If you're not sure what to bring to college this year, here is the ultimate list of college essentials for guys to help you out! From bedding basics to secret must-haves you won't be able to live without!
Whether you are living in a dorm for your first year of college or moving into an apartment, there are a few college essentials you won't be able to live without. While I know most guys' favorite pastime doesn't include planning or packing, it is something that has to be done to prepare for college living.
To make planning every guy’s move to college a little easier, I have made a comprehensive list of every single thing a guy needs to make sure they have when moving into college. From dorm essentials to school supplies, this is the ultimate list of college essentials for guys he won't be able to live without.
PS. If you are a guy living in an apartment next year, you will also need furniture (and decor)! I have an entire post dedicated to apartment furniture + bedroom ideas for guys here: 29 Cool College Bedroom Ideas For Guys (Suggested By College Students).
This post is all about college essentials for guys.
BEDDING COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
1. Mattress/Mattress Pad
Here is a little piece of advice: whatever you do, do not forget to buy a mattress pad. Dorm mattresses are the most uncomfortable thing ever, so if you want any chance of getting a comfortable night’s rest at school a dorm mattress is essential.
Dorm rooms come with mattresses already but if you are living in an apartment that is not fully furnished you will need a mattress as well.
3. Comforter
Depending on the size of your bed at home, you may be able to use your old comforter. But most dorm beds are twin XL, so chances are you will need a new comforter.
Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Amazon have hundreds of comforters for guys that will make your bed at college look and feel much more put together.
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5. Mattress Protector
Dorm mattresses are usually super old, so there is no telling how many guys have slept on them before you. A mattress protector will give you a little peace of mind when it comes to the cleanliness of your bed but will also protect your mattress from spills.
BATHROOM COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
8. Shower Shoes
Every single guy needs to make sure he has shower shoes as a part of his college essentials list for guys. Community dorms (especially guys dorms) are filled with germs. To protect you from athlete's foot, dirt, and all the other gross germs on bathroom floors, make sure you have a pair of shower shoes.
11. Shower Liner And Curtain
If you're living in a traditional dorm with community bathrooms you can disregard this! However, if you are living in a suite-style dorm or an apartment, you can’t forget this bathroom essential! Find a shower curtain you like and don’t forget to use a plastic liner to keep water inside as well. You will also need a curtain rod and hooks to finish hanging everything.
12. Plunger And Toilet Brush Set
This is another one of those items that you can leave off your shopping list if you are living in a college dorm with community bathrooms. But if you have a bathroom of your own, you will definitely want a toilet brush to clean and a plunger for… well, you know.
13. Toiletries
Don’t forget all your bathroom toiletries! This kit from amazon has basically everything guys need in their bathroom.
ORGANIZATION COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
15. Laundry Hamper
Leaving dirty laundry all over your floor is the easiest way to dirty up your room. One of the most important college essentials for guys, that you may not have even thought of, is a laundry hamper.
PS. The laundry hampers with removable bags make carrying laundry to washing machines in your dorm so much easier!
16. Hangers
The best advice I can give to college students moving in is to pack even more hangers than you think you will need. You will likely be buying clothing while you are in school, so buy extra hangers for new clothing. Velvet hangers are the best to use since they prevent your clothes from falling. Don’t forget pants hangers too!
If you are working with a super small amount of closet space, these space-saving hangers from Amazon will be your holy grail product.
17. Desk Organizer
Desks in college can quickly become messy since you will be working at them frequently. Keep a small desk organizer like this one from Target by your workspace to keep your writing supplies organized.
18. Shoe Organizers
Make sure you have some way of organizing your shoes! If you have the room in your closet, you can use a shoe rack like this one. But if you are tight on space, over-the-door shoe organizers are the perfect alternative.
19. Baskets
Baskets are a holy grail item when it comes to organized living. When I say every college student should have a few baskets, I mean it. You can use baskets to store all kinds of clothing, school supplies, electronics, and other small items. Using baskets to organize your room will make cleaning up and finding things in your room 10X easier (plus, they serve as great decor too).
20. Under The Bed Storage
You will most likely have under-the-bed storage regardless of where you are living in college, so make use of it! Buy storage bags and containers to store season clothing, shoes, and all other items you don’t use as frequently; this will save you a ton of room in your dorm/apartment.
{RELATED POST: 17 Genius Ways To Create Under The Bed Storage}
21. Folded Clothing Storage
Some dorms have built-in drawers already, but if yours doesn’t, you will need to buy organization products to store your folded clothing. You can either use an inexpensive dresser like this one from Amazon or use hanging closet organizers. These are a must if you want to keep your clothes organized and off the floor.
CLEANING COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
These are just a few of the cleaning essentials guys need in their dorm rooms! To find all the cleaning supplies guys need in their college dorm, check out this post: 18 Dorm Cleaning Supplies Every Single College Freshman Should Have.
23. Small Vacuum
If your room at college has any carpet at all, you are definitely going to need a vacuum. There is no need to purchase a huge, $200 vacuum cleaner though. This small vacuum was the one that I used at school, and it's still going strong. It is the perfect size to keep in small dorms or even your college apartment.
If you don’t have carpet anywhere in your room, you can get away with just a broom and dustpan.
24. Air Freshener
Keeping a room clean and smelling fresh is hard enough but keeping a guy’s room from smelling bad is a whole other feat. To tackle this, make sure you buy Febreeze and an air freshener to keep in your room. Not only will you feel cleaner in a fresh-smelling room, but every girl that comes over will appreciate it as well.
26. Laundry Supplies
Now that you’re moving out and your mom is no longer there to do your laundry, you need to make sure you have all your laundry supplies together! In short, this includes laundry detergent, stain remover, dryer sheets, and bleach.
PS. The all-time best laundry essential for college students is Downy's Wrinkle Releaser. This stuff is way easier to use than a steamer or iron and makes your clothes look just as good!
27. Bathroom Cleaning Supplies
College guys’ bathrooms are undeniably one of the grossest spaces I have ever seen, so how about we change that?
If you are living in a dorm with community bathrooms, you can skip buying bathroom cleaners since the janitors will take care of it for you. But if your college living situation includes your own bathroom, these are the three main bathroom cleaning supplies to buy.
KITCHEN COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
30. Brita
Finding ways to save money in college is always a good idea! Using a water filter to turn tap water into clean drinking water is an investment that will save you a surprising amount of money as opposed to buying plastic water bottles.
The Brita is the perfect size to keep in your fridge. Just don’t be that roommate that never refills it .
31. Dishes And Utensils
Dishes definitely need to be added to your college essentials for guys list! If you are living in a traditional dorm, only buy disposable dishes and utensils that you can easily throw away. I can promise you that washing dishes in a community bathroom sink is not fun.
But, if you are living in a suite-style dorm or apartment with a kitchen having reusable dishes is a must!
34. Mini Fridge
Most traditional dorm rooms have a mini-fridge in them already, but if not, this should be at the top of your list when shopping for college essentials for guys. This fridge is the perfect size to keep snacks and drinks in. Plus, it has a small freezer portion too.
If you are renting an apartment in college, your apartment will most likely already have a fridge. But if you are living with roommates, and want to keep some of your groceries separate, it doesn’t hurt to have a small fridge in your room too!
{RELATED POST: 24 Life-Changing Dorm Room Mini Appliances College Students Need}
DECOR COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
36. Rug
Rugs are the best way to instantly make any college room feel way more comfortable. You don’t have to have anything fancy, just pick out a rug you like to cover the old flooring in your dorm or apartment. I can promise you that rugs really will make all the difference in your room at college.
37. Lamps
Dorms usually have the absolute worst lighting, so it will be important to have additional lighting in your room. Buy a lamp to keep on your nightstand and a desk light to use while doing homework.
If you are living in a suite-style dorm or an apartment, you will most likely need a lamp in your living room too.
38. Throw Pillows
To make your bed (and couches if you have them) feel more comfortable, use a couple of throw pillows. Target, Amazon, and Home goods all have many options (even the pickiest guys will like).
39. Curtain And Curtain Rod
Most dorm rooms have at least one window, and while it may be small, you will be surprised just how much light gets let in. If you are a late sleeper that hates to get woken up by the sun, make sure you add blackout curtains and a tension rod to your list of college essentials for guys.
These also come in especially handy for mid-day naps!
40. Wall Decor
While your college dorm or apartment won't be nearly as nice as your space at home, you can still add decor to make it feel as homey as possible!
Have fun decorating your walls with decor that you love to make your room feel more personalized. Picture frames, tapestries, and LED lights are always a go-to option when it comes to decor for college guys.
ELECTRONIC COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
43. 10 ft Phone Charger
You will definitely remember to bring your phone and laptop to college but don't forget the chargers with them too! The 10ft phone chargers are especially great when it comes to dorm room living since a lot of the wall plugs are in inconvenient places.
Having a super long charger will make charging your phone in a comfortable place so much easier. Keep a few of these on hand in case you lose or break one!
46. Batteries
You never know when something you need to use requires batteries! This is one of those college essentials that you will be so grateful you thought of when you need it. You probably only really need AA batteries and AAA batteries, so this pack is perfect to add to your list of college essentials for guys.
MISC COLLEGE ESSENTIALS FOR GUYS:
47. Luggage
Every single college guy needs to have a piece of luggage on hand while at school. You will definitely need luggage for traveling home or visiting friends at other schools. A duffle bag like this one is the perfect size to take home during break or while visiting friends on weekends.
48. First Aid And Medicine
Chances are you are going to get sick at some point in college. Actually, I am going to tell you right now... you will. Being around lots of people all the time and living in close quarters makes it super easy to catch a cold. Keep a variety of medicine around for when you do get sick so that you aren’t having to run out to the store while feeling bad.
Emergen-C is a life-saver when it comes to preventing sickness, and Advil is just a must for headaches after nights out. Make sure you have other first aid supplies too, such as bandaids and Neosporin.
49. Tool Kit
You really never know what will need fixing around your college dorm or apartment, so it is really helpful to have a tool kit. Having one will come in especially handy during move-in and move-out too.
A tool kit like this one is a perfect size and has all the basic tools you might need while in college. I recommend adding super glue to your tool kit too!
50. School Supplies
While college is insanely fun, the whole reason you are going is to learn, so you will obviously need school supplies! You really don’t need too much when it comes to school supplies in college, but you will for sure need a backpack, writing utensils, and maybe a few folders to keep work in!
52. Fan
If you are one of those guys who just can’t sleep without a fan (my bf is very serious about his fan, too), you will definitely want to bring one to college.
Dorm rooms tend to get hot in the summer, so having an extra fan will make your room temperature way more comfortable. Even if you have a ceiling fan in your room is always a good idea to have an extra one if you get hot easily.
This post was all about college essentials for guys.
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The post College Essentials For Guys That They’ll Actually Use appeared first on By Sophia Lee.