I can't believe its been a year since I posted about my oldest two kids going off to college and how we were preparing them to move off on their own. They've been working all summer and somehow we blinked and it's now time for them to soon head back. This school year though they've decided to live in an apartment with a few friends. Whether it's time for you to start shopping for essentials for a dorm room or first apartment, today I'm sharing a glimpse into our own pre-planning process.
Dorm Room Ideas and Essentials
If you're also looking for items your kids might need to live well and function on their own while in college, you've come to the right blog. Looking back on the concept boards I shared with you and the shopping lists including dorm room ideas and essentials to get my sons ready for dorm life, I'm happy to share they both reported that I was spot on with just a couple of caveats. More on those in a minute, but first let's review my list from last year.
Don't worry, I have linked a bunch of things at the end of this post, and most of the things I selected for my guys also come in multiple colors and various schools besides burnt orange and UT, ha!
Dark Rugs
Yes, light color rugs can be so beautiful. But trust me, dark rugs and dark bath mats will last a lot longer, especially if your kids aren't "do the laundry once a week (at least)" types. The one you see above is indoor/outdoor and low pile so its easy to clean and vacuum. Happy to report that it looked as good on check out day as it did on check in. #winner
Also on the list is a stick vacuum that separates to become a "dust buster" hand held vac. They did in fact use it and it was still working the day they moved out so again, I'm calling that purchase a winner.
Pillow Headboards
I hadn't heard of "pillow headboards" before last year until a friend told me that we needed them (in my defense I always lived off campus at UGA and never in the dorms). Dorm room bed frames have the bare minimum, and that means no headboard of any sort these days. The triangular cushions ( bottom left above and linked below) give the illusion of a headboard, but also create a supportive place to sit up in bed and study or eat, or even to put under their feet, a true bonus since space is at a premium. These were a hit with our guys, so much so that they lugged them home for the summer and currently use them to lounge around their room. #winner#3
Fans
Y'all know our weather here in Texas can be nuts - small scale fans are a must! My peep April gifted a set of these fans to our boys for graduation. Having sent her two boys off already I've leaned on her tremendously as to what they might need last year. As usual, she knows her stuff...these are remote controlled and rotating. I may have "borrowed" one to use until they actually departed, you know - just to test it out. Bottom line: they're genius! Order one for yourself and your student!
Update: I cannot tell you how much I love this fan. I've already bought two for me personally including a small size that I put in my bathroom while I get ready for the day. Don't judge, when you hit 40+ in age, you'll thank me then.
Organization with the Space You Have
Cloth organizers will be the unsung heroes of this (or any) dorm room, I'll go ahead and predict. We purchased a few for each bed to act like hanging nightstands so they don't have to climb out of their bunks to get things off their desks, or off the floor. I found another cloth organizer you can drape over the mini fridge that worked great for dry condiments, snacks, flatware, and anything else food related.
It's so true that space was at a premium in their tiny dorm room for two. Hanging closet organizers were the bomb dot com as was the rolling cart for their bathroom. I also bought them this four tier shoe rack thinking it could serve as a stand in bookshelf which it totally could have but in the end, it fit perfectly at the bottom of their closet area and held heavy sneaks and boots.
Two Sets of Textiles
With two sets of textiles, they had no excuse to not have clean towels and sheets - one set on the bed and in the bathroom, and one on standby when that set is being washed. I even ordered two shower curtains...one for their actual shower and the other in a different colorway that was intended to cover the doorway of their long open closet area that was directly across from their shared private bath.
They appreciated the two sets of sheets in rotation but the two shower curtain theory was a little misguided. We used on their actual shower (the dorm provided the plain plastic shower curtain while ours was a decorative cloth topper) but it turns out it would have been difficult at best to hang the second one to cover the opening to their closet because of building regulations. Maybe its just my mindset to find cool ways to hide clutter but in the end they wanted easy access to their stuff and I let that design dream go on move in day.
Hanging Closet Organizers
These are great for maximizing space, and you can fold shirts, jeans, and sweaters in the cubbies if your dressers are full. The one I linked to below is the same one I used in my own closet refresh a while back where I also used fabric "drawers" inside the organizers for out of season clothes like sweaters or in a dorm room you could organize socks, undies, or other smalls. The choice is yours.
In the kids' dorm room, we were able to squeeze in two of these fabric hanging shelves sans "drawers" for their clothing (think stacks of jeans, pants, sweaters, and t shirts so they could see what to wear without opening drawers) and each one had a hanging shoe shelf as well.
Command Strips + Suction Cups
Dorms are very strict about no holes in the walls, so command strips and suction cup hooks will come in VERY handy. You can use these to hang curtain rods or makeshift tension rods to cover up the closet (if yours also don't have doors to contain the chaos) depending on size and regulations.
I found organizers that hang using suction for their shower and sink areas plus a rolling shelving bin that ended up storing their cleaning supplies and TP. Lucky for them they have a couple of built in shelves around their room (yep, while they chose to go to the same school, I insisted on the same dorm room for their first year away.) and the plastic storage bins definitely kept their clutter contained (at least when we visited everything looked corraled).
Designer tip: bring your label maker for those bins!
IKEA-esque Bags
These bags are such a great size, and we can carry a few at a time per person as they move in. I can see them even using these for laundry when the pile gets particularly tall. I do like these a bit better than the standard IKEA bag because they are able to be closed as well plus they come in a variety of colors and patterns. #win-win You could also use these to store out of seasons clothes under their beds.
I have now bought more sets of these than I can count. They were perfect during our recent primary bathroom renovation and I am obsessed with them, they're so handy. I even have a couple of empty ones in my car, you know, just in case I'm out and about and need something to hide a big haul in from the hubs. #kiddingnotkidding
Printable Checklist for Dorm Room Must Haves
Here's a handy printable checklist for you but definitely do your own research and see what your kids' dorm or apartment comes with any of the items below and also ask about measurements of the room and the bed before you start adding to your shopping cart. Their dorm at UT came with its own fridge and microwave along with XL mattresses and the furniture itself.
Hit & Miss
Now that their freshman year is in the bag, I asked my kids for their feedback on the list above and they both said it was pretty spot on. They never had to use the plunger but I bought one that had a combo holder for a toilet brush that was used at least once that I know of (still winning).
I did buy them a cheap set of plastic dishes and tupperware just in case they ever went out to eat and had leftovers to eat later. The dishes they said were never used but the tupperware was handy (I bought a three set of stackable glass with a removable glass protector mesh).
I have to tell you that we bought a pair of chairs for them from Tar-zjay as a last minute spur of the moment purchase before we left to head back to H-town after move in. I don't know if its because I was so exhausted from the brutal day but those chairs were so comfortable from what I remember but I know they were thankful to have another spot besides their bunk beds to chillax and hang out in ther room. #majorscore
Other must haves include extra long charging cords and surge protectors, zip ties and the like to corral cords, were also items I remember making last minute Target runs for. Our guys also bought grab and go snack and breakfast items for days when they only had time to eat on the run so consider adding that to your dorm room essentials while you're at it.
First Apartment Vibes
It's hard to believe that we're about a month away from them going back to school and I have in no way began to plan for their move into their first apartment other than writing this post. Based on their reports of what we purchased last year, I figure we've already made a good dent in the shopping list. Thankfully their new apartment is fully furnished and they only need to bring bedding and kitchen items like cookware and dishes.
One big difference between dorm and apartment living, besides the obvious, is the bedding size. Dorm rooms typically call for twin XL size sheets while apartment living can range from twin to full/queen or possibly king depending on the size of their rooms. Last year for the dorm, we didn't buy expensive anything but this year are planning to buy higher quality items with the expectation that they'll last through the next few years of undergrad and possibly through graduate programs as well.
The same goes for cookware...our boys both love to cook (and I especially love for them to cook because they're both really good!) so we're happy to invest in a nicer set of cookware and utensils for them knowing that you get what you pay for and that quality lasts.
I hope this list helps you prepare if you've got peeps leaving the nest like me. For any of you who are old hats at this, feel free to leave a comment below with anything you found for you or your own dorm room or first apartment that I may have left off my list. Inquiring minds want to know!
I said it once but I'll say it again, if you see me lugging those big bags around UT Austin next month, be sure and yell out "Alright, alright alright!" or "Hey, hey, hey!" {an homage to UT alum Matthew McConaughey}!!
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