Easily Forgotten and Extremely Useful College Dorm Room Necessities
You’ve seen and conquered the college checklists, but will you really be prepared for your first year in the dorms? Just to make sure, we’ve listed some practical and easily forgotten items that you’ll end up using daily. On a budget? Not a problem! Our froogle finds are just what you’re looking for.
A comfortable desk chair. They’ll probably give you one in your dorm, but chances are it’ll be ugly and uncomfortable. You’ll be at your desk a lot, so it’s important that you can sit comfortably for those infamous all-nighters. Plus, with the lack of seating space in your room, it will be used for watching TV, playing video games, and hanging out.
We recommend: Pottery Barn Teen Perforated Airgo Chair at $179. Available in seven trendy colors, this chair will match any room d�©cor.
Tiered hangers. Closet space is at an extreme minimum, so every inch of room saved can be used. Tiered hangers enable you to hang four or five pairs of pants in the space it would normally take to hang just one.
We recommend: The Container Store Swing-Arm Slack Hanger at $5.99. These are a cheap and easy fix to wrinkled pants!
Storage Ottoman. Even though you probably won’t have room for a couch, it’s still nice to have something to recline on. Also, you can fit anything from CDs and movies to clothes and dishes inside. Whether you use it as a chair, desk, or an end table, this piece of furniture is sure to be your buddy.
We recommend: Bed Bath & Beyond Microsuede Storage Ottoman at $19.99. The microsuede is super practical-it’s soft and easy to clean.
Booklight. Depending on your schedules, you and your roommate may have different study patterns. If she decides to hit the sheets before you’ve finished studying, clip the mini light to your book. Fully portable, these are also great for plane rides, and road trips.
We recommend:Verilux Natural Spectrum Deluxe Book and Travel Light at $19.95. Don’t have AA batteries? No problem! You can also plug it into your laptop’s USB port for power.
Feather bed. Unfortunately, the smelly old mattress they provide you won’t be up to your standards. Because you’ll be working a lot-and partying, it’s important that you get as much sleep as you can. Trust us, once you sleep on one of these, getting out of bed will never be harder.
We recommend: Bed Bath & Beyond Fiberbed at $39.99. Because it’s available in twin XL, you won’t have any trouble fitting it to your bed.
Ice cube tray. It’ll take two seconds to realize ice is the cheapest figure friendly snack, and even less time to realize you can’t really make it without a tray. This no-brainer container is a necessity.
We recommend: The Container Store 14-Cube Ice Tray with Lid and Bin at $6.99. The stackable storage tray is a great space saver while the lid will keep any unwanted odors from getting to your ice.
Board games and cards. We’re kidding, right? Well, not exactly. Trust us, games are an instant cure for boredom and are usually a hilarious way to learn about people in the process.
We recommend: Loaded Questions by All Things Equal Inc. at $24.99. This is the ultimate ice breaker and will have you learning more than you really want to know about your new friends.
