From organizational items to the best backpacks to tote around campus
Photo: Sony Pictures If you’re heading off to college this fall, or are the parent of an incoming freshman, you’re probably neck deep in packing lists full of dorm-room staples like twin extra-long sheets and bed risers. While most of the lists you’ll find online or in big-box stores are fairly generic, we were curious about what actual students find most useful, and which things are truly functional on campuses.
$70 at Amazon Buy $70 at Amazon Buy Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ProForm Supreme 3-Inch Twin XL Mattress Topper $168 It’s more expensive than the Lucid mattress topper, but Hannah Maier-Katkin, a former RA at Brown University, says this plush Tempur-Pedic one “will make your dorm mattress not only tolerable, but genuinely comfortable.”
$36 at Amazon Buy $36 at Amazon Buy Best Storage and Organization Tools Room Essentials 3pc Y-Weave Medium Value Pack “Under-the-bed storage is great because it doesn’t take up any space but allows you to utilize what’s already yours,” says Fabi. Since most dorm-room beds are already lofted , she thinks stashing bins and boxes under your bed is a helpful way to add more room to a cramped space.
$23 at Amazon Buy $23 at Amazon Buy Moon Phase Metal Over-The-Door Multi-Hook Recent grad Kira Sommer spent two years as an RA at George Washington University, and says one of the best things residents can do to maximize space is use wall hooks for hanging towels, bags, coats, and more. But unlike hooks that stick to, or have to be nailed into, a wall, her preferred over-the-door ones “don’t leave any marks on walls and won’t get you in trouble with housing at the end of the year.
$25 at Amazon Buy $25 at Amazon Buy Best School Supplies Academic Passion Planner Medium Aug 2019 - Jul 2020 “I recommend students buy a planner their first year because it’s going to feel like you have a thousand things going on and it’ll make your life easier,” says Feliciano. He adds that it’s best to get in the habit of organizing your time early, before your coursework starts ramping up.
$11 at Amazon Buy $11 at Amazon Buy Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils with Refills 2-Pack $5 When it comes to pencils, Rebarber says “I rarely see people with regular No. 2 pencils — mostly all mechanical pencils.” She pointed us toward these neon ones with refillable leads and erasers. $89 at L.L.Bean Buy Best Décor Anjaylia LED Fairy String Lights Nearly all the RAs we spoke with mentioned string lights as a way to improve a dorm room’s aesthetic. “They add good, soft lighting, compared to the harsh overhead ones, and are generally very pretty,” says Tang. Abby Wolfe, a former RA at Colgate University, calls these battery-operated LED lights “dainty and lightweight.
$15 at Target Buy The Succulent Cult Live Succulent Plants Fully Rooted in Planter Pots with Soil Hardy succulents offer a way for students to bring some plant life into their dorm without having to worry too much about care. “Lots of people have started to keep succulents in their dorm rooms because they are easy to maintain,” says Rebarber. Wolfe recommends scattering a few mini-plants around your room to add “a fresh, homey vibe, without consuming too much space.
$1,228 at Amazon Buy $1,228 at Amazon Buy Apple iPad $249 $249 at Amazon Buy $249 at Amazon Buy Apple Pencil $95 $95 at Amazon Buy $95 at Amazon Buy In addition to, or instead of, a laptop, you might want an iPad, which RAs say are quickly becoming more common in college classrooms. “More and more people now take notes on their laptops or on their iPads with the Apple Pencil,” says Rebarber. Sosoli agrees that they’re “very popular and easy to take notes [on].
$199 at West Elm Buy TW Lighting The Ivy LED Desk Lamp with USB Port Here’s a less expensive option, chosen by Feliciano, that takes up minimal space on your desk and features a charging port. $50 at Bed Bath & Beyond Buy Best Kitchen Supplies Ovente BPA-Free Electric Kettle 1.7 Liter with Auto Shut-Off and Boil-Dry Protection While many students — and most freshman — will likely eat meals in a dining hall, our RAs recommended keeping some personal kitchen supplies in your dorm room that can help hold you over in between classes or meals. Both Rebarber and Sommer say an electric kettle is not just useful for tea or coffee, but can help make your room a social hub.
$140 at Target Buy S'well Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 17 oz $28 To stay hydrated — and be environmentally friendly — RAs say reusable water bottles are a campus necessity. Rebarber says S’Well bottles are popular among students, and Samantha says kids like them because “they come in so many different colors and patterns [so] they’re an interesting conversation starter and way to express yourself.
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