There’s no way that you are going to live in a dorm with only the basics your school provides… So I have put together a list of the few but extremely important pieces that they neglect to tell you on these lists. Another bonus: all of these items are under $30!

1. Velcro Wrap Towel | Pottery Barn

No worries if you are running to the shower and didn’t wrap your towel tight enough. Or, if you’re holding too many things in your hand and can’t seem hold up your towel for too much longer. These velcro towels will not fall off of you! I swore by this freshman year. You can customize them with your initials and they’re on sale as well!

2. Command Strips | Amazon

Most, if not all college dorms do not let you put nails in the wall because of the potential damage it can cause. The solution to this is command strips and hooks. They are super easy to put on the wall and can hold a good amount of weight. Just remember that when you are ready to take the command products down, do not just yank them off the wall, this will cause the paint to rip.

3. Shoe Hanger | Target

Girls can never have too many shoes! But, in college shoes are a problem because they take up too much room in your dorm. To help you save space in such a small room, I suggest to get a shoe hanger to hang on the side of your closet or behind your door.

4. Small Vacuum | Walmart, Amazon

Small spaces like a dorm room get dusty super quickly, which is something that you’re not used to living in a bigger space at home. Get a small vacuum that you can use to clean the room every few weeks to keep the dust away. 

5. Mini Steamer | Bed Bath & Beyond

My freshman year I had such trouble fitting all my clothes in my room so I needed to get creative with my storage methods. Unfortunately this meant wrinkly clothes because they needed to be shoved in small areas. So, having this mini steamer was a life saver!

6. Miscellaneous Costumes | Your Closet!

No one told me about this one. Those old costumes and accessories you have lying around, bring them with you! There will be many themed parties and other events for you to go to, so do not waste money buying costumes every time. Dedicate an entire trunk of storage to these costumes.

7. Bed Risers | Amazon

I personally didn’t use them because my bed was adjustable, but I bought them and brought them with me on move-in day in the event that my bed wasn’t. I highly suggest buying them just in case your bed cannot adjust. If you do not use them you can always return them just as I did. These are extremely important because you need to utilize all the space under your bed as best as you can. 

8. Brita Filter | Target

It gets expensive to constantly buy packs of water and it gets tiring lugging these packs of water up to your room. An easy solution is to buy a Brita Filter so this way you can utilize the water fountain on your floor or in your building. 

9. Magnifying Mirror | Bed Bath & Beyond

Whether your dorm provides you with a mirror, or you buy one to put on your wall (using command hooks of course) these mirrors are not going to let you see the little things. My magnifying mirror was a savior! 

10. Step Stool | Target

If you’re super short like I am and your bed is super high, there is no chance you can get up there without a running start (which is impossible in a tiny dorm room). A step stool is also handy to get to those hard to reach places.