Myka Yamasaki

Overlooked Dorm Essentials

For all you new college freshmen, get ready for dorm living! Living in a dorm is like nothing else. It is a place where you start to learn how to live by yourself but at the same time, you will be surrounded by your peers 24/7. To help you survive and thrive in this new environment, here is a list of often overlooked dorm essentials.

1) Flip Flops or Slippers

Overlooked Dorm Essentials - Slippers

So you know you need shower shoes but you should also probably get a pair of shoes for lounging around. Preferably fuzzy slippers for maximum comfort! Since your dorm is where you get dressed, sleep, eat, study, and hang out, the floors get a lot of dirt on them. You probably don’t want to be walking around barefoot if you like to keep yourself really clean. In addition, many dorm floors are linoleum, which can get quite cold. I highly recommend some designated lounging around the dorm shoes.

2) Vacuum and/or Mop

Especially if you and your roommates have long hair, anticipate a lot of hair on the floor. It’ll be nice to have a handy small handheld vacuum to make sure the hair doesn’t pile up. Mops can also get the job done to. On top of catching hairs, mops can also clean up sticky spilled soda or dirt from shoes. These are really two cleaning supplies that you should consider investing in. Try splitting the cost of these goods among your roommates. Just make sure there are no cats around when you vacuum clean!

3) Eating Utensils

Overlooked Dorm Essentials - Eating Utensils

You will bring back things into your room that you can only eat with utensils. Think ice cream or to-go from the dining hall. Chances are you won’t want to trek all the way back to your dining hall, so you will want utensils on hand in your dorm room. People will also love you for being prepared. They will most definitely come to you for utensils, so it can also help you make friends! Big bonus there!

Hope these dorm essentials come in handy once you begin your college career in the dorms!

Author

  • Myka Yamasaki

    Myka will be attending Occidental College (located in Los Angeles) in the fall and is very excited! She is looking forward to reflecting on her high school experience to help others do their best on the SAT/ACT and in college admissions. She loves cats, food, and friends.

More from Magoosh