Top 10 Dorm Essentials for Freshmen

With only weeks left until Longhorns across the country travel to the Forty Acres, back to school shopping is on everyone’s mind. While it’s exciting, dorm shopping can also be of the most stressful parts of freshman year - which is why we’re here to help! Stop poring over long, 15-page lists of “dorm essentials” and click through the images below to find out the top 10 things that we found actually helped us in our freshman year. 

Power strip

Chances are, your dorm room will have very few electrical outlets, and they’ll be located in all the most inconvenient places. A power strip will allow you to connect as many chargers as needed and extend the reach of your cords, making your late night phone TikTok watching infinitely easier!

Phone wallet

These adhesive wallets stick to the back of your phone and allow you to carry three to four of your most essential cards, like your driver’s license, student ID, and a credit or debit card. Now all you need to do when heading out the door is grab your phone, rather than searching for a purse or wallet which can be cumbersome to carry. Pro tip: you’ll probably receive one of these for free through orientation activities or student orgs!

Lanyard or keychain

Losing your room key is the worst -- trust me. Especially if you’re living on campus, the key and lock replacement fee isn’t cheap. You can avoid all this hassle by purchasing a lanyard or keychain, making your keys easier to locate and harder to lose. Check out the UT Coop for some cute burnt orange options! For an even cheaper alternative, tie a hair elastic through your key and wear it on your wrist so you have it everywhere you go.

Portable hamper

In most dorms, laundry is located on a different floor than your room, meaning you’ll have to transport your hamper down stairs or using the elevator whenever you need to do laundry. This is why you should prioritize portability when picking out your laundry hamper. Look for options with wheels, sturdy handles, or even backpack straps. You also want to make sure your hamper is durable enough to withstand the constant transportation, or you’ll end up with all your dirty laundry everywhere (literally).

Mattress topper

As if the twin size bed wasn’t bad enough, dorm mattresses tend to resemble a rock more than a place to sleep. A mattress topper will add a couple extra inches of foam or padding on top of your mattress, making that wake up call for your 8am a little easier. You may also want to consider purchasing a mattress protector, which helps keep your mattress safe from liquid damage, bed bugs, and other such nuisances.

Storage and organization tools

The myth about dorm rooms being shoebox-sized is unfortunately entirely true. In order to fit all your belongings into the tiny shared space, you’ll have to get creative with how you store and organize everything. Storage bins are an essential and a great way to reduce clutter. You could also get over the door storage for shoes, jewelry, and bags as well as under the bed storage for belongings you use less frequently.

Command strips and Command hooks

UT dorms have a strict policy against using nails, permanent tape, or any other hanging materials that can damage the walls upon removal. This doesn’t mean your dorm walls have to be boring, though! Command strips and hooks are a great tool for damage-free hanging. You can use Command strips to hang up posters, pictures, or other light objects and Command hooks for easy storage of purses, belts, bags, and more. When it comes time to move out, the adhesive will easily come off of the wall with no residue or damage left behind.

First aid kit

One of the worst parts of being on your own in college is having to take care of yourself when you get sick or injured. You can make this easier for yourself by being prepared with the adequate supplies, including Band-Aids, alcohol swabs, a thermometer, and basic medication like Advil, Tylenol, and anything else you might find useful. Stick everything in a small plastic container and tuck it away under your sink for whenever you need to use it. This came in handy for my roommate and I tons of times and is so much quicker than having to make a CVS run.

Portable charger

We all know the struggle of our phone’s battery life, which is always too short and leads our devices to inevitably die at the most inconvenient moment possible. Carrying an extra charger is useful, but only if you have access to an outlet. A portable charger will allow you to recharge your phone wherever you are, and will also make you extremely popular amongst your friends when their phone dies and they absolutely have to respond to that Snachat from the girl they like.

Mask

This is a new addition to the college shopping list, but with the current global situation and UT’s COVID-19 policy, it’s required that students and staff wear masks inside on campus buildings. It’s also highly encouraged to wear masks during other activities, including time spent outdoors and especially when social distancing isn’t possible. You can find both fabric and medical-grade masks at nearly every major retailer, or if you have some old t-shirts lying around and are feeling crafty, you can make your own!

Best of luck dorm shopping and moving in, and of course, hook ‘em!