College essentials are one of the biggest things students think about before starting their first year at their desired college. Maybe by the title, you could have an understanding of where I am coming from! I just finished my first year at the University of Alabama, and for all of those young people out there who are going off to college in the fall, this can be used as a reference as to what may be needed for school.
Note: It is never too early to start shopping for your dorm! The earlier you are to get everything, the better chance you’ll have of getting better-quality things and the things you want. To save as much money as possible, catch those sales when you can and create registry lists to help lessen the burden of college. Hopefully, this list will help you ensure you have everything you’ll need; this is coming from a college student who went in with absolutely everything and ended up giving it away. So, here are the items you’ll need to ensure the best first year, or maybe second year!
- Mattress Topper: The dorm beds, depending on which university you decided to go to, are very hard and stiff. So you’ll want to get a mattress topper for the size of the bed you have. My university bed was terrible and very hard; the mattress topper my friends and family provided for me was very helpful to ensure proper rest during the night. Not only did I have a mattress topper, but I also had a cooling mattress pad to help keep any products from getting on it.
- Fitted sheets and safety pillow covers: You may be wondering why I am including this; my university has twin-size beds, which required us to have to search for the right color and shape and also the right-fitting sheets. When I was shopping, I had a hard time finding the right colors because they were gone so fast. Pillow protectors will come in handy since they’ll protect your pillows from skin care, hair products, and certain smells from other rooms. I got my sheets from Amazon and my pillow protectors from Walmart. Also, even though my comforter set came with pillowcases, fitted sheets, cover sheets, and the actual blanket, it’s still best to have a change of sheets.
- Decor: I had the luxury of getting some decor for my room off of Amazon because I waited until the last minute before the school year started. I got a lot of it and use every single piece as well. My university also had some poster sales and free items (including room decor, dishes, kitchen utensils, and writing utensils). At the end, the decor shows how you are as a person. I didn’t really have the time to get everything I wanted at the beginning. But throughout the year, depending on the school you go to, there will be some sales or businesses coming to campus, and you can buy things then. But I’ll attach some cute things I’ve gotten through Amazon here.
- Storage: Like me, I had a lot of clothes because I went to a lot of academic events. Which required me to have extra storage in my room. I had drawers that the school gave me and used the school desk’s drawers for any other clothes. I would recommend buying some cube drawers of the color of your choice and using those for anything else. It helped me with staying organized.
- Fans: Because I am used to a ceiling fan, I ended up being hot throughout the entire school year. Please, PLEASE buy a fan; if you can, buy a big one. My dorm didn’t have ceiling fans like the other dorms on campus. I ended up getting a smaller fan; even though it was a great one, I ended up leaving it on all the time, which burned it out. My best advice is to get a taller fan that can blow air into your room thoroughly.
- Compact Fridge: A lot of people I know said that they didn’t like the compact fridge, but I loved mine. Especially since you’re moving into dorm rooms with people you don’t know, maybe they’ll eat or drink your things. I always put my drinks and yogurt inside of my compact fridge. It saved me a lot of trips to the store. Also, I would suggest getting a fridge with a freezer compartment, unless you have ice cube molds to put into the main fridge.
- Extra Furniture: I had roommates who bought extra furniture, and it was very nice to have later down the line. I would say to go to the dorm of your choice and look at the space. Solely because they can range in different sizes. I had the biggest room in my dorm, which meant I had a lot of extra space. This includes a bedside table, desks and desk hutches, mats or rugs, chairs, and bins.
- Bathroom stuff: When it comes to the bathroom, the main showerhead they give is not like the one at home. They have those showerheads that don’t detach from the magnet. I would advise getting a filtering shower head with a three-way system or the beads to stay clean from the hard water. The water pressure is very strong at UA, so please have a shower head that can withstand the pressure. Also, they provide cabinets for you to put your towels and other needed items in. I would get some organization drawers to help keep products in line. I mainly got my bathroom items from Walmart. I would say to get all of that either way before you move in or a little after school starts.
- Meal Plans: I learned from family members that you can opt out of an All Access Meal Plan. At UA, I cooked a lot because my dorm had a kitchen in it. I cooked more than I ate in the dining hall, unless I had morning classes. I would talk with someone from dining to see if they can allow you to not waste money, like I did, because you cook more than you eat out.
Lastly, I used TikTok to help me figure out all of the essentials I would need. I had help with it, which came with moving it and moving out. My family helped me figure out what I would need based on the dorm I live in. So to be comfortable, especially if you rely on a ceiling fan. This list should help a lot; it did for me, and I would like for it to help you!
Note: When shopping, it is never too early to start shopping for campus. My family told me it was too early until they didn’t have anything I wanted to use. Then I had to wait until school was out for Christmas break to finally get everything I asked for. I would say around early June, late June is a good time to start. You are not the only person who is shopping for dorm items. Think about it as applying for housing along with thousands of other incoming students.
Check out another college-related piece from Chloe on our website!
