The day has finally come, whether you hold a heart of absolute joy or pure dread, it’s time for your baby to head off to college. And it’s time to start thinking about those dorm room essentials no matter the feeling about them leaving the nest.
By the way, my mom was in the “pure dread” category.
But I didn’t care, I was so happy to have my freedom and be a reckless adult. Who needs mom at a time like this?! I can do what ever I want, when I want, at the time I want to do it….I was free!
Holy heck, let me tell you, this is the time you need your parents THE MOST! As much as I wanted my independence, thank god my mother was still there. Without her care packages I would have gone four years without proper toilet paper, socks and silverware. Or a single condiment for that matter. Those things are so unsexy and cost too much. I had more important things to buy like nail polish and CD’s; screw ketchup.
The average dorm room is 230 square feet – and that fits two people. So if you’re a parent who has a kid going off to school here’s a great check list of items that every kid needs that won’t take up a lot of space. And if you want to get bonus points, here’s a list of some fantastic extras.
Dorm room essentials what every college kid needs
- Toaster – Quick and easy for breakfast and sandwiches
- Keurig Mini – Coffee is a necessary evil in college and no kid has time to wait 20 minutes for coffee
- Microwave – I’m not a fan of microwaves, but with limited space most kids prefer these
- Organizer – Dorms are limited on space, so add storage where you can
- Refrigerator – Good for drinks and left overs and can fit on top of organizer
- Command wall hooks – This is the number one thing all students say they need
- Surge Protectors – request number two from students, more plugs
- Laundry Detergent – expensive and no kid wants to buy it but really needs it
- Laundry basket – These are good for just about everything, including laundry
- Lamp – great for reading and doing homework and most dorms don’t have lights
- Amazon eGift Card – This fills in all the gaps for the things they need
Additional items. I always recommend a few more items as these are items local students have told me they liked, and used:
- Blackout drapes
- Paper plates
- plastic silverware
- showers shoes
- extra light bulbs
- first aid kit
College is both exciting and scary all at the same time. Make it as easy as possible for them to have all that they need while figuring out the world on their own. Let freedom ring!