Dorm room extras that made life more comfortable

bjkmom · May 2018

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!

doschicos · May 2018

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.

carolinamom2boys · May 2018

A small fan.

Cheeringsection · May 2018

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.

college-bound-parent · May 2018

Mini humidifier for the winter if in a cold climate. Area rug and futon.

techmom99 · May 2018

I forgot to mention this in the other thread, but my kids all loved their "husbands." It's the thing that leans up against the back of the bed so you can sit up in bed and read or work. It has arms on the side and some versions have a pocket. S17 puts his glasses in the pocket. They sell them at BBB. I love mine, too.

MaineLonghorn · May 2018

It depends on the girl. We got my daughter lots of stuff and the amount was overwhelming - she said it stressed her out. She brought "dorm mountain" home with her this month and plans to get rid of most of it.

gardenstategal · May 2018

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.

happy1 · May 2018

I admit that my D has too many clothes so we got a closet doubler (turns one closet rod into two) which helped immensely.

lookingforward · May 2018

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.

carolinamom2boys · May 2018

If going to school in a humid environment, get some DampRid to hang in the closet and throughout the room.

katliamom · May 2018

@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.

lookingforward · May 2018

Just saying, we had them when we were younger, too.

bjkmom · May 2018

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.

ProfessorPlum168 · 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.

bjkmom · May 2018

Here's one: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/arlee-home-fashions-reg-suede-oversized-backrest-pillow/3283274?Keyword=husband pillow

techmom99 · May 2018

That link is about right, but we paid about half that at BBB (didn't get suede) and it had side pockets. The shower tote shown in the side bar is the one I was talking about.

I honestly don't know what to call it other than "husband."

VMT · May 2018

I call it a husband, too. I had one when I was in college. So did my D.

I think anything that aids in organizing or expanding what little space she has is worthwhile. If her bed will be up high, think what she will need while in bed that she doesn’t want to have to climb down to get (hence the pocket that hangs from bed frame for glasses, and a clip on light she can turn on and off from bed).

Over the door hanger or shoe storage thing with pockets. 3-drawer storage container. Storage containers that can fit into top of closet to help organize.

ProfessorPlum168 · May 2018

I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed after seeing the picture. I was half-expecting some high tech device that does neck and shoulder massages and has a built-in alarm clock and USB ports and a food tray LOL.

techmom99 · May 2018

I bet there would be a market for that sort of thing @ProfessorPlum168.

ProfessorPlum168 · May 2018

@techmom99 here we go, this is getting closer to what I expected:

http://www.brookstone.com/pd/nap-shiatsu-massaging-bed-rest/973066p.html

Dorm room extras that made life more comfortable

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