Hey Everyone! Hope you are all having a blast this summer. In less than a month, we will all call Iowa City home again. Most new students are going to be living on their own for the first time and with that, the question arises: what do I actually need to bring to college? Here are my dorm essentials.

1. Organization! You will be living in a fairly small space, and on top of that sharing it with someone else! You will need a ton of different organization bins to fit everything in. I use a three-tier plastic drawer from Target to store extra clothes underneath my bed and loved it! Some other places I recommend bringing organization for are your desk, closet, underneath the bed, and kitchen area.
2. Vacuum. You may not think you will need a vacuum, but let me tell you that it is a must. If you are like my roommate and me, our hair sheds like crazy! Our rug was constantly covered in hair and we vacuumed every day. In the winter, the university salts and sands the sidewalks, and you will find sand everywhere. Having a vacuum in the winter is a must to keep your room clean. It doesn’t need to be an expensive vacuum, a small one that gets the job done is perfect!
3. Card holder! Having a card holder on the back of your phone, or a small one on your lanyard will save you so much time. Your Iowa One card is needed to get into almost every building, especially your dorm. It is so inconvenient to have to pull out your wallet every time you want to get back inside! Having it on your lanyard or phone saves so much time scanning in!
4. Command Hooks. Everyone says it, but it’s true. Command hooks will be your best friend while in your dorm room. You will want to decorate your room and put up cute lights, and of course, do it without damaging the walls (because we don’t want to get charged here!)
5. Power Strips! If you bring anything from this list, make it power strips! The dorms have very minimal outlets, and sometimes they are in the weirdest place. I lived in Stanley, and on my side of the room I only had one outlet, and it was right next to the ceiling! Talk about an inconvenient spot! I used power strips and extension cords for everything!
6. Medication. Believe me when I say it, you will get sick in the dorms. Having medicines such as ibuprofen, DayQuil, and Tums were so handy because you never knew when you may need it. After a long day of studying, you will probably be glad to have some ibuprofen with you!

Now that we have discussed some dorm room must-haves, let’s get into some things that I don’t think are necessary.

1. Futon/Chairs. While it could be different in a non-COVID year, I never found us using our futon. We occasionally had a guest who would sleep on it, but other than that it just took up space. I wouldn’t say this is a definite no-go, but if you are already cramped for space you can definitely go without it!
2. Don’t bring every clothing item you own! I made this mistake, and when it came to move out I was seriously struggling to fit in all in my car! I suggest bringing staple pieces you can wear again and again. This can include jeans, sweats, t-shirts, and more. Where I went wrong was t-shirts and sweatshirts. I hardly wear t-shirts, but for some reason brought almost all of them!
3. Printer. I know so many people who brought a printer and never used it! The university allows you to print for three cents a page! Also, I hardly ever printed so there is an off-chance you won’t even need to.

So, those are my must-have and maybe-nots for a dorm room. Take everything with a grain of salt because my experience may be different than yours. It’s important to remember to bring anything that will make your experience better! Good look everyone and see you all back on campus soon!