When your oldest daughter is 19 and just moved into a house with friends for her sophomore year of college and your youngest is 18 and about to move into a dorm for the first time, you witness a rare kind of magic: the handoff.
Alexis, my older daughter, sat down and made a list of everything she wished she’d known before moving into her freshman dorm: what she actually used, what she didn’t, what she wished she’d brought, what she wished someone had told her (spoiler: set boundaries early). And she made that list for her little sister, Kai.
It’s good. It’s smart. And it deserves to be shared.
So here it is: dorm advice from a college student who’s just far enough ahead to know what matters and still close enough to remember exactly how it felt.
✅ First, set boundaries with your roommate and neighbors. EARLY.
Before we even talk about shower shoes, here’s the actual must-have: a conversation. Figure out your expectations around noise, guests, shared stuff and that one person who will try to turn the hallway into a karaoke lounge at midnight. Future-you will be grateful.
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Mini fridge = non-negotiable
Unless your roommate’s bringing one (shoutout to Alexis), don’t skip it. It’s not just for snacks — it’s for sanity.
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Get a water filter. Your hydration depends on it.
Dorm tap water is… ambitious. Brita or bust.
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Bring two fans: a desk one and a BIG one
Even in air-conditioned dorms, airflow can be weird. A little fan for your desk, a big one for sleeping and maybe one to drown out your neighbors who don’t believe in boundaries.
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You’ll want curtains. Even if you think you won’t.
There’s always one streetlight that hits your bed like a spotlight. Pack the blackout panels. Trust.
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Electric kettle + French press = survival kit
Coffee, ramen, tea, Cup Noodles, oatmeal — this combo does it all. Skip the bulky Keurig and go with this flexible tag team.
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Shower shoes and a mesh caddy are not optional
If you bring nothing else from this list, bring these. You are not barefooting it in that communal bathroom. Not on my watch.
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Slippers … because the floor will be gross
Even in a clean room, there’s something about dorm carpet that just screams “please don’t touch me barefoot.”
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Laundry detergent: bring more than you think you need
You’ll either run out or become the person everyone borrows from. (Neither is ideal.)
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Shelf-stable snacks are the unsung heroes
Protein bars, mac & cheese cups, dried fruit, trail mix — anything that lives in a drawer and keeps you from rage-ordering DoorDash at 11 p.m.
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You’ll want actual furniture for your stuff
A bookshelf. Drawer units. Wire snack shelves. Something beyond “pile of bags in the corner.” Dorms are storage puzzles; you need levels.
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Hand vacuum: small but mighty
Dust, crumbs, hair. All of it accumulates fast in a small space. A handheld vacuum saves you from slowly going feral.
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Clorox wipes are your new religion
Move-in day. Mystery spots. Mid-semester anxiety-cleaning. Don’t be caught without them.
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Hammerable metal thumbtacks > Command hooks
Because cinderblock walls laugh in the face of adhesive. If your dorm allows it, bring the real deal.
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Desk lamp with actual brightness
Ambient lighting won’t cut it when you’re studying at 2 a.m. Bring something that can light up your textbook and your existential dread.
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Long charging cables = dorm survival
Outlets are never where you need them. Pack 6- or 10-foot cables and live free.
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Washable rug (optional, but cozy)
You’ll want something soft between you and that mystery floor. Bonus: it makes your room feel more like a home and less like a cell.
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Swap your bedding with the seasons
Light sheets for August. A comforter you’ll actually use in February. Dorms swing between “sauna” and “Arctic tundra” with no warning.
???? Things you don’t need (no matter what TikTok says)
✖️ Keurig
It’s bulky, it’s messy and it limits you to one thing. Kettle + French press gives you way more options.
✖️ Fun decorative lights
They’re cute … until one burns out and ruins the vibe. Also, some dorms ban them outright. Save your money and your RA’s patience.
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