Categories: Dorm Life

10 Essentials Everyone Should Have In Their Dorm Room

With everything that new students have to focus on, some things like dorm room essentials slip their mind. But don’t fret, I have compiled a list of dorm room essentials that will really help you make the most of your space and give some hidden benefits that many students don’t consider!

1. Storage Ottoman

Finding secret ways to store items will be a huge benefit to anyone, especially for those in a small dorm room. With a functional ottoman, not only is there another place to store accessories or shoes, but it can also be another seating option for you and your guests.

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2. Curtains

This might seem unnecessary since dorms usually come with blinds, but blinds cannot block out light like good curtains. I like to sleep in complete darkness, but living in a major city made that hard since it was always bright outside, so investing in curtains was a huge plus for me.

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3. Full Length Mirror

If you find a dorm room with a full length mirror, consider yourself lucky. For the rest of us, trying to stand on your tip toes to see in the bathroom mirror isn’t that realistic, so having a mirror in tow is essential. Even better, having a mirror that lights up will make sure you can see everything perfectly and offer the best selfie lighting!

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4. Floor Lamp

Not all dorms com with overhead lighting or the lighting is too harsh, so having your own is always a great idea. My first dorm room only had lamps that did not give off much light so getting my own helped me to see what I was doing. Getting a floor lamp will also take up less space on your surfaces and give more overhead lighting.

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5. Bed Skirt

This is a great idea to hide the things that you have under your bed. When you have guests come over, you can tuck away your things to make your room look cleaner. If you have roommates, you might not want for them or their guests to see your belonging either, so it is great way to put things away. Out of sight, out of mind.

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6. Rug

Whether you have carpet or not, I would suggest putting a rug in your dorm room. Whatever room you have there is a good chance that many more people have lived there and I seriously doubt that the carpets are deep cleaned for every new resident. To avoid having to wear shoes everywhere or to take the chance, a rug will give you piece of mind, its also super cute!

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7. Back Pillow

With many dorm beds, there is a space between the wall and the actual bed, and since there is no head board, if you want to sit up in your bed, you have to lean against the wall. Having a back pillow will mitigate that issue. It is inevitable that you will want to sit up in your bed, so why not be comfortable?

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5 Easy UMass Dorm Room Hacks to Make Your Room More Comfy

8. Shoe Organizer

Even if you aren’t a shoe person, you will have more than one pair, so having a place for them will be a good idea. To get them out of your way while still being easily accessible, try out this organizer. You can place it under your bed, it looks neat and you can easily see what pair you’re going for.

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9. White Board

I have yet to meet a person that didn’t benefit from having another place to put up their calendar. Even if you have reminders on your phone, it is still great to have another visual at your desk or in a place where you will see it often. It will keep you organized and on task.

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10. Extra Blanket

You may be saying “duh” here, but some people don’t think to bring a thinner blanket outside of their comforter. Especially if you live with other people, not everyone is going to be happy where the temperature is set, or the thermostat could break, so making sure that you are prepared for every situation is important.

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