Entering college usually means that a whole new living experience is in store for you. When you live away from your family’s home for the first time, many lessons will be in store for you, but you don’t have to go into it completely clueless. Your room will need to be your personal comfort space, and you’ll need to be armed with some information to achieve that effect. You want your dorm room to be a room that you’re excited to enter after a day of classes. 

Even if decorating isn’t something that you find fun, it is best to get it out of the way for your ultimate comfort. You’ll want to use decorations that fit your personality and work best for your space, but even more importantly, you’ll need to stock your room with essential items you can’t live without. Here are some tips you can use to make your dorm room as livable as possible, including must-have dorm essentials for guys!

Dorm Essentials for Guys: 

• Bath Towels
• Shower Shoes
• College Gear
• Bed Set
• Storage 
• Planner
• Lamp
• Laundry Bag
• Trash Can
• Wall Decorations
• Rug

What’s Needed in a Dorm Room?

A dorm room will be the replacement for your parents’ home while you’re at college, so you’ll need to make it into a mini apartment. There are certain things that are typical for an average home, but with dorm rooms, some compromises may have to be made since there isn’t as much space. Dorm room rules can also affect what you’re allowed to bring into your new room with you. Because of the space restrictions, it is best not to over pack. It is best to prioritize the bare necessities before worrying about the less necessary things that can take up space. 

Your dorm room will already contain the bare necessities, usually a bed, a desk, and a closet. You will need to fill in the rest. Bedding is one of the most necessary items to bring to your dorm room. You will need at least a few sets of sheets and blankets to keep your bed comfortable. You may need a rug depending on your flooring, and also additional storage for the items you would like to keep hidden away. Some of the things you need to bring will depend on the type of dormitory you will be living in. 

If you are in a dorm with shared bathrooms, you will likely need a shower caddy. You might also need to make sure to bring a pair of flip flops you can use as shower shoes. Depending on your meal plan, you might not need to store any food supplies in your room, but it could turn out to be necessary for you. A microwave or even a hot water heater can be useful. You will definitely need a trash can along with a hamper to hold your laundry. You might even need hangers. Find out what amenities your dorm room offers so you can be sure of what’s available. We will help you figure out what’s essential for your dorm room as an inexperienced college guy!

Have a Successful Four Years in College with These Dorm Essentials for Guys

College is fun for everyone, but if you’re a guy, make sure you come prepared!

There are so many things to consider when it comes to moving into your new home away from home. College is a big part of any young adult’s life and it’s important to be properly prepared to go. If you’re a guy who is wondering, “What exactly do I need to start off my college career on the right foot?” then you’re in the right place! We have the information you need to start the school year off right. 

Having everything you need for your college dorm is important for your comfort. You’ll need to find ways to stay organized during the semester to keep your space clean and comfortable. You’re even going to need the right college gear when it comes to moving into your new dorm room. If you’re a guy, here is your essential college packing list to get you prepared for starting your college career!

College Dorm Bedding

One of the most important things that you will need (that you should always make sure is at the top of your list) is an XL twin comforter set! Sleep is an important part of college and making sure that you’re comfortable is another important factor when it comes to sleeping after a long day of classes. Your time at college won’t go great if you suffer through restless nights. Sleep is about as important as studying. Make sure to get a comforter for your new college dorm room bed ASAP! 

Comforters come in all shapes and sizes, and most beds in college dorms are XL twin beds. Getting a bedroom set is super easy because it comes with a fitted sheet, sheet, regular sheets, a comforter, pillow cases, and more. Everything you need is included which makes shopping for this really easy and convenient. You might be able to manage with one set of sheets as long as you’re fine with your bed being bare during laundry time, but it’s a good idea to get at least two sets. 

That way you can easily alternate and laundry won’t need to happen urgently. We know it can be easy to procrastinate necessities like laundry, especially when you have other things to do. It would be best to accommodate for that possibility. Make sure to add this to the top of your list right now!

Get the perfect bedding set for your dorm room with a comforter, sheets, a fitted sheet, and some pillow cases! 

Bath Towels

Another thing that should definitely top your list when it comes to what to bring to college are bath towels. Maintaining good hygiene in college is an important part of everyday life, and something you should definitely continue to maintain even with moving away from home. Owning a set of bathroom towels will help to dry you off after a refreshing shower and even help to calm your nerves after the first day jitters. They can also be helpful for making your way around a shared bathroom or a dorm depending on how things are set up. 

All you need are a couple bathroom towels, wash cloths, and even some hand towels if you’re lucky enough to get your own bathroom in your dorm room. Make sure to get all of the bathroom towels that you will need upon moving into your dorm!

Shower Flip Flops

One thing that you absolutely need to make sure that you have if you have to use communal bathrooms in your dorm building are shower flip flops. Why do you ask? They are important to wear in the communal bathrooms and even while you shower to avoid getting any infections that can easily be transmitted through feet.

You don’t need a super fancy pair of sandals, just any soft or cushioned sandals are perfect for the shower. They should hold up after getting wet over and over again from being in the shower as well. Make sure to snag a pair because you will definitely need them for communal dorm bathrooms! 

Cabinets and Shelves

Trying to stay organized in college is a must, and keeping your room just as neat and orderly is just as important. If you know you’re going to have a lot of books pertaining to her studies accumulating over the years and need a place to store them, then make sure to get a small set of shelves or cabinets that can easily fit right into your apartment!

Shelves and cabinets are great to use to keep all of your textbooks, books you like reading in your free time, are great to use as an end table, put your TV on top of, and especially just to keep everything you need in one place. Staying organized in college is essential, so make sure to get a small set of shelves or cabinets today for your dorm!

College Gear

One thing that you absolutely have to make sure you have enough of is clothes. Having a new change of clothes is important so you can always have something clean and fresh to have in college, but to really prepare for your first day of college and even show off your school spirit is by getting some college gear!

Sit comfortably in your dorm room with all of the essentials you may need as a brand new college student! Image courtesy of Instagram.

College gear is important to have because it shows off how proud you are to attend the university that you are attending. College gear can range from t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, hats, jerseys, accessories, and so much more. Make sure you bring enough clothes to start out at college, along with snagging some college gear too!

Laundry Bag

If you’re looking into moving into a college dorm, just know that you will have to do your laundry. Making sure that you do your laundry and always wear clean clothes is a form of good hygiene that all college students should practice whenever they are on their own. Getting a laundry bag will help to keep all of your laundry in one place and make it easier to lug around.

Laundry bags or baskets can come in all shapes and sizes. You can get one that matches your dorm room, just a simple basket to throw your clothes in, or a bag that you can easily lug over your shoulder to take to the laundry room on campus. 

Planners

Planners are important when it comes to staying on top of all of your assignments, exams, meetings with your professors, extracurricular activities, and so much more. If you are going into college as a guy, even you need a planner in order to stay on top of everything in college! 

There are a lot of planners that are perfect for guys and not too girly that can get the job done for you. With being able to plan out your busy weekly schedules and plan out your day by the hour, or even just to plan out all of your classes long term, getting a planner is a great way to stay on top of everything while in college. 

Trash Can

You may think that you have everything on your list when it comes to packing for college, but one thing that you should always remember to grab for your dorm is a trash can. While we can easily forget to get one of these, they are important to throw out snack wrappers, paper, or anything else you have lying around.

Getting a small trash can is perfect because they don’t take up much room and it’s something that you will regret not getting down the road if you forget, or whatever the case may be. Make sure to snag a trash can before you head off to college!

Wall Decorations

Being able to express yourself creatively, or even just to showcase the certain interests you have can make for easy conversation when meeting your roommate, and of course help when it comes to decorating your dorm room. Don’t know what to decorate your dorm room with? Why not get some pictures, posters, or even a tapestry to put on display on your side of the room!

There are plenty of ways to express yourself in your dorm room with posters, tapestries, and other wall decorations. If you’re into sports, a certain music artist, a TV series, or just love looking at art pieces, there is a lot to choose from to hang up on your dorm walls!

Extra Storage Space

Are you a guy that has a lot of extra stuff that you know you’re going to be bringing with you to college? If so, make sure to get something extra storage space, such as a locker, trunk, or set of shelves to make yourself organized and ready for your freshman year of college to commence!

Lockers and trunks are more compact, so they can help if you just have smaller things that you wish to store away whenever you’re not using them. Everything from books, hoodies, clothes, and more can be used in these trunks or lockers so clear up some storage space, and what’s even better is that they can go right at the end of your bed, be used as a night stand, and much more!

Trying to remember to grab everything you need as a freshman going into college can be tough. If you are a guy starting your first year in college make sure to read over our essential college packing list and start a checklist of what you have and don’t have now!

Storage Trunk

A storage trunk is necessary for a dorm room because it will keep any clutter outside of view. Rather than have multiple small items sprawled all over your room, you can keep them hidden away in a trunk and keep them under your bed. Some storage space will be helpful for keeping your space comfortable. You will feel a sense of relief putting away the small necessities that take up unnecessary desk and drawer space. 

You can use it to store books, blankets, and snacks among many other things. A storage trunk will do a lot to help your space look great. It is highly recommended for college students to get a trunk. It's not only great for storage, but can also keep certain items safe and locked away whenever you’re not around. 

This storage trunk from OCM will be the most valuable item in your room, just like it has been for many students throughout the years. Not only does it serve as great storage, it can also work well for other uses. You can simply slide this trunk under your bed and keep it tucked away, or you can use it as a makeshift coffee table, a bench, and a stepstool. Whatever you can think of to use this as, it will easily work double duty. This trunk is constructed from steel hardware and is extremely sturdy. You can jump on top of it and cause no ill effects! That makes it perfect to use as a coffee table or a seat when you need it. 

Desk Lamp

A desk lamp is very useful for a dorm room space. Sometimes you need a little more than the overhead light, or you want to avoid disturbing your sleeping roommate. Having a small desk lamp on your dormroom’s desk will make many tasks a lot easier. You may think you don’t need a desk lamp because your eyesight is fine, but there are a lot of times when your eyes are straining without you realizing. 

Poor lighting may not feel like a serious issue, but it can lessen your productivity and exacerbate existing eye issues. Frequent strain also isn’t healthy for your eyes in the long run. A desk lamp can even help to alleviate the glare from our laptop screens. This means less stress on our eyes and less headaches. 

This easy clip LED lamp from OCM can be clipped onto any surface to provide you with some light. While you’re hanging out at different campus spots, you might want to do some reading. This little lamp will help that happen in any location and at any time of day or night. 

Rug 

A rug is an item that will really complete your dorm room. Check for the size of your dorm room beforehand so you can find the right sized rug, and find out what type of flooring your new dorm room will have. If it has wood or concrete flooring, you will need a rug to make sure that your feet stay warm whenever you step off your bed. You might still want a rug even if your dorm room is carpeted. You could end up with a carpet that is not very smooth, and a rug will help you feel more comfortable. 

This rug from OCM features an abstract graphic design pattern that will complement many different design choices. The neutral colors will work well with any other colors and patterns that you have in your apartment. It is soft and durable, so it will hold up to a lot of use. 

College living is an exciting experience that you get to share with fellow peers that are experiencing the same thing. You’ll want your space to be as comfortable as it can be to make your transition to this new life easier. When you’re prepared with the right necessities, you can turn your dorm room into the perfect living space!