Hey guys, Parker here!
Well, this article might strike you as odd, seeing that the last three I wrote were of a WAYYY different style, but today’s post is going to be a fun one!! We’re going to dive into what I have found (from going through dorm life and being a college student myself) are the most useful things you’ll want to bring for your upcoming college experience!
Before I lose you, let me preface, I don’t want you to think that this is an article to bring pencils and water bottles. No, this is written by someone who experienced dorm life and understands what items are used the MOST and what is NEVER touched.
What you will see down below is either a list of things that when in need of it, no one seemed to have it OR the item that was with EVERY single person on campus! So, today I’ll be writing to the guys specifically about the 10 things you probs won’t think to bring to college/ use in college, but DEFINITELY should! And just because I care about you so much and would hate to see you not have these things, I’ll attach links with a few of the items I list so that you can easily prepare and get fully ready for this next chapter of your life!!
Alright, enjoy this lighthearted article about all the fun yet forgotten things that you need for your dorm/apartment!!
1. Hammock
This #1 item that I have seen on my college campus will literally be used more than your calculator (minus the math majors). It’s a hammock! HalieKay (the blog’s owner) and I both go to college near Chicago, and AS SOON as our weather app tells us the forecast is higher than 55 degrees, we know that hammocks are about to take over the campus once again!
They are, no joke, EVERYWHERE! Not only do they serve as excellent study setups (like you literally get to be in nature!), but they also attract groups of people to gather and embrace the community aspect of college.
There are tons of affordable hammock options, so don’t worry, you won’t have to break the bank on a top-dollar ENO hammock! And hey, having your own hammock allows you to take those breaks outside and enjoy the sun or watch the stars at night!! I’ve linked the hammock that I purchased my freshman year that has been nothing but 5 stars!
2. Coffee machine
If you are a person that enjoys company and sharing what you have, this next item is JUST FOR YOU! And, if you are cheap and choose to not spend 4 to 6 dollars on coffee every day, this item is a GREAT financial investment! This item, as you read from the title, is a COFFEE MACHINE!
Having a coffee maker in my dorm was so convenient and a necessity when I needed a burst of energy on those late-night study sessions! And, not only do you save money by making it in your room, but you also don’t have to gather your things and walk across campus for that cup of joe.
I also mentioned community. Being able to open your door and let guys come in, make a coffee or tea, and then just sit and talk was a blast! Personally, I would recommend a Keurig. This company has a variety of models that range from a basic white girl’s coffee machine that she buys for the aesthetic only, all the way up to a coffee fanatic’s dream machine! Since Keurig has so many options, there is a wide variety of prices as well!
Me personally, I am right in the middle with a “loves coffee, but not too much” model. I’ll link the Keurig that I bought for my dorm as well that I’ll be carrying onto my apartment as an upperclassman! I purchased the one on the right! Here it is:
3. LED light strips
The third item on my list is one that I think nearly every guy had in their room throughout their freshman year. Seriously, a set of LED light strips were insanely popular, and trust me, if you care about the appearance of your room, these are the perfect option.
As you walk outside of your dorm building at night, it’ll seem to be lit up by the rainbow of rooms reflecting the hundreds of colors! I don’t have any specific brand or company that I use (or remember specifically), but I’ll research and attach one that has reliable reviews so you won’t have to do the research on your own!…
4. Spikeball
Owning a Spikeball set will single-handedly crown you as the “life of the party” in college! Having this game in your dorm room is like having the cure to covid before the vaccine came out, except everyone actually wants it. Joking! Sorry, had to lighten the mood 🙂
But in all seriousness, Spikeball is one, if not the most popular game on college campuses right now. The number of times guys would knock on one another’s doors and grab their set to go play was UNCOUNTABLE. Spikeball is an outdoor OR indoor game, and it can be as encouraging or trash-talking and competitive as you’d like it! It is simple, affordable, and portable! While at college, you will be on campus, at parks, visiting beaches, or just hanging out at local friend’s houses, and all of these locations have been hot spots for this creative game! I would highly encourage you to look at a Spikeball set and keep one in your dorm room! My campus even put together a league for weekly Spikeball tournaments!
5. “THE” thing
Now, this next one is a little strange and one that you probably won’t see coming or understand at first, but, on every floor, there is a guy that just has “the thing.” The thing can be the most simple or expensive item and it is always unpredictable. It starts on your dorm’s floor, but it slowly creeps onto the rest of campus. So this 5th item requires you to think outside the box and find something that will be “the thing” for your floor.
For example, the Jetson bike was the hit of my freshman floor. This electric bike won over my entire guy’s dorm floor. By the end of the year, multiple guys had ordered their own and were having races up and down the hallways. You would literally identify people from your floor by this bike as they sped around campus!
That bike is one example of, “the thing” that influenced our floor. Because of its insane popularity, it recently went up in price. However, if any of you have grad party money laying around and want to fly around campus, I’ll have it linked in the paragraph above. (The Jetson bike link is NOT sponsored. I put it there simply for you to see what my campus started becoming addicted to haha)
6. Portable speaker
Something that is more likely to fit your price range, but still a necessity on campus is a portable speaker. I invested in one within the first two weeks of college and have not been let down. Trust me, I mean please… trust me. Your showers (if they are communal your first year) are going to be loud, very loud. Therefore, having this to block out some of that noise is such an amazing investment.
Outside of the shower, you will use a portable speaker EVERYWHERE! I mean, hey, you definitely don’t want to be that one group who is outside playing sports and has no music playing. That’s just awkward.
Seriously, I maybe should have put this higher than #6 as a portable speaker is SOOO HANDY! Trust me. I speak from experience.
Now, there are many options out there for you to pick from and it is all personal preference, but I will attach a popular one that guys preferred on my campus. It’s also the one that I bought and still use! Yes, it’s a little pricey, but it’s definitely worth the investment!
Here is a cheaper version as well though:
7. SHOWER SHOES
Okay, this is one reason that I specified this article for the guys because I think you’ll understand what I mean by you NEED shower shoes. Like guys, dorm bathrooms and the stories associated with them are sick. So, let’s cut to the chase: get a pair of shower slides right now! I don’t say that as a suggestion. You WILL get bacteria or infection if you don’t.
Storytime.
I am fine if you brush your teeth in the shower. I don’t, but if you do that’s your choice and option.
But the one thing that you will also find in your shower is that people do their dishes. I’m not joking. Taking a hot shower with baked beans at your feet is not an unheard-of experience. And, the same bacteria goes for urinals as well. No explanation, you can imagine.
Now, the type of shower shoe is your pick and totally up to you. There are thousands of options. I’ll attach a couple I personally approve of.
8. Mitten Snow Scraper
This next item is dependent on your college and the weather that you will be experiencing. Now, you can very easily go out and get a $2 plastic Walmart snow scraper. However, I was introduced to this new item by Halie Kay when the January snow piled on her car.
This scraper/mitten combination seems like a useless item and believe me, I roasted her hard for it. However, after I was kind and did the right thing of getting out in the freezing Chicago winter weather to scape the snow off her car, I saw that this was a gift from heaven.
Although you might overlook this mitten scraper, this is something that you’ll buy once, then shove under your seat till a snowy day. I will link one that yes, will get you made fun of, but also will keep you warm. It’s a game-changer guys. And hey, you’ll stay warm when you are trying to impress those ladies haha.
9. Bunkbed Bedside Catty
I know Halie Kay has talked about this one too, but having a place to charge your phone and store other items is a NECESSITY if you get placed on the top bunk! For me, some things I stored were my glasses, retainer case, and headphones! You can find these caddies nearly everywhere: Target, Best Buy, and Amazon to name a few.
Having this hooked onto the side of my bunk allowed me to tuck my devices into it at night and go right to sleep! No jumping down to plug in your phone and crawling back into the top bunk required! 🙂
10. Spotify or Apple Music (YOU GET A DISCOUNT)
With this last one, I am going to simply recommend you to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE STUDENT DISCOUNTS! Specifically… in the music industry!
Now, I’m not talking about buying a speaker (as I did above), but rather, I’m talking about the music that will play THROUGH the speaker!
Companies like Spotify and Apple Music offer student discounts for college kids! They know that you are broke, so they are there to help you out! The prices are cut in half! I personally pay for Spotify premium while in college, and it’s $4.99. Halie Kay has Apple Music and she pays $4.99 as well!
There are no ads, you get unlimited skips, and you have the ability to share your account with premium student discounts. Also, both of these companies offer you this discount for the entire time you can prove you are a college student! So, if you are going to be a doctor and spend the next decade in college, you now have the opportunity to have music that whole time! 🙂
In order to get this subscription, all you have to do is search Spotify Student Premium (or Apple) and submit the form that shows you are currently in college! I just scanned my student ID and typed in my student email and was verified! Also, Spotify premium comes with a Hulu Subscription!
Spotify Link: https://www.spotify.com/us/student/
Apple Music Link: https://www.apple.com/apple-music/
Alright! There were ten different items that I believe will greatly enhance your college dorm experience! Were all ten items everyday necessities that you must have?? No. But, they are the odd items that I noticed were hardly ever NOT in use by someone on campus!
Now, this was a very different article for me to write, but I am so happy that I got the chance to do this for you guys! I hope this article gives you some first-hand insight into what you won’t want to forget!
So, thank you again for stopping by and reading, I want to encourage you, if you are interested in any of the links, to give them a shot! All of these wonderful items go to support the wonderful girl that runs this blog.
Along with that, feel free to check out HalieKay’s article where she writes to the guys AND the girls about 16 things you won’t want to forget while packing for college!
Thanks for reading!
– Parker
