10 Essential Items You Should Be Packing for College

Price: $30
Where to Buy It: Bodega

Don’t be one of those people who carries a gallon of water around campus. It is important to stay hydrated though. Keep a much more appealing Nalgene on hand instead.

Price: $55
Where to Buy It: Champion

You will inevitably have an 8 a.m. class that you will dread rolling out of bed for. And trust us, you won’t feel like fully getting ready before leaving your dorm to go to it every morning. Sweatpants are essential. And they obviously have more uses than just the uniform for your 8 a.m. Accounting 101 class. The cafeteria visits, lounging around the dorm, cram studying for hours. You are going to want to stay comfy. Honestly, keep multiple pairs in your closet.

Price: $158
Where to Buy It: Birkenstock

For similar reasons to the last entry, you’ll want some cozy footwear for those days you barely feel like going to class. Keep some Birkenstock Bostons on deck. They go with pretty much anything, are super comfortable once you break them in, and their easy-to-slip-on-and-off nature is perfect.

Price: $14.99
Where to Buy It: IKEA

When the weekend hits, few things will be as important as a good speaker you can take with you. Just make sure your playlist is solid.

Price: $39
Where to Buy It: Urban Outfitters

Your dorm room will likely have a proper desk to do all of your studying, but let’s be honest, sometimes the comfort of your bed just can’t be beat. This will come in handy for those extra lazy days.

Price: $2.99
Where to Buy It: IKEA

Don’t be the person who leaves all of their shampoos and soaps in the community bathroom. Keep them all organized in your own shower caddy that you can bring to and from the shower when the times comes.

Price: $79.99
Where to Buy It: IKEA

Don’t forget about the necessities. A good desk lamp, with a built in charger to keep your phone juiced, is an important one. You’ll thank us when you flick it on for the first 2 a.m. study sesh.

Price: $279
Where to Buy It: Bose

As much as you love your roommates, there’s going to be those days when you need to throw on the lo-fi music and lock in to study for that midterm. A good pair of headphones blocks out all of that unwanted noise.

Price: $125
Where to Buy It: Nordstrom

Depending on the size of your sneaker collection, you may have to curate a bit when it comes time to move in. Sorry, it’s just not realistic to house 50 sneakers in your dorm room. But to maximize your space, we recommend leaving the boxes at home and grabbing a shoe rack.

Price: $99.99
Where to Buy It: IKEA

You won’t always be rolling out of bed in zombie mode without a care in the world how put together you look. For those times, a mirror is crucial. We shouldn’t have to tell you that. But in case you forgot, make sure to grab one.