As move-in week begins, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement that new people, new places and new friends can bring.
However, once the dust settles, you’ll realize that those extra Amazon packages your mom ordered — and that you left at home — were actually necessary for survival.
Here’s a list of the top five things you didn’t know you needed until you realized you didn’t have them:
- Coffee maker
This one you may not realize you need until halfway through the fall semester when your dining dollars run out and that $7 coffee from Starbucks starts to look expensive.
Small, compact coffee machines can be found at Target, Walmart and Amazon for affordable prices, especially now with back-to-school sales and tax-free perks.
My personal favorite is the Keurig K-Mini Mate, which retails for about $50 at Target. You can also purchase plastic cups from Amazon, so it’ll almost feel like you’re actually buying it from Starbucks.
- Steamer
From rush week to business presentations, I found myself asking neighbors and suitemates for a steamer way more often than I thought I would.
It’s much more difficult to fit a large ironing board and an iron into a small 150-square-foot dorm room, so a compact steamer makes it easier to get all the wrinkles out of your clothes with much less hassle.
The Conair Turbo handheld steamer is a great option and goes for $50. If you’re looking for a less pricey option, the HiLife handheld steamer is about $25 on Amazon.
- Drying rack
This essential is more for the people who take good care of their clothes and don’t want to ruin their new tops or bottoms in the dryer.
While I didn’t use this, I did bring it to my dorm, and my roommate ended up using it almost every laundry day for her delicate items.
Instead of letting your new sweater shrink in the wash, bring a small drying rack that’s easy to pull out of your closet, then fold up and put back in.
The Container Store sells a very compact one for $20, but there are plenty of other options on Amazon and even Temu.
- Blackout curtains
This was one of the items I found myself wishing I had the most throughout the school year. I got last-minute curtains at Target during move-in week and was too lazy to go back and buy blackout curtains … which I quickly regretted.
After staying out late on a Friday or Saturday night, the last thing you want is the sun peeking in through your curtains at 7 a.m.
So, avoid the early morning tossing and turning and just buy the blackout curtains before it’s halfway through the semester and you get too lazy to go.
Pottery Barn Teen has blackout curtains for college dorms for $65, while Target also has a cheaper option for about $20.
- Medicine bin
I always thought the huge medicine bin my mom packed was going to be a waste of space and left untouched, but very quickly into the semester I found myself reaching for it more often than not.
My roommate, suitemates and I all used at least one thing in the medicine bin each month, especially because we would fall victim to colds and the freshman flu every other week.
To make your own mini medicine cabinet for your dorm, you just need a clear plastic storage bin, some organizers and labels if you’re feeling fancy.
TikTok has tons of tutorials for medicine bins, and Amazon has plenty of medicine storage box options for under $30.
It’s smart to keep things like VapoRub, Tylenol, a thermometer and even some Narcan. All residential colleges are stocked with free Narcan, but it doesn’t hurt to carry your own for emergency purposes as well.
In mine, I also kept Emergen-C and Midol, both things my roommates and I shared often.
Take it from someone who has been there and forgotten that: don’t wait to place all your last-minute purchases halfway through the school year, or you’ll end up lugging a storage cart across campus with a bunch of Amazon boxes.