Dorm Room Essentials for a Great College Year

(Inside: Dorm room essentials to help your college student have a great year. Enjoy bonding with your college kid over how to put their space together with all these fun ideas.)

Is your kid about to head off to college?

Me too and I want him to have the best experience possible. I know creating a comfortable, useful space to hug him when he gets home will help.

My son and I sat together, talking about his future dorm room space, and what he thinks he will need. It was so fun to bond over this online shopping experience.

Then, because I enjoyed this experience so much, I created a dorm room essentials list for to bond with your big kid over.. 

I throw my whole heart into making the best list possible of all the possible items our kids might need in school because staying busy helps calm by tidal wave of emotions about launching my first kid. I don’t think I forgot anything, I really don’t.

But, what do you think? Check out the dorm room essentials list below.

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links which means I get a small profit at no extra charge to you. Read more here.

Bedding – Dorm Room Essentials

One of the most important investments for a dorm room is a comfortable bed. Our kids will be busy between studying and working and social life, and they need a place to crash, rest, and refuel. These mattress pads, comforters, and sheets can help.

Shower Essentials – Dorm Room Essentials

Whether our kids lucked out with a suite or will have to walk down the hall to use the shower, these items will help the getting ready process feel more organized and easy.

Laundry – Dorm Room Essentials

We all remember the piles of laundry in college and how lugging all that ridiculousness down to the laundry room was a huge pain. Detergent pods are easier, but some dorms don’t allow them because the water doesn’t get hot enough for them to work properly. (Even the cold water pods.) So, for those colleges, liquid detergent it is!

Here are some laundry organizational things to help with a smooth laundry process.  

First Aid Kit – Dorm Room Essentials

Just in case our kids need a bandaid or other first aid items, here are some emergency kits for the dorm rooms.

Sleep Aids – Dorm Room Essentials

Sometimes one just needs earplugs and a mask to sleep in the chaos. Hopefully, our kids will have a dorm that gets quiet at night, but just in case…

Bedside Organizers – Dorm Room Essentials

Space is so limited in a dorm room that it’s essential to have some organizers to help your kid have a place for all their important stuff. Here are some great organizers for right next to the bed.

Electronic Organizers – Dorm Room Essentials

The explosion of necessary electronics needs to be organized and continually charged. Here are some ideas on how to streamline that process. Some dorms have rules on plugs and might require a surge protector with an on/off button. Look into your school’s rules.

Backpacks – Dorm Room Essentials

Whether your kid is on a small or large campus, they need a way to carry their laptop, books, and school supplies. I love these bag ideas. The backpacks are made for young adults and are stylish and effective. Then, of course, our kids will need an umbrella. That can easily be tucked into the backpack and be pulled out for rainy days. 

Moving Bags and Storage Bins – Dorm Room Essentials

We’ve all heard the stories about move-in day. It’s a whole thing! Here are some bins that can serve as both moving help and possibly storage in the dorm room. We ordered the large moving bags, and are glad to have them!

Desk Stuff – Dorm Room Essentials

Now, I did all of my studying outside of the dorm room. I could not concentrate there, too much going on. But, for those who like to study in their rooms, here are some ideas to help make it all as efficient and comfortable as possible.

Closet and Organizers – Dorm Room Essentials

Ah, the little closets. Maximizing the space becomes highly important. Here are some ideas to help our kids organize their clothes in a way that works for them.

Get Ready Items – Dorm Room Essentials

Every day our kids need to get up and get ready. Some of our kids have bathrooms way down the hall and others are lucky enough to have a suite. Regardless, that doesn’t mean our kids will get the actual bathroom (roommates!), so here are some organizational ideas to make their get-up-get-ready process smoother.

Cooking – Dorm Room Essentials

I think our big kids are going to enjoy the caferia-style dorm food. I was highly impressed with the variety of food offered when we did our college visits. It’s a huge improvement from when I went to school. Especially, the fresh salad bar every day. But, for those days when they just need a quick snack or the kitchen is closed or they just want to cook on their own, here are some ideas.

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Essential Oils – Dorm Room Essentials

One of my high school students told me she falls asleep to lavender essential oils diffusing in her room. She said the smell brought her comfort, and I liked that idea. Here are some more wonderful smells to fill our big kids’ dorm rooms. 

Decor – Dorm Room Essentials

It’s so fun for our big kids to decorate their dorm room. Keep it simple, go extravagant, whatever best represents our kids’ style. Help them create a room that hugs them after a long day of classes and gym time and being all in on their campuses. Here are some ideas.

Cleaning – Dorm Room Essentials

It’s time for our big kids to put all we’ve taught them about contributing to the home to use. A tidy space helps unclutter our brains and cleaning can be a form of self-care. Here are some fun products to get our big kids cleaning. 

Personalized Stuff – Dorm Room Essentials

Truth is, as much as our big kids are ready to and need to fly, they will still miss us. I love those pillows with a picture of the family pet on them. Or maybe it’s a picture of your family, or the cabin, or favorite vacation spot, or whatever helps your kids remember that no matter what’s going on in their lives, they are loved, loved, loved times a million, and then some more.

Call Your Mom – Dorm Room Essentials

Yes, please, call your mom. A reminder to our big kids that we are here, and we always want to hear all about it. The whole entire long version, don’t hold a word back.

Waterbottles – Dorm Room Essentials

I love the water bottle rage. Yes, please. Here are some fantastic water bottle ideas that will keep your kid hydrated, especially on days when they’re walking all over the campus in the heat. 

Chairs, Couches, and Throw Blanks – Dorm Room Essentials

Those door rooms are tiny, but with lofts and creativity, our big kids can created a really comfortable space to live. They can even pack their room with people down the hall and just enjoy friendships and being young. Here are some great finds.

Comfy Slippers and Clothes – Dorm Room Essentials

Once our kids get home, it’s so nice for them to be able to slip into comfortable clothes and slippers and just relax. I love the smiley face slippers. They make me – well – smile. Here are some more self-care ideas for our bigs.

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Your turn.

What did I miss? Is there anything your kid is taking to college that’s not on this list? Please share. And thanks for being here and reading. I hope your big kid has the best college experience.

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