Random College Essentials

I’ve been in college for almost 2 months now. It’s crazy! Sorry for kind of neglecting the blog, but I’ve been itching to write college posts! The first of which is now. Some things you bring to college are no brainers. Others take thought. Some are just random and are afterthoughts. I’ve got some of those random things and afterthoughts compiled up for you, so go ahead and read on!

Command Hooks

Ok, you’ve probably heard of the wondrous command hooks. But I use these things for so many purposes. I have a hook by the door. I’ve hung everything possible from them. Heck, there’s even one in my shower. Yes, the shower. It’s a perfect loofa hanger! You could even put one sideways to hold back curtains (not tested yet by me). There’s so many uses for command hooks that you might not even think of at first.

Lap Desk

Yes, you have a desk. But, guaranteed you’ll want to work on your bed at some point. A lap desk makes that possible! Bonus: You can put it under your laptop to keep it from making your lap as hot! 


Bedside Shelf

Not gonna lie, this was one of the last things I thought to bring to college. Then it donned on me: I needed something that hooked onto the bed frame that I could put my phone and other things on. In a college dorm, you’re limited on space and more often than not you will decide when you move in to raise your bed up. And then, when you’re on your bed, you won’t want to get down to put something away, or get up to get a drink of water. Or, when you wake up, you won’t want to get out of bed to check your phone, or snooze your alarm.  

Spare 1 inch binder (for loose textbooks)

One of the things that I didn’t realize when I got to college is that there is such a thing as loose paper textbooks. Yes, textbooks that aren’t bound together. And the bookstore evidently sells them. I was not prepared for this at all, so here I was scrambling for some way to hold the textbook together. I’ve seen index card rings before, but in my opinion the binder protects the pages a lot more since it is more sturdy and hard covered. Luckily I’m close to home and just grabbed an old one from home, but it would have been nice to have one on hand in my dorm. So, save yourself the trouble of having to scramble for one. 

Earplugs/Sleep Mask

Ok. Living with a roommate has its downsides. If yours is like mine, I go to bed much earlier than she does. Sometimes, it can be hard to sleep with light or noise, so that’s where earplugs and a sleep mask come in. They will help block out some of the sound and light so it is easier for you to sleep! Many college students don’t get as much sleep as they need, so make the best of your sleep!
 

Closet Double Bar

Let’s face it. College closets are small. There’s no way around it. Now, one solution is just, don’t bring as many clothes. But the reality is also that you will get many free shirts in college as well. And you don’t want to have a crowded closet to begin with. That’s where a double closet bar comes in. It gives you another place inside your closet to hang clothes on. And it also helps me organize my clothes! I hang my shorts and capris on the bottom, and the rest on top. It’s super helpful and space saving!

Shoe Rack
I definitely overlooked this one at first. But a shoe rack is super helpful! At the start of the year I just had all of my shoes on the floor of my closet. It was so disorganized and a pain in the butt to get into my closet to find what I needed. Problem: solved. I put a shoe rack/shelf on my closet floor, and it’s great. My closet is so much more orderly and it’s not a pain to find things because there is no possible way a shoe could be in the back, most hard to reach corner. I’ve always hated those ones that you have to put the shoe on the peg—it was such a pain to have to make the effort to put them on the peg rather than just sticking them on a shelf. So, the shelf is perfect!
A cup with straightish sides

 

This is quite possibly the most random of them all. I honestly didn’t think of this until every one of my straw tumblers fell out of the water bottle slot on my backpack. I’ll make coffee in my Keurig in the morning before class and then want to put it in the water bottle slot on my backpack. I’ve found that what works best is a cup that has straighter sides, so do yourself a favor and invest in a solid cup like that so you don’t have to carry it around in your hand!

So, there you have it! 8 random things that are great to have in college! Do you have any random things that you use or did use in your college dorm? Let me know below!

Published by Tara