College Being

Your college years are the time to absorb fresh ideas and experiences, while making new friends and figuring out life as you manage all of this independently, possibly for the first time. Being away from the comforts of your home and staying in a dorm room can be a challenge if you’re unprepared.

To make the transition from home and school life to dorm and college life easier, here are the 10 essentials every guy will need to take along:

1. Bed Linen

Clean sheets are essential to keep your dorm room looking neat and tidy, so take two or three bed-linen sets, which include pillow cases too. If you don’t change your sheets once every week, you’ll expose yourself to bacteria, dead skin, fungus and possibly even E-coli.

We shed millions of skin cells every day and our skin is a carrier for anything we may come in contact with throughout the day. Dead skin cells on your bedsheet combine with sweat, ultimately attracting dust mites. Having these mites in your bed can increase in the risk of allergies such as asthma. Take adequate bed linen and change your sheets once a week, regardless of how hectic college gets.

2. Pillows

Don’t rely on your college dorm to provide you with decent pillows because they may not be clean and might not support your neck. Instead, either carry or buy yourself a pillow that provides the required support. Another body part that requires support when laying down in bed is the spine. A body-pillow can help here. The good news is that if you are an anime fan, you can opt for an anime body pillow, which comes with illustrations of your favorite characters on the front and the back.

3. Mini-Fridge

You’ll need a mini-fridge to store perishable goods such as milk, cheese, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. It can also be used to store chilled or frozen items such as a large tub of ice cream.

4. Shower Caddy

Dorm living usually involves bathing in communal showers, or a common shower shared by a group of people. You will be going in and out of this shared space, which means you can’t leave your belongings behind. This is when a shower caddy becomes a life saver. It’s helpful in storing your toiletries and more. When choosing a shower caddy, opt for one made from quick-drying material such as plastic, and ensure it has several compartments to store your belongings.

5. Bathroom Slippers

If you are going to be using a shared shower space, get yourself a pair of bathroom slippers so your feet never touch the floor, which may be potentially littered with fungus, grime and all sorts of bacteria. Slippers with perforated soles will let the water drain away and keep your feet clean. Look for slip-resistant bathroom slippers made from rubber.

6. USB-Powered Lights

Working late at night, but don’t want to keep all your lights on? Plug in a USB-charged lamp into your laptop to see and work in the dark. This is also useful if you share your room and don’t want to wake your roommate while you work on an urgent project.

7. Hanging Shoe-Rack

No dorm room can accommodate too many pairs of shoes; and when you live in a confined space, your shoes somehow seem to magically multiply and take over your entire room. If you don’t want to see a pair of your shoes littered in every corner of your room, invest in a long hanging shoe-rack. This can be hung inside your closet or on the back of your door and has enough space for storing a large number of shoes.

8. Mirror

Looking at yourself in the mirror before heading out every morning is essential, if you want to be well-groomed. Sharing a bathroom can make it difficult to spend time grooming yourself in front of the common mirror. It, therefore, makes sense to buy your own mirror in a desirable size. Further, having a mirror in your room serves another purpose. If you want to make your dorm room appear bigger, get a large mirror to create the illusion of extra space.

9. Flatware

You don’t want to eat your meals with plastic forks and knives throughout your time in the dorm. Do take along some basic flatware with you. A few forks, spoons and knives will make the perfect cutlery package. Also, plastic cutlery proves to be more expensive and less environmentally-friendly than flatware in the long term.

10. Curtains

If you are a light sleeper and need complete darkness in order to doze, invest in thick curtains that will block out any light coming from the room’s window(s). Black is the best color and will ensure that you don’t wake up too early in the morning because of the sunrays sneaking into your room. Another alternative is to use a sleep mask, which can keep light from hitting your eyes, ensuring that you get adequate sleep.

These are a few essentials every college-ready guy should take with him to his new dorm room. College is a place to make new friends, study the subjects you are passionate about, and find your true calling for the future. A comfortable dorm room will ensure that you make the most of your college years. The above-mentioned 10 basics will make your transition into this new world a lot easier.

Rose Martin is an editor at Coosfly and she loves to share her insights and perspectives on college lifestyle, fun, party and health. Rose is also interested in music, fitness and art. In spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends.