Dorm room extras that made life more comfortable

On the topic of dorm room safes, when one of my children was initially prescribed stimulant medication for ADHD as a 9th grader, the psychiatrist told him, “If you are still taking this when you go to college, be sure to plan to keep it in a secure lockbox because it is likely that there will come a time that someone (who does not have ADHD) will ask/beg you for some of it because they will say they will fail a test otherwise.”

It was kind of shocking to hear at the time, but we certainly have not forgotten her advice. She has patients who attend a variety of colleges, including very prestigious privates, colleges with honor codes, etc., and she says this is a real problem. Apparently, people who do not have ADHD have a completely different reaction to stimulant medication than those who have ADHD.

Decide on what items are an absolute must have. For me that would be headphones that reduce noise. Yes, a mountain of stuff can be bought needlessly. Dorm rooms are very similar, small and have specific needs. It seems better to stow must haves and, then after a few days, identify and purchase what is really needed. Also, review preview policies for dorm rooms to find out what is not allowed.

This cart at Target made for a good nightstand: https://www.target.com/p/3-shelf-utility-storage-cart-gray-room-essentials-153/-/A-53201242

And we added this light to go with it: https://www.target.com/p/organizer-task-lamp-room-essentials-153/-/A-53331575

So now she has cords organized, a place to stash her phone, book, lip balm, etc. and a lamp by her bed.

@pickledginger sorry to go off topic but I have to respond to what you said. Have your child lock up the drugs. Ritalin and Adderall etc are sold to kids to get high. It’s actually speed. Very abused in college. It will wire a kid that doesn’t have adhd. The adhd kid, it will calm them down so they can be more attentive and so they can concentrate. It’s better if she doesn’t even mention it to her roommate. If it comes up then she can explain. If she is asking for more refills then usual… Then there is a problem.

You can buy some scented tealight and lantern for a tealight at IKEA. The total amount does not exceed $10. Make you feel cozy and warm in the cold night.

Earlier in the thread there was mention of a gel mattress pad from Costco. I got this exact pad for my daughter, and she says her bed is the most comfortable that she’s ever had.

Her dorm room prohibits candles, but for ambiance I got her a few LED pillar candies (I have these in my home and love them). I also got her an aromatherapy diffuser (I’m a big fan of Doterra essential oils).

My son had the lock cut off his bicycle and had it stolen last year. He didn’t take back half what he took freshman year. (Smaller room now too but more sharing among friends). The matress topper was his most needed and loved item. He also has an electric grill he is allowed to use that he loves. A large fabric wall hanging makes him happier than anything other than his lights he hangs around it. He does have a small safe, his trunk/coffee table, a small bookcase, first aid kit (homemade specifically for him), took kit, flashlight, TV table. Not a lot more this year. Boys are minamalists.

One thing I ended up sending my daughter by amazon prime was a small folding step stool. Her bed is pretty high up and it makes it a bit easier to get out of bed. Her roommate tried it and also got one.

@artmummy Did you look at the twin xl sheets for students at JC Penney? They are very soft and don’t wrinkle.

my daughter’s bed is lofted high enough to fit the dressers underneath. She and her roommate each (no planning) purchased a sturdy ottoman which serves as her step up to the bed, storage under the top and extra seating for guests.

Per above, D2 has footlocker size diamond-plate truck tool box. Secure waterproof locking storage too big to steal. Sturdy step-up to raised bed. Used for storage/coffee table/extra seating.

Plotted poster size campus map and adjacent area (google aerial base into powerpoint) with labeled buildings, roads, bus stops, ER, campus services, restaurants, major stores (for freshman).

Noise cancelling headphones, bed caddy/shelf, mattress topper, multi-tool, first aid kit with OTC supplements, long cord surge protector/outlet strip/charge ports.

Command hooks in a variety of sizes.

I got my son a USB hub tower and extra cords so that he could leave chargers and cords in his backpack and a set on his desk. A power pack source for the backpack is also nice.

Noise cancelling headphones are very necessary and prevent arguments.

We learned after the fact that DS’s school washing machines don’t always get hot enough to fully dissolve detergent packs. (They leave blue spots all over your clothes.) We did only liquid detergent this year.

Breakfast or protein bars and apples for super busy days. Don’t go hungry.