Dorm Room Essentials

   

With high-school final exams and graduation ceremonies out of the way, I know you keen first years are already writing your back to school lists for the fall. Don’t worry, the summer before university I too was just like you—I just could not wait to move into my dorm and live my life long dream of attending Hogwarts (aka Trinity College). For those of you moving into residence for the first time in the fall, your back to school list will no doubt be a little different this year. It can be quite confusing as to what you should bring with you—after all you don’t want to leave dorm room shopping for the first week of school when you will no doubt be overwhelmed with so many other things. That is why I thought I would compile a list of dorm room essentials to keep a look out for while you are shopping for the upcoming year.  

1. Portable Fan

GET A FAN—trust me. When you come into your room after boiling in the sun on the first day of frosh week, you will thank me! For some reason, Orientation Week always ends up being the hottest week all summer. Pair that with the fact that most residence buildings at U of T don’t have Air Conditioning, and you have a horrible situation. This is where your portable fan will come to the rescue!  

2. Shower Tote

Most of you will be sharing a bathroom next year—likely with about 5-10 other people    on your floor. This means there won’t be space in the shower area to store your shampoos, etc. So, you will have to carry all your bath products and accessories with you every time you shower. A shower tote or basket will make this so much easier.  

3. Shower Shoes

Now the truth is that a lot of residences are quite old, and that means the state of the bathroom won’t exactly be luxurious. Do your self a favour and get shoes for the shower. Nothing fancy—flip-flops will do.  

4. Printer

   

Now this is up for debate. Some people will tell you a printer is essential, while others will claim that it is completely unnecessary. During my first year, I did not print out my lecture notes, but in second year I found it much easier to print them out before class to take notes. I would suggest trying out what kind of note taking method works best for you and decide if you need a printer according to that.  

5. Mattress Topper

Again, you will thank me for this later. Getting a good night’s rest is so important if you want to have a productive day and do well in school. Now, most dorms on campus will provide you with basic furniture which will include a mattress. However, in my experience the mattress was far from comfortable. For hygienic reasons, your comfort, and the state of your back I highly recommend getting a mattress topper! These are just some of the things I found were important for making my time living in a dorm much easier. If you have some other ideas or question let me know in the comments! Until next time—happy shopping!