College move-in season comes with lists, carts, and the confidence that you’ve packed everything you’ll need. Once dorm life settles in, small things like doing laundry, taking showers, or charging devices start to feel more complicated than expected. With shared spaces and new routines, certain items quickly become go-tos. M-A alumni share the dorm essentials they ended up relying on most.
The Common Thread
General dorm essentials recommended by multiple interviewees include medicines, shower shoes and caddies, and command hooks. Dirty water is found across campuses, so many interviewees suggest bringing your own water bottles or Brita filters. Alumni also suggest thrifting dorm decor to minimize costs.
Holden Thomson ’25, freshman at Vassar College
Living in a classic triple dorm with two roommates, Thomson prioritizes maintaining space for himself and his roommates, something reflected in his tips.
Cleaning supplies, including wipes, brooms, and laundry detergent sheets, help sustain a tidy living space. A vacuum is essential for dealing with a musty dorm room and for keeping roommates accountable. “Making it a communal object makes sure that there’s no excuse to not clean up after themselves,” Thomson said.
Earplugs are also vital for dealing with roommates who snore or sleeptalk, according to Thomson. His number-one recommendation is a surge protector with multiple outlets. With limited wall plugs and many devices to charge, it is indispensable.
The chlorinated water in the dorm was another unexpected challenge. Thomson has to use a Brita filter or go to the dining hall for clean water. “I was so surprised that it’s such a journey to get water,” he said.
Thomson also shared that it is easy to get sick in college because everything is dirty. He suggests keeping medicine and masks well-stocked. “Bring a lot of it. Bring cough drops, DayQuil, Advil or ibuprofen, or, if you’re not that sort of person, Tylenol. Whatever it takes, because you will be sicker than you have ever been in college,” he said.
Condoleezza Brew ’25, freshman at Chapman University
Brew lives in a traditional dorm with one roommate. Her advice centers on comfort and adaptability.
Her top five dorm essentials are reusable plates and utensils, water bottles (as drinking from the tap in college isn’t advised), slippers, LED lights for relaxing at the end of the day, and allergy and stomach medicines.
Brew regrets bringing cooking utensils to her dorm. “When I was making my shopping list for college, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos to try and give me an idea, and more often than not, people would advise the viewers to buy cooking materials,” Brew said. “I haven’t used these items once because it’s most efficient to use the dining hall, especially after a day of classes and studying.”
Brew also recommends buying items early in order to guarantee you have everything you’ll need. With the rush of going to stores and buying other dorm items, she forgot to buy a mattress topper on time.
Sienna Aylaian ’24, sophomore at Dartmouth College
Despite the convenience of living in a single room, Aylaian was surprised by how time-consuming daily tasks like showering and eating became. Carrying a shower caddy across the hall or walking to the dining hall felt like more of a hassle than expected.
Aylaian’s primary can’t-live-without dorm item is her galaxy projector. “It’s a lot of aura,” Aylaian said. A small item that made a difference was the plastic clothing drawers, because she ended up needing more storage for clothes.
She struggled with the crowdedness of the laundry room. “Freshmen should just go to other dorms if the ones in their building are taken,” she explained. For bonding, Aylaian recommends bringing chai ingredients, a mortar, and a pestle. Also, two or three of each basic utensil—mug, bowl, etc.—for having friends over.
Aarna Singla ’25, freshman at UC Davis
Singla has a traditional dorm with two roommates, but since studying rarely happens in her room (shared spaces like the common room are her go-to), she focuses more on organizing her dorm than making it private. She advises purchasing storage bins, files, baskets, and anything that creates structure in a cramped space.
She credits a vacuum and regular cleaning for keeping roommate tension low, and she emphasizes coordinating purchases early to avoid duplicates.
Singla’s biggest lesson was flexibility. She advises freshmen to avoid setting expectations. “Dorm life works best when you’re willing to adjust as you go,” Singla said.
Colin Smith ’24, sophomore at Yale
Smith’s transition to dorm life came with an adjustment period, especially around cleaning habits and shared responsibility. In a suite with multiple roommates, he quickly learned that if he didn’t clean, no one else would.
His essentials are simple: a water kettle for constant tea, power strips, desk lamps, and shower shoes. He also highlighted communication as the most effective tool for managing noise, cleanliness, and shared space. He recommends coordinating the big stuff with roommates, such as a mini fridge. He also recommends renting major appliances for the year.
In Smith’s dorm building, if clothes are left for too long in the laundry machines, they will be moved into special red bins or tossed onto the floor or shelf. To avoid this, Smith advises students to set a timer when doing laundry.
Smith also discourages consuming messy snacks in the dorm, warning that frequent eating in the room will lead to serious pest problems. Instead, he recommends cleaner, low-mess snacks like almonds and Pocky. He also reminds freshmen not to forget dish soap and a sponge for washing utensils or water bottles.
Looking back, he reassures freshmen that dorm life doesn’t have to be perfect. Stressing less and accepting imperfections makes the experience far more manageable.
