Shopping for college is stressful enough. To help simplify things just a little, here are 12 random, yet extremely important things every college student needs to survive at school!
Note: There are affiliate links included in this article. Check out my disclosure policy for any questions.
As I’ve started shopping and packing for my freshman year in college, I’m noticing that some things on every “dorm room essentials list” are completely unnecessary, while others are beyond important.
To help differentiate what you need and what you don’t, I’ve put all those can’t-live-without items into one easy list!
While these items are slightly random, they cover all the most important essentials from dorm room to tech to lifestyle! Trust me when I say you won’t be forgetting anything!
This post is all about things every college student needs!
College Dorm room essentials
quality fan
Regardless of where you are located for college, you are going to want a good fan for your dorm room. For those with air conditioning in the dorms, one fan is definitely enough. Especially when living with other people, the room may not always be the temperature you want, so having a fan helps make the environment more comfortable.
For those without air conditioning, a fan is an absolute MUST. I would even suggest getting multiple fans if you experience some pretty hot seasons wherever your college is located. Without AC, dorm rooms get hot very quickly.
Having quality fans can help make college a much more enjoyable experience.
Under bed bins
This might be one of the most important things every college student needs. If you bring a normal amount of clothing and items to college, there is almost no way you will fit everything organized without some sort of system under your bed.
These Bed Bath under bed bins are the absolute best because they are super deep and hold a crazy amount of clothes, linens, towels, and more. Between this and a dresser that your college usually provides, you should be able to store most of your wardrobe.
2 lamps, 2 extension cords…
It may seem crazy to buy 2 of a lot of essentials, but you have to think about where things are going before you buy. For items like lamps and extension cords, you will most likely need one of each at your night table and your desk.
Therefore, you are going to want to buy 2 of each. For extension cords, you can definitely just buy 2 of the same one. As for the lamp, use it as a decoration piece and buy 2 different, cute light pieces for your room.
Shoe organizer of some sort
It is nearly impossible to survive the dorms without a shoe organizer of some sort. You definitely have options depending on how you want to organize them, but you just need to have something.
Shoes are big and bulky and there’s a lot of them. If you don’t have some sort of organized space to store them, they will get the best of your room and create chaos in there.
Instead, buy some sort of system to contain them all. My go-to is this ottoman + shoe organizer combo. This thing is super durable and triples as shoe organization, a step stool to get up to a lofted bed, and a cute piece of seating in your room.
If you want something smaller, you can also buy an over-the-door shoe organizer instead. These are less obtrusive because it isn’t a piece of furniture in the room, and they store shoes great! Just make sure that you have access to a door before you plan on using one of these.
Shower shoes
Shower shoes are obviously something every college student needs in the dorms. Whether you are sharing a bathroom with 10 people or 2, it is suggested that you wear shower shoes to stay clean.
The best ones to buy are like the ones linked above that have holes in them. That way, it makes it super easy to dry off.
While you can use any old pair of flip-flops that you have, try investing in a pair of shoes meant to be used as shower shoes. These are specially built to be in water all the time, so they won’t get moldy as quickly.
College tech essentials
Speaker
It’ll always come in handy to have a good speaker around for different events in college. You obviously don’t have to invest in anything crazy expensive, just something little to have in case you need it.
Good headphones
Headphones are an absolute MUST in college. If you are someone that needs complete silence to focus, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones are going to be super helpful for studying.
Airpods also make a super easy option if you are less picky about noise.
Multiple phone chargers
Like you brought multiple lamps and extensions cords for different locations, bring multiple phone chargers to college as well. Bring at least 2, if not 3 to have extra.
Having 2 ensures that one stays in your room, whether at your night table or your desk, at all times. The other one can then float around between different purses and backpacks depending on where you might need to use it.
College lifestyle essentials
Planner
While college can be survived without a planner, they make it SOOO much easier to manage and organize everything going on in your life.
For all the best planner suggestions for every type of college student, check out this article: 10 Best College Planners For Every Type of Student!
And if you already have your planner, I’ve got the best tips and tricks to help you organize it!
Weather essentials
Regardless of where your college is, there are going to be some weather essentials that you need. For sunny spots, bring sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen. If you are in the cold, make sure you have hats, gloves, scarves, and a quality winter jacket. For rainy locations, bring an umbrella and have a good rain jacket and rain boots.
Stick on cell phone wallet
This comes in handy so much when it comes to carrying your license, student ID, credit cards, and cash. Instead of having to deal with a wallet and purse, it’ll all be attached to your phone, which you basically take everywhere anyway.
For the student ID specifically, it is so helpful having things like the key to buildings and meal points all on your phone.
Quality water bottle
A durable and quality water bottle is super important in college. Especially on campuses where you’ll be walking a lot, you are going to need a water bottle to keep up with you.
Try picking one that is insulated so it’ll keep your water cold all day. Something like a hydroflask or a swell bottle is perfect.
This post was all about things every college student needs!
Other posts you may like:
