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Dorm room extras that made life more comfortable

bjkmombjkmom Registered User Posts: 7,715 Senior Member
in College Life
OK, college kids, I'm asking for suggestions.

My son was easy. As long as he had a dry towel and a blanket for his bed, he was pretty much OK.

But my daughter... well, let's just say she's a girl and leave it at that.

We've already started, but I would be interested in any suggestions of things not on the typical lists that you've found useful.

Thanks for your help!
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Replies to: Dorm room extras that made life more comfortable

  • doschicosdoschicos Registered User Posts: 19,724 Senior Member
    A good reading chair if there is space for it.
    Plants.
    Good lighting that isn't the overhead lights.
    Quality bedding.
    Electric kettle - the kind that boils water very quickly and has an auto shutoff feature - assuming it is allowed.
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  • carolinamom2boyscarolinamom2boys Registered User Posts: 7,062 Senior Member
    A small fan.
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  • CheeringsectionCheeringsection Registered User Posts: 2,349 Senior Member
    Fairy lights, micro LEDS, or whatever you call strings of small lights. They provide enough light for someone to be up and someone to be asleep. Many are battery powered. Get the rechargeable batteries!

    A solar light (LUCI) good flashlight/lantern (Eddie Bauer) for when the power does go out. My DS ended up with several friends studying in his room since he had both going when the power went out the night before an exam.
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  • college-bound-parentcollege-bound-parent Registered User Posts: 54 Junior Member
    Mini humidifier for the winter if in a cold climate. Area rug and futon.
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  • gardenstategalgardenstategal Registered User Posts: 5,066 Senior Member
    A reading light that can clip onto the bed? Underbed storage bins? Pockets that hang from the side of the bed (for glasses and phone)?

    Mostly good bedding. This is so important! You want to feel great when you crawl into bed at night.

    These things all relate to being organized and productive in a tiny, shared space. I tend to agree with @MaineLonghorn -- more stuff is actually a burden.
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  • happy1happy1 Forum Champion Parents, Forum Champion Admissions Posts: 23,997 Forum Champion
    I admit that my D has too many clothes so we got a closet doubler (turns one closet rod into two) which helped immensely.
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  • lookingforwardlookingforward Registered User Posts: 31,474 Senior Member
    Lol, there was a the freshman room where decent closet space would have been good. 4 girls shared about 5 feet. And they're still close, years after grad. Then the year there was no closet.

    The dorm fridge. This was the kind about 30" high, we stocked it with water and D1 commented how many new friends she made, offering to share.
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  • carolinamom2boyscarolinamom2boys Registered User Posts: 7,062 Senior Member
    If going to school in a humid environment, get some DampRid to hang in the closet and throughout the room.
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  • katliamomkatliamom Registered User Posts: 12,746 Senior Member
    @techmom99 -- LOL about the "husbands." I was going to suggest to @bjkmom an extra large pillow to use to prop yourself on the bed to read/study -- both my kids found them very useful. But that was before "husbands" were invented.
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  • bjkmombjkmom Registered User Posts: 7,715 Senior Member
    Us too, though I've never heard them called that. She has one now that she lives on; she'll be due for a replacement.
    But the color, of course, will depend on what she and her roommate agree on in terms of decor.
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  • ProfessorPlum168ProfessorPlum168 Registered User Posts: 3,073 Senior Member
    edited May 2018
    What is this “husband” thing really called? Sounds like a great idea. We changed baseboards on the whole house a year ago and now my kid constantly bounces his headboard on the wall when he’s sitting up reading. He has a padded headboard but if his thingy is good I’d rather just remove the headboard - he’s constantly noisy with that thing throughout the wee hours of the morning.
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  • bjkmombjkmom Registered User Posts: 7,715 Senior Member
    Here's one: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/arlee-home-fashions-reg-suede-oversized-backrest-pillow/3283274?Keyword=husband pillow
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