Between buying a comforter, pillows, and the right amount of storage, prepping for college probably has you wondering where you should begin. While it may all seem very overwhelming, there’s an easy way to approach buying all the must-haves you need to begin your semester away at school--buy the best items, and don’t look back.

Not only are there lots of different types of items you’ll need--office supplies, bedding, clothes, etc., there are also several iterations of each one. And often, with more options, comes more stress. With a big life transition on the horizon, the less stressed you get, the more you’ll be able to enjoy it.

That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of the best and most important items every guy will need to ace their fall semester away at college, not to mention, make their dorm room look pretty great as well. No more clicking on countless web pages or taking endless trips to the store. All you have to do to see your must-haves for the upcoming semester is to just keep scrolling.

College Classic Twin XL Comforter

The best place to start when it comes to dorm room shopping is with bedding. This is for two reasons—the first being that your dorm room won’t be of much use if you don’t have sheets to sleep on, the second being that the easiest way to make your dorm room look good is if you coordinate most of the things you buy with your comforter. 

What’s at stake when selecting a comforter

Comforters are probably one of the most stressful purchases you’ll make for your dorm room because they need to check a lot of boxes. 

1. They need to be comfortable and warm enough for you to get a good night’s sleep. If you can’t sleep well, you can’t study well. And if you can’t study well, you can’t do well on...you see where this is going, don’t you?
2. They need to be durable. You could buy a new comforter every single year after. But comforter’s are not textbooks —- doing well in class doesn't rely on buying a new comforter every year. Which means, the more durable it is, the longer it will last.
3. And a long-lasting comforter means a long-lasting style. It’s great to not have to buy a new comforter every year, but this means there’s a lot riding on the comforter you do choose. The vibe of your dorm room will depend on the type and style of  bedding you have, so you’re going to want to make sure that whatever you pick is a style you won’t outgrow or get sick of seeing. Choosing something that is versatile, reversible, and easy to accessorize with throw pillows, will make your bedding last even longer simply for the reason that you won’t want to replace it. 
   

The stakes of selecting the right comforter, combined with the countless options out there to choose from, can make buying bedding one of the most stressful parts of your college prep process.

When possible, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be. Everything you need in a comfortable and stylish comforter you can get with the College Classic Comforter. It’s Twin XL size is made to fit typical beds found in dorm rooms and its brushed microfiber cover and polyester fill will make falling asleep in your new bed easy. 

The College Classic Twin XL comforter comes in a variety of colors, so regardless of whether you’re a guy who prefers black or blue, stripes or plaid, there’s bound to be an option you love.

For instance, the College Classic Twin XL Comforter in the Wonderland pattern is perfect for any guy who wants to stick with a  neutral or dark color scheme but wants to make things more interesting by introducing plaid into the mix. 

But, if you prefer something blue and brighter, the comforter in Clinton is probably a better way to go. 

And of course, you can always add some red stripes into the mix with the Doug pattern.

And for one of our favorite combinations, go with the comforter in Stanford if you want something with red and plaid. This comforter not only has a great pattern and vibe, it’s also easy to match with interesting sheet patterns. 

Steward Rover Trunk With Wheels and Lock

Buying all the necessities for college means you’ll need a place to put them once you arrive on campus. While dorm rooms usually come with their own dressers and storage space, this is often limited (especially if you have a roommate). Nothing kills the vibe of a well-styled dorm room more than extra sheets and tubes of toothpaste strewn about randomly across the room. 

Put simply, storage has the high potential of looking ugly. Do you really want to call a room with Lowe’s boxes stacked in the corner “home.” When you need storage that’s both practical and an aesthetic, the best option is to go with a storage trunk.

Storage trunks like the Steward Rover Trunk with Wheels and Lock come in several different colors, which means they’ll fit well into any dorm room, regardless of the colors and patterns you’ve already got going on in there. While they’re ideal for storing extra books, they also double as a place to sit when closed. 

Storage trunks can be pretty hefty when full, but with wheels and a padlock, the Steward Rover Trunk is both easy to move and secure. And did we mention it’s a great place to sit?

IZOD Blake Sheet Set

Common misconceptions about sheets include 

1. The top-sheet serves no purpose (we can assure you it does)
2. All sheets should be white
   

There’s nothing stopping you from buying white sheets (although we politely encourage you not to), but, let’s face it, they are pretty boring. You won’t realize how much better your bed can look until you start spicing things up with patterned sheets (similar to the fact that you won’t realize how important the top sheet is until you actually make your bed with it). 

The IZOD Blake Sheet is one of our favorite sets of patterned sheets. Including a pillowcase, fitted sheet, and one flat sheet (use it!), this set comes in several different colors, making it versatile to several College Classic Twin XL Comforter Sets. 

Greenville Throw

No matter what pattern you chose for your comforter, if you’re a guy who loves plaid, you know that there’s always more room for….well, plaid. That’s where throws come in.

You can get away with the College Classic Twin XL Comforter just fine, although a throw or blanket is always good to have around when you’re looking for something a little lighter or to use during a movie night with friends.

The Greenville Throw is not only extremely functional, it also looks great. By incorporating several different patterns into one throw, it should fulfill all of your plaid needs. And if blue isn’t your color, don’t worry—it also comes in red and beige.

Cable Knit Square Throw Pillow

By now you’ve picked out the right comforter, some stylish sheets, and a throw that will have all of your plaid needs met. But there’s still one thing missing…

Some people don’t understand the hype around throw pillows, which is understandable—if, that is, they’re merely seen as unnecessary ways of taking up space. In addition to adding some style and depth to your dorm room, throw pillows can also be comfortable additions to your bed. 

The best expable are these Cable Knit Square Throw Pillows, which, inspired by cozy sweaters, will add warmth to your dorm room even on the coldest days on campus. 

Hustle Printed Pillow 

Then, there are throw pillows that add some motivation to your daily environment. Their direct messages may make them seem less cozy, but they’ll serve as a reminder to get moving and start studying.

All Purpose 9x12 Carpet

Throw pillows work wonders, but they can’t help your room feel more cozy when you’re walking barefoot on a cold floor. Nothing says “home” more than a well-vacuumed carpet. We can give you carpet recommendations, but you’re going to have to vacuum.

While carpets don't’ take center stage in a dorm room, they make a huge difference in the overall feeling of the space. Put a carpet in and you’ll forget you’re living in a dorm room.

The devil is in the details, but it’s also in the end of semester grades. Which is to say, the primary purpose of college is not learning how to match throw pillows with comforters, but to get a degree in something completely different (unless it’s in interior design). 

Before you get the grades you want, you’ll need to have some sort of organizational system in place. And thanks to the Blue Organization Kit, organization systems that are helpful and stylish are not mutually exclusive. Part whiteboard, part planner, and part cork board, this organization system will have everything you need, and let’s be honest, it looks great in blue. 

Why make things longer and more difficult than they need to be? With the fall semester right around the corner, it’s time to jump-start your college shopping with our must-have items for every guys’ dorm room.