The time to start preparing for college is drawing ever nearer, and many seniors don’t have any clue as to things that they will need in the new places that they will soon call home. Here is a checklist for some essentials to get you started!

1. Bedding for a college twin.

Many college dorms provide beds of which are college twin sized. Regular twin-sized bedding will not work for this size, as the college twin is longer. Be sure to check that you have the correct size since they vary from campus to campus.

       2. A desk lamp

Many late nights will be spent working on assignments and a desk lamp will be essential

for burning the candle at both ends and keeping your future bright.

       3. Shower Shoes

Since most colleges use a floor-wide showering facility, it is very important that you have

shower shoes since bacteria and dangerous organisms can be transferred from person

to person via the nasty bathroom floor. Make sure you have a layer between you and

everyone else’s germs!!

       4. Weather Appropriate Clothes

It is extremely easy to fill up all of your space with clothing that you own, but if you are attending a somewhat local college and plan on returning to your home for winter break, then you can change your college wardrobe depending on the season rather than crowding space with unnecessary clothes that you won’t need until next winter.

       5. Extension Cables and Power Strips

If you have roommates, fighting over the charger hole probably wouldn’t be the best way to start off a new year of living together. Getting power strips for various chargers and long cables to help your phone reach that top bunk is very important.

       6. A fan

Attention all SoCal-bound seniors! Not all dorms have air conditioning!!

       7. Stackable Storage

You are going to want to take so many things with you to your dorm, so fitting everything is going to be a challenge. Stackable storage units help in utilizing as much space for as many things as possible.

       8. Garbage Bins

Nobody wants a space filled with trash, and most dorms do not provide students with a wastebasket. There may be some scattered throughout the corridors, but that is it.

       9. Air Fresheners

Nobody wants to smell your unshowered stank from pulling all-nighters for a week.

       10. Appliances

Before buying things like a mini fridge or microwave for your dorm, make sure, first, that you are authorized to have these appliances in your dorm, and that your roommates will be willing to contribute such necessities as well.

Make sure to personalize your new dorm because it is where you will be spending a good bit of your time for the next year. Make it a space that you enjoy to be in and can relax in when classes become hectic and it feels like you’re drowning in assignments. Each dorm is going to have a different policy, so make sure you read it carefully. Good luck!