It's just about college dorm room move-in time again! If you are about to be a freshman and are hearing all these things about what you need and don't need but don't know who to believe, do not fret! We have got you covered. There are two important things to know before you start the list. First things first, talk to your roommate(s) about who is bringing what. The last thing you want is to have 3 mini-fridges, 3 full-length mirrors, and 3 big vacuums. Secondly, you are also going to want to check with your school to see what rules they have about having certain items in your dorm. Without further ado, here are 18 items that you will probably want to have in your college dorm room!

Necessities:

1. Medicine

You might think you won't get sick while at your dorm…but trust me, you will. You are living in a building with hundreds of other college students and not all of them are going to have the best hygiene. Have things like Advil, Tylenol, Tums, cough drops, and Pepto-Bismol. You will also want to have a thermometer so that you can tell when you just have a common cold, or you might have caught something more serious. These of course are things you can buy at your school, you just want to make sure you buy them before it is too late.

2. Outlet strips

No matter how many outlets your dorm has, you are always going to need more. Make sure you buy one with an on/off switch, as many colleges don't allow outlet strips without them. You also will likely want to buy an outlet strip that has some USB ports, because your college dorm room likely will not have any in the room.

3. Nail clippers/tweezers 

You would be surprised how many people forget these things when they head off to college. Contrary to what you might believe, your nails keep growing when you get to college. 

4. A fan

More and more dorm buildings are getting revamped with air conditioning. Check with your school to see what your building has, but chances are, you won't have the novelty of cold air. A fan also has many purposes. It cools the room down, blocks out your snoring roommate, and provides some lovely white noise to put you right to sleep.

5. SNACKS

Arguably one of the most important things on this list. As an athlete, you are going to constantly be hungry. Make sure you stock up on snacks to have in your dorm room before you leave. Protein bars, crackers, cereal, and fruit snacks will all be your best friend. 

6. Electrolytes

If you are a fall athlete, you are going to struggle in the heat. No matter how much you prepare for preseason, the heat is going to hit you like a truck. Along with plenty of water, make sure you have lots of electrolytes such as Gatorade, Propel, Liquid IV, Nuun, or whatever your heart desires. You need to make sure that you keep on top of your hydration, or else you will be in for a rude awakening. 

7. Mini fridge

With all of the drinks and snacks you are going to have, you are going to need a mini fridge. Make sure you talk over who is bringing the fridge between you and your roommate(s), because you do not need more than one fridge, and you probably cannot fit more than one in your room either.

8. Lamps/alternative lighting

I can promise you that the ceiling lights that your college dorm room will have will drive you insane. Make sure you and your roommate(s) bring desk lamps, potentially a full-sized lamp, and/or some other form of lighting such as Christmas lights, LED light strips, or other wall lighting.

9. Scissors and tape

These things seem small, but I promise that you will need these. Everyone who does not bring scissors and tape to college will end up buying them almost immediately. They also make moving into your room much less of a hassle.

10. Brita Filter

To reiterate what I'm sure everyone is telling you, you need to drink a ton of water as a college athlete. Brita filters are a super easy way to have cold and clean water in your dorm room mini fridge. The cheaper Brita filters take a bit of time to fill up, so if you want to splurge, I would recommend the Brita Stream filter. It filters the water as your pour and saves you a ton of time. There is also the larger Brita Water Dispenser which holds a ton of water and you won't have to fill it up all the time. It is huge, so make sure it will fit in your mini fridge before you buy it.

11. Mattress pad

This is one you have probably heard a lot about, but I am putting it in just to make sure. The college mattresses are rock-hard and you are likely not going to sleep well if you don't have a mattress pad to put on the top of your mattress.

12. Pictures

It is hard to move out of your childhood room and change your whole life, no matter how far away you are from home. Bringing physical pictures with you is a great way to always remember the people around you who support you and have helped you get to where you are today. You can make a picture wall next to your bed or just keep them in your desk if you aren't the sentimental type, but pictures are always nice things to have when you move away.

13. Dustpan

You will be surprised at how dusty your dorm room can get. Especially if you are moving into an older dorm building, there is nothing you can do to stop the dust from coming. 

14. Throw blanket

If you don't have time to get all cozy under the covers in your pajamas, then a throw blanket is a great thing to have for naps or just hanging around your room. 

Optional items:

15. Speaker

A speaker is always good to have if you have people in your room a lot. It can also be good to have when you work out, and I hate to bring it up, but a speaker is great to have when you are practicing your fitness tests during the off-season. However, there are plenty of people who will bring a speaker, so it is not super important to have one.

16. Air purifier

You can live without an air purifier in your dorm, but it might make your life a lot easier. Dorm buildings, especially old ones, can have some nasty things in the air. An air purifier would make your chances of getting sick a little lower.

17. Febreze/air freshener

This one maybe should be on the necessities side, but you technically can live without it. I don't care how clean you think you are, you might end up with a messy roommate or you might just get a gross dorm room. Plug-in air fresheners are super easy to have in your room and they make the whole room smell amazing. There are also smaller air fresheners or diffusers that you can have on your desk that are a great option as well. A candle of course would work wonders, but if you go that route and get in trouble with your RA, don't go blaming me.  

18. Vacuum

This might be a controversial thing to have on the optional list, but it is definitely possible to survive without a vacuum. If your dorm room is carpeted or you are planning on bringing a carpet, a vacuum might lean more towards a necessity. However, I can promise you that there will be plenty of people who live near you that have a vacuum. If you don't want to spend money on a vacuum just yet, you will be just fine without one.