I ended up getting a giant blanket from home and putting it up for the meantime but for next quarter, I’m planning to order something like this: amazon curtain if I can find it in twin xl!
3. Cotton blanket! This is specifically for folks in California or somewhere with similar weather (apologies to my east coast friends). Personally, polyester blankets have always been a bit too thick especially with the heat (also some dorms don’t have ac), so I always end up getting a cotton quilt for bedding. I was having soo much trouble finding a twin xl fully cotton quilt with cotton fill, but Target came to the rescue with it’s 100% cotton OpalHouse set. On the other hand, don’t forget extra blankets, a WARM jacket, and an umbrella. A lot of my friends assumed that California weather was warm and sunny, but it definitely gets chilly in the evening/nighttime, and you’ll probably be walking around a lot at night as well.
4. Lucid mattress topper. This made my hard dorm bed sooo comfortable. If I wasn’t tired enough from classes, this perfectly foam topper would have me sleeping in seconds, so I highly recommend. The only issue is it sometimes slides off, so you have to readjust it or add straps, but it’s well worth the price. Also, this one has a removable cover so you can just throw it in the laundry and it preserves the foam so it should last for your entire dorming experience.
5. Dishware Set! Yes, you’ve probably heard a ton of college students say they never used it, and I adamantly insisted that I wasn’t going to need them either, but alas, my mom was right. Those metal utensils and plate/bowl sets were so useful if I wanted to make late-night instant noodles, oatmeal, or slowly consume takeout leftovers. And instead of wasting hundreds of paper plates, it’s a great way to be environmentally friendly, and you can keep using the set if you move out to an apartment. Just don’t forget to bring dish soap/sponge along with it!
6. Basics like Sugar, Salt, and Pepper. When I was packing, I brought so many instant noodles, tea bags, plain oatmeal packets, and basically every other snack you can think of, but I ended up forgetting these essentials. I remember during my first midterm late-night study sesh., I heated up my instant noodles and realized I had no salt after I added too much water, so I was left with watery noodles. That, my friends, was a very sad study sesh. While you are most likely going to eat at a dining hall if you’re on the dining plan, bringing or buying salt/sugar/pepper is a must if you are a snacker like me.
That’s it for now folks! This is was my first post, and I hope it was helpful! Please add your ideas in the comments below, let me know if you have any feedback/suggestions for my next posts, and give me a follow. =)
Until next time,
Anoushka
