9 Surprising College Items You Should Buy
You’ve likely experienced the feeling that you wish you had a certain item. You wouldn’t have thought to bring this thing with you, but here you are wishing you’d known to bring it.
Living at college, you’ll likely have a similar feeling. You’ll wish you’d thought to bring that thing that most returning college students automatically bring. Below are 9 things you might be surprised you’ll want at college.
1. Flip-flops
Depending on how your college dorm is set up, you may have to share a bathroom with multiple students. While you’d like to think the best about everybody, you really don’t know how clean other people’s feet are in the shower. Warts, athletes feet, and more can easily be picked up in a dorm shower.
Please, oh please, come to college prepared to wear waterproof shoes in the shower. Showering barefoot in a shared bathroom is not a risk worth taking.
Keep in mind you want these shoes to be easy to get on and off while washing your feet in the shower. A simple pair of flip-flops will work fine.
2. A few soap bottles
This may seem obvious, but dorm showers are not usually a luxurious experience. You’ll likely have a tiny shower with few ledges.
Because dorm showers are small, you want it to be easy to get in and out. If you’re a person who likes you using soap bars or several different bottles of soap, consider switching to bottled soaps and combination soaps. The less bottles you have, the easier it will be to get in and out.
3. A shower caddy
If you use more than one soap bottle while showering, getting to and from your dorm shower can be a hassle. Rather than constantly dropping bottles while walking to the shower, consider a simple and inexpensive option.
You can easily purchase a cheap, effective shower caddy at a dollar store. Be sure this container can get wet and can easily be washed. You’ll be thankful on busy mornings that you can quickly grab one thing and head to the shower.
4. A robe or an extra bath towel
You may have a short commute to the shower or even have a suite with its own bathroom, but some dorm bathrooms require you to walk in the hallway to and from the shower.
Check online to see what your dorm room will be like. If you do indeed have to walk outside of your room to the bathroom, you may not have a great deal of privacy for undressing to get in the shower. (Some dorm bathrooms only have a simple curtain in front of the shower.)
Avoid awkward situations, like accidentally flashing someone, by bringing an extra bath towel or a robe to use when walking to and from the shower.
5. A privacy blanket
Again, depending on how your dormitory is situated, you may have a space or even a room to yourself. However, many freshmen dorm rooms include bunkbeds or a few beds to a room.
Is this is a big deal? Not really, but sometimes your roommate can be overly chatty, need lights turned on in the morning when you’re still sleeping, or generally not be good at reading cues that you’re trying to get things done. In these situations, a privacy blanket or some type of cover can come in handy.
If you do find yourself in a room with bunkbeds, you may want some added privacy from your roommate when studying or chilling. Consider bringing an extra blanket that can tuck into the mattress above you.
If you find yourself in a room with separate beds, you can buy some kind of structure that also provides privacy like this. You can also construct your own kind of structure, but buying something may be easier to transport and store in between semesters.
6. A small fan
Dorm room temperature is a little thing that can easily become a big deal. You and your roommate(s) will have to determine what works for you as a room, which means you’ll likely have to compromise.
Dorm room noise can also be a little thing that can easily become a big deal. At first, your roommate(s) noisy morning routine may be no big deal but fast forward to a month into the semester and you’re very annoyed.
In both of these situations, a small fan can help. Not only does a small fan give you better control of the temperature in your space, but it can also eliminate noises that would wake you at night or in the early morning hours.
7. A lock
Your dorm room will likely have a lock on the entry door. However, sometimes you or your roommate(s) may forget to lock the door. Other times, your roommate may have a friend in the room. Either way, you may have some valuable items you want to keep safe.
While having a locked drawer or other container may seem overkill, you may find yourself more at ease with your living situation if your most valuable things are out of sight and locked away.
8. A water bottle
College life can get busy. Your classes can be close together with only enough time to get to class and not enough time to do anything else. Even a quick trip to the bathroom or a vending machine may not be able to fit in between class periods.
In these times, it is good to come prepared to grab a quick snack or have a drink available. Find yourself a nice water bottle that fits in your backpack. You’ll be thankful that you have a drink available on those long class days.
9. A thin wallet or a wristlet
If you have to drive around your campus to get to classes, you probably will have to carry your regular wallet most days. But, if your campus is small enough that you can walk to your classes, you likely don’t need more than your I.D. card on a daily basis.
There are times when bringing your full wallet with you seems like more of a hassle, and you may want something smaller to grab and go. Consider purchasing a thinner wallet or a wristlet to carry around only a few cards and maybe some cash. You’ll find that this makes college life a little easier.
You wouldn’t necessarily think you’d want all of these items, but they can make college life just a little easier and safer. This list isn’t exhaustive, but hopefully it will help you prepare for the start of your first semester.
