Categories: Dorm Life

5 Dorm Room Items You Need This Year

Every year, it’s a struggle to figure out which items you want to bring to college to have in your dorm room. What kind of set-up do you want your room to have? What’s your ideal vibe for your room? What did you bring in past years that you never used and what did you wish you had? Here are 5 dorm room items that you’ll want to have in your room to help make this year- and dorm decor- the best yet!

1. String lights

I absolutely love the look of string lights in a dorm room. There are so many different ways you can set them up: hang them from the ceiling over your bed like a canopy, wrap them around your desk or window, coil them up and stick them in a glass jar to have more concentrated lighting, loop them around your room on the walls using stick-on hooks. So many dorm rooms have harsh lighting, and it’s nice to have another option, especially when you want a bit more coziness.

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2. Fun mugs

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for a piece of cute kitchenware, but mugs are seriously some of the greatest things to have in a dorm room. They’re incredibly multipurpose and can be used for almost anything. Need a pen holder? Mug. Want a drink holder? Try a mug. No place for storing coins? Use a mug. Need a snack container? You guessed it: mug. Planting a succulent? How about a mug. Have a desire for cute yet functional dorm decor? Yep, mug! Then, when your friends come over, you’ll look like a very put-together host when you offer them beverages in mugs like a real grown-up. If you’re clumsy, don’t worry, you can just buy a metal or plastic mug so it won’t break if you drop it.

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3. Throw blanket

Everyone wants their dorm room to be as cozy as possible, and what better way to do that than with a nice big blanket? Whether it’s a chunky knit or faux-fur, printed or plain, fringed or quilted, or any other type, a blanket is one of the best ways to keep your room literally and visually warm and inviting. Plus, at the end of a long day in class, who doesn’t want to snuggle up in a giant blanket and just relax?

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The Ultimate Checklist for College Packing

4. Surge protector/outlet extension

I think we’ve all had the moment of frustration when you needed to plug in multiple electronics and simply didn’t have enough outlets nearby to plug in everything, or there wasn’t enough space between the outlet and something next to it for you to be able to plug in a chunky charger. This is where a good surge protector or outlet extension cord comes in handy. It’s especially useful when the cord rotates so it can fit in and around tricky spaces.

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5. Dry erase board

Dry erase boards are seriously so useful to have in your dorm room. They can help you stay organized, be a way to unwind, and function as a place for your friends to leave you notes. The dry erase boards that have different sections are some of the best ones to have as a college student; some even have a month-long calendar template design, along with a blank area for doodles or notes, a cork board, and a week-long calendar template. These are perfect for someone who’s trying to be more organized and might want a visual aid of events and assignments they might have coming up later in the week or month.