Admissions

Student Voices

15 Unexpected Dorm Essentials

I’m a little over a month into my time here at UMass. I’d like to say I’m pretty much settled in. But I still remember the unending stress of being an incoming student, preparing my dorm checklist, and trying to figure out what my “essentials” were. It seemed like every article online was years out of date and filled with ads.

I’m a very Type A person, so you know I had quite the intimidating spreadsheet. But even I had to make several embarrassing Target runs my first few weeks to cover all my missing bases. Don’t worry, though. I’m here to remind you of all the little things you may have forgotten to account for during all your back-to-school shopping sprees.

1. A Bottle Cleaner

You’ve probably been told time and time again how important it is for you to get a reusable water bottle. I mean, it’s been a legacy member of everyone’s back-to-school list since elementary school. But remember, now that you’re living on your own, it’s your responsibility to clean it yourself. Otherwise, you risk the growth of mold and all sorts of other gross stuff.

I recommend packing a dedicated bottle cleaning brush, so you can get into all the deepest crevices of your water bottle. Remember, it’s recommended you wash your water bottle at least once a week. Keep yourself healthy!

2. A Mini Electric Cooker

Look, UMass has incredible dining hall food. That’s probably the first thing you learned about it. But you have to remember that you’re sharing these dining halls with everyone else on campus. Those places can get crowded. Not to mention how hard it is to make time for meals between classes.

That’s why you should be prepared to make a few meals in your dorm. And it really helps to bring a mini electric cooker with you. I’ve used my electric cooker for everything from ramen noodles to pizza rolls. They’re versatile, efficient, easy to clean, and reusable. I highly recommend getting one for yourself.

3. A Bedside Stepstool

Those beds are high up. Nobody warns you about it, but UMass beds come practically semi-lofted. You could lower them yourself using a toolkit. Or, you could take advantage of the storage space below, cover it all up with a bed skirt, then get yourself a little stepstool to make getting up and down easier. That’s what I ended up doing, and I’m grateful. It’s much better than leaping up onto my mattress every night like a pole vaulter.

And yes, I do suggest you expressly get a stool, and don’t just reuse an ottoman or something. From personal experience, a lot of these smaller pieces of storage furniture aren’t built for the regular weight of a whole human being and will fully collapse on you after the first week. Learn from my mistake. Get the stool.

4. A Bedside Caddy

One of my favorite parts of my dorm is my bedside caddy. It hangs right beside my head while I sleep, resting on my bedframe. It’s simply inconvenient to get off your, again, unreasonably tall bed every night and walk to your desk whenever you need a midnight drink, snack, or doomscroll. Especially when you have a roommate who you don’t want to bother in the middle of the night.

Bedside tables take up way too much space and are way too expensive. These simple caddies are way more convenient, compact, and cute. Definitely one of my biggest must-buys. A perfect investment.

5. Inside Slippers

As a rule of thumb, you should have going-out, casual, formal, and “stay inside and rot” versions of everything you wear. That includes your footwear. Don’t limit yourself to just sneakers, dress shoes, and your mandatory shower shoes.

I have a pair of adorable sheep-themed slippers I wear around my dorm building, and they mean everything to me. They make me feel clean and cute whenever I’m walking down to the laundry room or kitchen to get my chores done. All public spaces are a bit of a gamble, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel a bit extra protected.

6. A Handheld Steamer

I’ve come to realize that I’m one of the few first-year students I know who has one of these, and I have no clue why. They’re infinitely more convenient than an iron, surprisingly easier to use, and get wrinkles out with great success.

It can be a bit annoying, and to be honest, I don’t do it for all my clothes, but I think it definitely helps me feel put together for my classes. And on a particularly cold day, the warmth definitely helps. Not to mention how often you’ll have to attend formal events in college. Be it a career fair or job interview, I’d say it’s generally pretty helpful to show up as sharp-looking as possible. Appearances are everything, after all.

7. A Laundry Backpack

I dismissed my mom when she suggested I get one of these. I had a laundry hamper, and it wasn’t that heavy, even at full capacity, so I figured I could manage on my own without one. I am very glad she didn’t take me seriously.

I live on the 6th floor. Even with an elevator, that can be quite a trek. That’s made much easier when I don’t have to lug around my laundry basket behind me. And considering how often you’ll find yourself doing your laundry (which is surprisingly frequent), it would make your life a whole lot easier to get a backpack for yourself too.

8. A Mini Tool Kit

Everyone always overlooks this one until move-in day, when you have a million things to assemble and not a screw in sight. Unfortunately, living on a college campus means you’ll have to be your own mechanic and assembly man all the time. You never know when something in your dorm may break, and you can’t always rely on maintenance.

I keep a small tool kit tucked into my ottoman (yes, the same one that collapsed) just in case. It’s a comforting contingency, if anything.

9. Command Strips

You may already have been told to get these; I’m not going to lie, these aren’t as “niche” as some of the other recommendations. I’m only mentioning them because, yeah, these really are THAT helpful. UMass doesn’t let you screw anything into your walls, so Command strips are a great way to hang things up without causing any damage.

I got these Velcro ones that I used to put up some of my bigger, heavier pieces of wall art and decor. They work wonderfully. Not a single one has fallen yet!

10. Tension Rods and Curtains

Relating to that, if you’re not a blinds person, or you wanna give yourself a little extra privacy in your dorm, consider installing some curtains. The process sounds more complex than it actually is. All it took was one emergency Target run to pick up a tension rod and a simple curtain that fit my decor.

I love my curtain. It makes my dorm feel so much homier, and helps me feel secure despite living in a building full of other people. It also doubles as decor, which is handy if you’re like me and have an eye for the aesthetic!

11. A Lockbox

You have a lot of legal documents you oughta have with you when you move into your own place. Passports, IDs, medical records, immigration records, financial forms, your college paperwork, whatever. And all this stuff is super important to keep as secure and protected as possible. That’s why it's helpful to have a discreet lockbox hidden in your dorm.

I have one that mimics a book that I have hidden in my bookshelf, complete with a little key set I keep hidden…wait…no, I’m not telling you where. I’m in the process of getting my Massachusetts driver’s license, so I’ve found it helpful to have one place where I keep all my important stuff. That way I know where everything is and can be confident in how protected it is.

12. A Suitcase

As great as UMass’ campus is, you’re bound to get a little homesick here and there. Trips back home over break and during long weekends can be tedious and hard to coordinate. Make sure to stay prepared for them with a suitcase already ready for use in your dorm! I keep mine under my bed.

Most long-distance buses and domestic flights allow one suitcase and one carry-on for free, and as a broke college student, you definitely want to optimize the little space you have. I recommend getting a suitcase with multiple pockets and luggage straps. Those straps really help you pack things in there.

13. Unique Card/Board Games

If you’re worried about making friends or having something to do with your friends once you make them that doesn’t include partying, I suggest investing in games! I made a surprising amount of friends by playing Cards Against Humanity: Out of Line in my dorm’s lounge. In fact, I’m sitting next to one of them while I do my work right now!

I also do tarot, and I’ve found doing readings for people I know is a great way to pass the time while getting to know them better. Plus, they’re just plain fun and make a great, lasting impression!

14. A Portable Charging Pack

I’m sure you’re already packing an absurd number of spare chargers for yourself. But make sure at least one of those is accompanied by a spare portable charging pack. You’ll be out and about, walking around all day on campus, and considering how often you’ll realistically be using your phone over the day, it’s likely it’ll be drained before you’re back in your dorm.

I am notoriously bad at managing my battery, so I adore my charging pack. It serves as a helpful backup and prevents me from needing to leach off my friends. In fact, it’s a great way to endear yourself to your classmates. I’ve started multiple conversations by offering my charger to people in class while they were panicking. It’s definitely appreciated.

15. A Carabiner and a Bluetooth Tracker

I have something to confess to you. I need you to promise to be nice. Do NOT laugh.

I got locked out of my dorm a total of five times in the first two weeks alone. One of those lockouts resulted in me and my roommate needing to get our locks changed and keys switched out. That was a $100 fee.

What you can learn from my misery is that losing your key is a MASSIVE no-no. The best way I’ve found to avoid it? A carabiner I keep locked onto my belt loop, paired with a Bluetooth tracker. I like to rack up my carabiner with as many cute keychains as possible to keep it loud, bright, and heavy, so there’s no way I miss it if it slips off. And even if it does, I can rest easily knowing my tracker will lead me directly to it.

I haven’t lost my key since!

Preparing for college can be intimidating. You’re about to enter a completely different world. It makes total sense to want to come as prepared as possible. Make sure you’re thinking through your dorm checklist carefully, but also remember not to stress too much about getting it ALL before you ever set foot on campus. You’ll be spending all year here. You’ll have plenty of time to adapt to this place however you need.