college student in dorm room

Back-to-school can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time for college-bound students and their parents! To make the transition into college-life easier, we’ve put together a checklist of everything a college student needs in their new dorm room.

Overall Room Needs and Storage

Most dorms are already furnished with a bed, dresser, and desk, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find creative ways to store all your student’s belongings.

• Clothes hangers
• Cube organizers for miscellaneous items (snacks, school supplies, surplus clothing, etc.)
• Mini refrigerator
• Printer with extra ink and paper
• Microwave
• Mini vacuum cleaner
• Rug
• Bed raisers
• Double-sided tape for hanging decorations on cement walls
• Curtains (for windows and in place of closet doors)
• Under-the-bed bags and bins
• Bedside and desk lamps
• Full-length mirror
• Shoe organizer
• Sealing trash can

Instantly add shelves and hanging space to your student’s dorm closet (or apartment) with the Closet Maximizer.

ClosetMaid Tip: Don’t forget to coordinate with your student’s roommate to make sure you aren’t duplicating efforts!

Linens

Space is a limited commodity in a dorm room, so you only need the absolute essentials when it comes to spare linens.

• One sheet set (some dorm beds need extra-long bedding – check the school’s dorm website before shopping)
• Towels (two for bath and hand/face)
• Two pillows
• Mattress pad (also may need to be extra-long)
• Comforter/bedspread
• One extra blanket

Laundry/Bath

Remember, laundry and bath items need to be portable for dorm living.

• One bottle each of detergent, fabric softener and stain remover
• Soft laundry bag for easier carrying up and down stairs
• Shower caddy (needs to be water resistant, ventilated for fast drying, and large enough to hold soap bottles)
• Toiletries travel bag
• Hamper
• Laundry rack and hooks for wet towels
• Shower shoes

A cube organizer can hold everything from makeup and jewelry to emergency items like a first-aid kit and an umbrella.

Miscellaneous Items

Don’t forget the smaller stuff! These items are just as important to have as the rest of your student’s everyday things:

• Backpack
• Umbrella (small enough to fit in school bags)
• Desk organizers
• Noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds
• Mini tool and sewing kit
• Air mattress
• Surge protectors
• Extra trash bags
• Air fresheners
• Portable fan
• A first aid kit and medicine

Don’t stress. Even though dorm life can be challenging when it comes to storage, as you can see, there are lots of ways to make this small space work for your student.