What Does One Bring to College?

Happy Monday!

Now that August is here I guess It's time to face the fact that school is just around the corner. I already have a year of college under my belt, but it still makes me sad knowing  that I leave my family and friends in just a few weeks.

In my first year of college I learned quite a bit (read the reflective letter I wrote  to my timid High School Senior self). One of the most important things I learned through out that year happened to be all about dorm organization.

Today I wanted to share the important items you'll need before you venture off to your new humble abode.

Bed:

A bedside buddy- my school had this on their list of recommended items and I bought one without even knowing what it was. A bedside buddy....uhhh ok. Turns out, it is single handedly one of the best things you could buy. A bedside buddy hangs off the side of your bed and has numerous pockets for books, tissues, a tv remote, sleeping mask- you catch my drift. It will hold anything you could ever need right beside you. If you plan it right, you may never have to leave your bed.

A mattress topper- Dorm beds are not all that comfortable so a mattress topper is important. They come in different sizes so make sure you get a twin XL. Some are made out of foam, some are more of a pillow type of material and  there's also an egg crate design. Whichever you choose, know that your bed as school will probably become comfier than yours at home!

A back pillow- Ok, so I'm sure a back pillow isn't the proper name for this pillow, but I use it as a back rest! Many nights of studying in bed (or browsing Tumblr) were spent leaning back on a pillow like this! This is also perfect for having group study sessions in your room and you don't want you friends to lean against a wall or be uncomfortable.

Organization:

Command Hooks- Command Hooks and strips are the best things for a dorm room! They are sturdy, easy to use and leave no damage behind when you have to take them down! I've used these babies to hang up picture frames, lights, bags, jewelry and more. They come in so many different sizes and colors. The possibilities are endless!

Stackable storage bins-  I brought a lot of storage bins with me to school last year. However, they cluttered up different places all over my room AND I had so many of them that I forgot where certain things were. To become more efficient this year I bought some stackable, clear storage bins from Walmart. Stacking them allows everything to be in one location and being clear allows me to easily find what I need without having to open every bin. To improve this one step further I am even going to use my label maker to label each drawer! (i.e food, cleaning supplies, maintenance etc.) 

A Trunk- For the things you don't want in the above mentioned clear bins. Last year, extra bed sheets, out of season clothes and extra beauty products were stored in my trunk. The added wheels make it easy to roll out from under your bed if you decide to place it there.

Odds and Ends:

(This is my side of my freshman dorm room. The quote you see is from The Maine. I typed up letters, printed them out and stuck them to the wall! Look at that wonderful glow!! Side note: This is also pre my one direction shrine- as the year progressed, I slowly added more and more pictures of Harry Styles' face near my bed. No Shame.)

 Two words: Christmas lights! If your school allows it, christmas lights are one of the best things to hang in your room. They make your room look magical at night. They also are super easy to hang with command hooks. There were times were I was going to sleep before my roommate or vice versa so we would turn off our main light but keep our Christmas lights on. They still give off enough light for you to see, but in cozy and subtle way.

Felt Hangers- Swap your old hangers for felt hangers. These can be found at Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls and Target amongst other places. Felt helps clothes from sliding off and they are more compact than regular hangers. In other words, that means more clothes can hang in your tiny college closet- hallelujah! (Read more about velvet hangers over on It's Tidy Time)

A full length mirror will be fully utilized at school. Hang it on the back of your door, prop it against the wall... it makes getting ready 10x easier because you can see your whole outfit in one shot. Just don't put it near your window. My room mate and I did that and as you can imagine, since we are in Vermont after all, the mirror cracked. Oops.

A towel wrap- Target has the cutest towel wraps around. It's made like a towel, but has velcro. Easy to throw and walk back to your room in after you take a shower. The added pockets are a nice bonus. Don't be the one that gets locked out of their dorm room!

Desk:

A desk lamp with charger- Target sells relatively cheap desk lamps that not only have a spot for pens or pencils, but also for electronics. You can work at your desk and charge your laptop or phone at the same time. I have the white lamp and love it!

Buzzfeed, of course, has a fantastic post on how to make your dorm feel more like home. See the list of 37 awesome ideas here. (My roommate and I are looking into trying idea 9 this year!)

More fun dorm ideas and college facts in general can be found on my College board on Pinterest! Is there anything in your dorm room that you think is essential? Let me know!

Have a lovely week!

Best,

Sarah