20 Things NOT Allowed In Ole Miss Dorms (& And What To Bring Instead)

There are, of course, many things that are not allowed in Ole Miss dorm rooms. Some students find it difficult to find alternatives to the objects and substances that are prohibited, but this list gives you those alternatives you are looking for. Here is a list full of things that aren’t allowed in Ole Miss dorms and what to bring instead!

1. Homemade lofts, cinder blocks, and bed risers.

It is very common for students to loft their beds in order to create an area underneath the bed for extra storage, a futon, or a desk. In order to do this, you need the loft or bed risers. These are things that you get from the school. Ole Miss will provide what you need in order to loft or rise your bed at your request. You do have to bring a rubber mallet to help adjust the height of your bed if you wish.

2. Candles, incense, and wax melters.

Apparently, college students can’t be trusted with any sort of flames; therefore, candles, incense, and wax melters are prohibited due to them being a fire hazard. Instead of bringing these, you can bring air fresheners to help make your room smell pleasant. Plug-in fresheners are recommended because it is the easiest way to have your room constantly smelling fresh. In the event that a light bulb goes out or the off-chance that there is a power outage, flashlights are the solution to your lighting needs!

3. Nails and screws.

Nails, screws, and anything else that will create permanent holes in the walls are forbidden from gracing the walls of your room and could result in damage costs for you in they are used. The university does allow push pins and thumbtacks to hang pictures and posters on the walls since they make minuscule holes. Since push pins and thumbtacks are allowed, you can use those to hang what you want. Just make sure that whatever you are hanging is not too heavy to be held up by thumbtacks.

4. Wall mounting kits.

Although we would all love for our televisions to be suspended up on the wall, that is not something we can do. Yes, your TV must take up space somewhere on a table or desk which can be bothersome. Instead of using wall mounting kits, you will have to get a table for your TV, take space on your desk or a dresser, or choose not to bring one.

5. Duct Tape or masking tape to hang on walls.

Tape runs the risk of peeling paint off of the walls which can again run the risk of costing you money in damage costs. Once again, you can use thumbtacks or push pins which are probably more effective in hanging pictures on the walls anyway.

6. Wallpaper and paint.

As much as most students who are decorating their rooms would love to paint their walls or put up wallpaper you can’t. The best way to brighten up your room and add a little of your personality to your space is to hang up pictures and posters. Another popular wall decoration is a tapestry. Tapestries are good for covering a large amount of space just like wallpaper and paint would do. They are also really trendy and give your room a comfy, hipster-y, artsy vibe.

7. Deep fryers, electric skillets, toaster ovens, crock pots in traditional dorms.

In both types of dorms, traditional and contemporary, these appliances are not allowed. In traditional dorms, there are kitchenettes located on most floors. They are not full kitchens, but they do come equipped with a small stove, oven, sink, and some cabinets. You can bring your own fridge and microwave to your traditional dorm to keep food in the room and to heat up food really quick. If you want to do more serious cooking, you can go to the kitchenette to do so. You can also utilize your meal plan at the several places around campus.

8. Deep fryers, electric skillets, toaster ovens, crockpots in contemporary dorms.

Contemporary dorms are equipped with a full size community kitchen that includes a stove, oven, microwave, sink, and cabinet and counter space. Contemporary rooms include a microwave and fridge in each room, so you do not have to bring your own. You can cook in the kitchen, heat food up in the microwave in your room, or go to a dining hall to use your meal plan.

9. Ice makers.

You cannot bring an actual electric ice maker for your dorm, which, for me personally, is something I wish I could do because that would make having ice a lot easier. You can always purchase bags of ice to bring back to your dorm. You can also get ice trays to fill with water and freeze.

10. Space heaters.

Coming from a New Jerseyan, having a space heater at Ole Miss is not a major concern of mine. Winters in Jersey are definitely a lot colder than ones in MS, so I have a feeling I am going to be the lone student still wearing light clothing in MS winter. Anyway, for those of you who are concerned about getting cold, blankets are your best friend for those cold nights. Get some soft and warm throw blankets and a good comforter and you will have nothing to worry about.

11. Ceiling fans or anything that must be secured to the ceiling.

Ceiling fans would have to be secured to the ceiling by drilling holes in the ceiling, which I have said previously is not permitted. Since we can’t install ceiling fans, standing fans will have to do. I recommend getting a small clip-on fan that is easy to move around your room. You can clip it onto your bed at night and then easily move it to your desk for when you are studying or doing homework.

12. Curtain rods that screw into the wall.

If you don’t get it now, you never will. NO MAKING LARGE HOLES IN THE WALLS! Curtain rods that screw into the walls are not the only way to hang a curtain. Tension rods are the best solution to this problem. Tension rods don’t require make holes in the walls and are just as effective as actual curtain rods.

13. Pets.

I know many students who wish they could bring their beloved animals to school with them, but unfortunately that is not possible. Imagine having a residence hall pet, like a class pet, but for your dorm… I wish! While dogs, cats, chinchillas, rabbits, lizards, snakes, frogs, and all of those other exotic pets are not allowed, fish are! If you feel like you need an animal to take care of then, by all means, get a fish! They are low maintenance, so they won’t be too hard to take care of when you get busy. Another alternative to sneaking in your dog, Spike, is to get a cuddly stuffed animal which can hopefully help you relieve some stress.

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14. Double sided tape or carpet tape.

Carpet tape can risk ruining the floor of the dorm room. This, once again, comes back to damage costs. Carpet tape is used to keep area rugs from slipping. Dorm safe ways to achieving this are placing your furniture that will be staying stationary on top of the rug or by using a rug pad which helps the rug grip to the floor.

15. Extension cords without surge protection.

This is the easiest fix to a dorm problem on this list. Just get an extension cord that has a surge protector. They serve the same purpose, but ones with surge protectors are within dorm room regulations.

16. Electronic skateboards or hover boards.

This is a newer rule due to the recent popularity of hover boards. While it is a little inconvenient to hover board users because it is another means of transportation, there are other ways to get around. You can bring a normal skateboard, you can ride a bike, drive a car, or walk to where you need to go around campus.

17. Bike lock instead of keeping bike in room.

Many students bike around campus in order to get around faster. If you are bringing a bike to campus, make sure you invest in a bike lock. There are bike racks around campus and bike riders should definitely utilize them.

18. Alcohol!

This is an obvious one. Alcohol is not allowed in dorm rooms, especially if you are under the age of 21. It is no secret that many college students drink alcohol and that many that do are under age. If you do wish to consume alcohol it cannot be kept in your dorm. If you go to the clubs in Oxford you can buy drinks there, so there is no need to keep your own alcohol.

19. Drugs!

Another obvious rule is that you cannot keep illegal drugs in your dorm. Not to mention, illegal drugs are illegal and you shouldn’t be doing them anyway. The best alternative to this is to quit ASAP so that you won’t have the issue once move-in day gets here.

20. Weapons!

Lastly, weapons are prohibited, which is another obvious rule. If you do feel like you need some sort of protection you should go to someone, tell a friend, a professor, a counselor, or anyone else that could help you and point you in the direction of help. You can also purchase pepper spray to help you feel safer and feel like you do have some type of immediate protection against anyone that may try to harm you. Ole Miss has a safe campus, but you can never be too careful.