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This post is about a college dorm room checklist.
Exciting News! š
The Dorm Room Essentials *for 2024* is officially live!
Click here to read the must-have dorm room essentials for 2024 you need to know about.
With summer quickly coming to an end, it's time to start thinking about what college essentials you need to bring to school.
It can be really overwhelming deciding ALL the things you could possibly need in a year and it's easy to forget something.
This college dorm room checklist goes through everything you would need to bring to college in a way that is simple and easy to check off.
Also, this college dorm room checklist goes over the things you will actually need. I left out all the extras the people say you will use when in reality, it sits in a drawer or your closet the whole year. Believe me, I used a lot of products, so if I didn't use it, you will probably won't either ;).
This post goes over everything you need to have for college in a college dorm room checklist.
(Along with this checklist, I recommend you to check out my Dorm Room Essentials for 2019 post that shows ALL my top things that you should bring to college. It is my most popular post on this website and goes over a lot of dorm room products you would never think of needing).
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COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Bedding Supplies
I loved my college bed.
I know, a lot of people hate their college bed but I can confidently say that my bed at school was SO much comfier than my bed at home. All thanks to my incredible mattress topper.
I also read A LOT that people recommended that you have two sets of sheets. In my opinion, that's a little overboard. When you clean your sheets, make sure you can do it in one day and you will be golden with one set of sheets.
The last tip, if you are planning on bunking your bed I highly recommend you get a small container that you can keep up there for random stuff instead of having them lay all over your bed and fly off. (You can find a picture of how I did this in my dorm room here: 5 Dorm Organizing Secrets Every College Student Should Know)
- Mattress Topper: This is mattress topper I used in my dorm (and LOVED it). It's the cheapest and thickest mattress topper I could find.
- Mattress Protector
- Sheets: Here are the white twin xl long sheets I used on my bed (comes in other colors too).
- Pillow Cases
- Comforter: Check out my blog post on Top 10 Cutest Dorm Bedding Available This Year.
- Accent Pillows: Definitely recommend you looking at HomeGoods for pillows!
- Blanket: The BEST and softest blanket ever.
- Clip-on Fan: Literally my saving grace in college.
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Bathroom Supplies
There are so many things to think about bringing to your college bathroom that it can get really overwhelming!
Promise me, unless you have something really random, you won't need anything extra than on this list.
Biggest tip from me, bring lotion. Dorm rooms are really freakin' dry.
Check out my in-depth post on dorm bathroom supplies here: 6 Dorm Bathroom Essentials All-Freshman Need
- 2 Body Towels: I only brought one and then had my towel wrap, but a lot of people bring two!
- Towel Wrap: This is the one thing I recommend the MOST for college. It's the best. You can find the one I have here.
- Shower Caddy: I recommend a mesh one! I have had a plastic and mess shower caddy and liked the mesh one much more.
- Makeup Organizer: I use this clear makeup organizer in my desk drawer.
- Makeup Mirror: I recommend a light up mirror since lighting sucks!
- Hair Wrap: This towel helps my hair dry MUCH quicker!
- Basket for hair products: My saving grace for organizing hair products easily in college.
- 2 hand towels
- Hair Dryer
- Straightener
- Curling Iron
- Shampoo and Conditioner
- Face Wash
- Makeup Remover
- Shaving Cream
- Razor
- Loofah
- Lotion
- Hairspray
- Cotton Balls
- Nail Polish Remover
- Nail Polish: Only bring your favs... everyone has nail polish and are (usually) willing to share!
- Makeup
- Makeup Brushes: Unless you have a sink in your room, I don't recommend bringing a makeup sponge... It's a pain walking to the nearest sink whenever you get ready.
- Perfume
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Retainer
- Tweezers
- Deodorant
- Tissues
- Sunscreen
- First Aid Kit: Maybe a little overboard. Just make sure you have band-aids.
- Ibuprofen
- Allergy Medicine
- Tums
- Cold + Flu Medicine
- Tampons and Pads
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Electronics
Guys. Seriously, I cannot recommend a sound machine more!! It is the best thing ever for living in a college dorm.
I got mine from Amazon for less than $20 dollars. SO worth it.
- Laptop + Charger
- Extension Cord
- Surge Protector
- Calculator + Charger
- Sound Machine- HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! It blocked out all noise so I could even if my roommates were still up and talking. Also, I can only study in quiet spots so this really helped. This is the sound machine I liked.
- 10FT Phone Charger
- USB Drive- Especially if you are an art major or majoring in art classes!
Exciting News! š
The Dorm Room Essentials *for 2024* is officially live!
Click here to read the must-have dorm room essentials for 2024 you need to know about.
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Clothing
I always say that if you're debating bringing a piece of clothes to college, bring it.
I promise you if you don't, you won't stop thinking about how much you want that dang shirt (or whatever you decided to leave behind).
When I went to school, I completely forgot about bringing anything for when it was raining! You can find a post all about this here: What They Don't Tell You To Bring To College: Rainy Day Edition.
- Bras/Sportbra
- Tank Tops
- Shirts
- Sweaters
- Sweatshirts
- Jean Jacket
- Cardigans
- Jeans
- Leggings
- Joggers
- Socks
- Dresses
- Tennis Shoes
- Sandals
- Boots
- Rainboots
- Rain Jacket
- Scarves
- Light Jackets
- Winter Jackets
- Jewelry
- Hats
- Swimsuit
- Pajamas
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Cleaning Products
I have an entire post on dorm cleaning supplies here and how I use them to clean my dorm! Check out the post here: 5 Dorm Room Cleaning Supplies I Used To Have The Cleanest Dorm On Campus.
- Laundry Detergent
- Downy Wrinkle Remover- A miracle worker.
- Laundry Bags
- Dryer Sheets
- Trash Bags
- All-Purpose Cleaner
- Paper Towels
- Small Vacuum
- Disinfectant Spray
- Dawn Soap
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Kitchen Supplies
- Food Storage
- Keurig
- Paper Plates
- Mugs
- Ziploc Bags
- Plastic Silverware
- Water Bottle
- Snacks
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: Decor
Check out my freshman dorm room tour: The College Dorm Tour Every Freshman Needs To See.
- Bulletin Board
- Photos
- Command Hooks
- Rug
COLLEGE DORM ROOM CHECKLIST: School Supplies
- Backpack- Only recommend North Face. They are the only backpacks big enough for all the books you'll have in college.
- Pencils
- Highlighters
- Pens
- Binders
- Notebook- I get a 5 subject notebook so I don't have to carry around five separate notebooks.
- Tape
- Binder Dividers
- Stapler
- Hole Punch
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Planner: My favorite planner!
It can be so overwhelming picking out everything you need to bring to a dorm room and having a checklist makes it much easier.
If you want to download the PDF version of the checklist, you can get it sent to your email here.
This post gave you a college dorm room checklist that will make sure you don't forget anything when you head off to school.