<p>We're starting to think about what my daughter needs for her dorm room in the fall, and I'd like your advice. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>What did you take that you wish you hadn't?</p></li>
<li><p>What didn't you take that you wish you had?</p></li>
<li><p>What's the most brilliant thing you took that no one else thought of?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Her dorm has a full kitchen, so she won't need a fridge. She has a laptop/printer, and we'll be shopping for the obvious (bedding, towels, clock). What else?</p>
<p>Bring: duct tape–cheap battery powered alarm clock–duct tape—first aid kit stocked with bandaids, antibiotic cream, motrin, benedryl, cold medicine, thermometer, cough drops (more for the sore throats), one disposable “squeeze to activate” cold pack, extra toothbrushes, extra contacts if she wears them, and whatever else you think she’ll need-----extra bed pillow, garbage can and garbage bags, fan, extra printer cartridges, usb memory stick, cheap flip flops for the shower. Don’t forget an ethernet cord just in case the wireless connection goes out. Don’t forget to bring your medical insurance card.</p>
<p>Don’t bring: extra blanket (dorm rooms are usually hot even during the winter)—extra furniture—tons of clothes (Mom can ship the Winter clothes to her when they become necessary)—don’t bring more than 2 sets of sheets—don’t bother with lugging a “better” desk chair–don’t bring a phone for the room, just bring your cell phone because no one ever activates the landline in their rooms.</p>
<p>i didn’t take much with me that i didn’t need, surprisingly. i never used my mini-blender, but that was mostly just cause at the beginning i was scared to wake up my roommate by making smoothies in the morning, so i got out of the habit of using it. i do wish i had brought my electric blanket to school from october break, rather than waiting until january when they turned the heat on full blast and i no longer needed it. </p>
<p>the one thing i would make sure she brings with her is a CAN OPENER. seriously, no one else in my dorm thought of that, so all of my friends were borrowing it whenever they wanted chef boyardee or something. same thing for small tools, like screwdrivers and stuff. those are really handy if something breaks and you can’t get to the maintenance closet.</p>
<p>I disagree about the desk chair. I bought one for $30 from Target that is SOOO much better than the one they provided! Also think an extra blanket is handy.</p>
<p>Beach towels are good for lying out in the sun.</p>
<p>Swiffers are great for a quick cleanup. And I would have died without my roommate’s little dustbuster, even though I could rent a vacuum from the dorm.</p>
<p>Agree with the boardgames. </p>
<p>My roommate and I have a TIVO and a blender that we almost never use.</p>
<p>^Better yet, buy an all-in-one printer that does copies and scanning as well. Maximizes desk space and comes in very handy…I had to do a presentation where I had to bring a copy of part of my presentation for every student in class (Smaller class, only about 25 people). Instead of having to schlep all the way to the library and pay 10 cents a page, I just popped it into my printer and pressed the “copy” button.</p>
<p>Mine is an HP DeskJet F4280…my roommate has a smilar model, but it’s either newer or older (I don’t remember which) and it also prints photos. I got mine for about $60 on amazon.com and I absolutely love it.</p>
<p>Also, HP sells “XL” print cartridges for a few brands. They last much longer and are only a bit more expensive.</p>
<p>are you sure she won’t need a fridge?
there was a kitchen on my hall last year, too, but it didn’t have a fridge. also it would have been a huge pain to go all the way down the hall just to get like…milk for cereal or something.</p>
<p>and also you couldn’t really keep alcohol in a communal dorm fridge…</p>
<p>I don’t know that I would rely on the communal fridge. People in dorms tend to have sticky fingers even if they shouldn’t have any reason to. </p>
<p>I also think that the printer/scanner/copier is overboard. During my year at college so far, I have not once had to use a scanner or copier, and I don’t think that you’d ever have occasion to make enough copies to come close to accounting for the difference in price between a normal printer and a p/s/c. Even at 10 cents a piece for 25 copies, that’s still only $2.50. I would recommend a printer though, because it is just straight up convenient. </p>
<p>I think the only things I brought that I never really used were white-out and my mini-lamp. I got the lamp for free at after-prom, and ultimately discovered that it wasn’t actually bright enough to read by, so it kind of just takes up space. I also brought too many towels, but I do laundry pretty frequently so the number necessary would vary by kid. I brought four and only really needed two.</p>
<p>As for what I wish I had brought, it would have been great to have some cups, plates, and silverware. I found that I did have occasions where I didn’t eat at the dining hall and had nothing to eat on. </p>
<p>What ultimately surprised me is how many people came to school without a fan! Honestly, the dorms are hot and the white noise is good when you’re trying to sleep. I use my fan every night, be it summer or dead of winter, because the dorms are usually always hot. I also have many people borrowing my first aid stuff, including neosporin and peroxide. </p>
<p>That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.</p>
<p>LasMa never stated they were communal kitchens. My brother’s first dorm room had it’s own kitchen/bathroom, and thus, the only people with access were he and his roommate. (I’m not stating that she said they aren’t communal kitchens, but you guys seem to be making assumptions given nonexistent information.)</p>
<p>Oh, if that were the case, then no, a fridge wouldn’t be necessary. I guess it depends on whether the student is living in apartment/suite style housing or in a traditional dorm, then. I immediately thought of the latter because that’s where I live, and at my school each building has one full kitchen.</p>
<p>Birthday candles and matches. Got invited to lots of dorm birthday parties of people I didn’t know because I had boxes of candles. Thought it was the stupidest things to take to school but mom was right…</p>
<p>Forgot to bring/needed more: cups, washcloths, safety pins, more hangers, crayons/markers (when needed a mindless study break )
Never used: that many towels, didnt need 2nd set of sheets (wash them then they go straight back on the bed)</p>
<p>Definetly recommend getting all the necessary office supplies- stapler (with staples), tape, white out, hole puncher, scissors, paper clips</p>
<p>This is unbelievably helpful. Keep it coming!</p>
<p>Re the kitchen: Sorry, I wasn’t specific. It is communal, and we’ll have to see how it goes as far as items “disappearing.” If needed, we will get D her own fridge, but we’ll try the communal fridge first. Each student also has a small cupboard in the kitchen which locks, so things like potato chips should be safe.</p>
<p>As for the matches and the birthday candles, I mean… it’s a nice thought, but it’s also against the rules pretty much everywhere. You can usually get away with matches and lighters because you’re legal to smoke, and schools generally don’t expect you to get out your flint and steel when you want a cigarette, but the candles have always been a big no-no at my school, at least.</p>
<p>I would get my own fridge rather than trust the communal one. But I always store a lot of beverages in my fridge. I had one last year and it was almost always full.</p>
<p>Thing that everyone was jealous of: Our futon. I didn’t think we would need it but my roommate insisted on bringing one and it was a hit. That and our Xbox kept a ton of people in our room at all times andwe made a lot of friends that way. Also my car was a popular item for many to ask for since I was one of a few freshman who had a car, let alone on-campus parking.</p>
<p>Thing I wish I had brought: A nice mattress pad. The one I got was like $15 and it was awful. I upgraded to one that was $100 this year and the difference is more than worth it. </p>
<p>Other things that are useful:
-Computer speakers (laptop sound can be grainy at times)
-Basic medicine (advil, etc., best to have it BEFORE you get a headache)
-Fold-up chair
-Hooded sweatshirts (great for anytime of the year)
-Coffeemaker if she likes coffee
-Bottle opener</p>
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