<p>TO CURRENT NYUers: A few questions, what are some stuff that you had wished you brought to your dorm, but didn't?</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Should we bring our our own mini-heater?</p></li>
<li><p>microwave?</p></li>
<li><p>mini-refrigerator?</p></li>
<li><p>mini tv?</p></li>
<li><p>xbox? hehe</p></li>
</ul>
<p>A fan if you are in a traditional dorm with no AC. Heater not necessary.
Lease the microfridge.</p>
<p>My D brought too much stuff freshman year, since then she has streamlined what she brings.Everything now fits in one carload.
Storage bins/containers. under the bed storage,hangers.
TV is good, unless it will be distracting.</p>
<p>A reading pillow, so that you can do work while on your bed. Sometimes you don’t want to sit at the desk for hours doing work.
Green grocer shopping bags.</p>
<p>Here is the link from CC Parents Forum about what to bring to college. Warning: Very long and comprehensive lists!</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html?highlight=buy+college[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html?highlight=buy+college</a></p>
<p>Obviously, some of the people are very detailed and may have included too much, depending on the individual needs. However, I found it useful to glance through and see if any of the items are necessary in my son’s case. So it can be useful if you use it that way.</p>
<p>A lot of that stuff on the list you do not need.</p>
<p>Power strip is definitely useful.</p>
<p>I agree not a lot of the stuff is needed by all students, but the list does serve the purpose of reminding individuals what might make their life in the dorm more comfortable.</p>
<p>I would leave out stuff that can be purchased later and get the items that make the first few days more comfortable, in addition to the staples or must haves like a computer, clothes, sheets, pillow(s), blanket(s), etc. Bed risers and storage boxes are helpful but also can wait until the person gets into the room to see what will work in the space and bed alloted. I have also decided to make up a medicine box for sonny just to make his life easier (with cold medicine, asthma med, sudafed, bandages). Of course, hangars,
paper towels, some dishes, silverware, along with boxes of cereals, laundry detergent, bathroom cleaning items, microwave, to save his hauling heavy items for blocks instead of just unloading from a car on Move-In Day.</p>
<p>SO each to their own. The list only serves to provide ideas for individual tailoring. And take it in that spirit.</p>
<p>what about some things that make their lives easier that they wouldnt necessarily have thought of initially?</p>
<p>Some lights that you can stick to walls and stuff are a lifesaver, when you are comfortably studying in your bed and your roommate wants to sleep. They are small, portable, and activate when you push them down, although I forgot what they were called, specifically. </p>
<p>Cleaning supplies, as sometimes, rooms are gross on move in day.</p>
<p>Air Freshener, and lots of it.</p>
<p>wooden,</p>
<p>That was what I meant by bathroom cleaning products (for the shared bathroom), as well as individual soaps, shampoos, etc. I think the portable and adjustable lights you are referring to sounds great. Can you find out what they are called? I just got a desk lamp for my son, but I think that and the floor lamp shed too much light when someone else is trying to sleep.</p>
<p>Also, I’m thinking a little shopping cart (don’t laugh) might be useful for grocery shopping days, e.g. bringing back big cartons of milk, canned food/ fruit, bottles of water or soda. But I’m still thinking about it because I’m not sure sonny wants to walk around with one of those.</p>
<p>You’re technically not allowed to bring a space heater, as they are prone to blowing the (flimsy) fuses in the rooms. We blew our fuse in Lafayette this way. </p>
<p>If you bring an xbox, don’t be like my roommate and play MW2 at 4am on a weeknight. That got old REALLY QUICKLY, considering I had 9am classes that semester. </p>
<p>BRING A WIRELESS ROUTER. Hide it when the RAs do checks, but it is so so so so useful. I just made ours password protected and gave it a funny name. “Vandalay Industries”</p>
<p>One extra pillow and an extra blanket, for any people that crash in your dorm. </p>
<p>Make sure to coordinate with roommates. My BF has a tv, so I brought a TiVo. That made our room popular. Hahaha.</p>
<p>ok, they are sold under the “tap on” name, but can be found under different names as the same product.</p>
<p>MAP, what would a wireless router be useful for? I thought we got free wireless internet from NYU?</p>
<p>We have free wireless internet in everywhere BUT the dorms. The dorm rooms still use ethernet cables, which sucks, so people use routers. Study areas in the dorms have NYU-wireless, but the individual rooms do not.</p>
<p>I found that in my freshman dorm, some of the electrical outlets were located in weird places, so if you want to use your laptop relatively freely around your room, I’d recommend a relatively long (around 10-15’ at least) ethernet cord, as well as maybe an extension power cord.</p>
<p>@evolving - the lights are called puck lights, just FYI. amazon has some for around $16 for a pack of 3.</p>
<p>guitargirlx,</p>
<p>Thanks for identifying the lights and referral to the Amazon site. There appears to be mixed reviews on these lights, mainly problems with excessive drain on batteries and low light level. They got 3 to 3 1/2 stars in the Amazon reviews, with quite a few unhappy buyers. So I will think some more about these. Also, hopefully, sonny will be studying the same time as his roommate or his roommate is not sensitive to desk lamp light that is pointed away from him when sleeping. Oh, the joys of mutual accommodation that you learn in college living. Now that is extra learning that you will gain tuition-free! :)</p>
<p>i don’t think puck lights are worth it, but i did get a clip-on light for about $25 for when i’m reading in bed. it’s brighter than puck lights, but still fairly respectful of a sleeping roommate. it’ll definitely come in handy for studying/winding down at the end of the night - i’ve been testing it out the past few weeks and LOOOVE it.</p>