Being a college freshman is exciting, scary, incredibly bonding, sometimes lonely, fun, hard, and everything in between. It’s a journey each person needs to make on their own, but you can help set them up for success with the perfect home away from home.
First thing to know about this new home away from home is that it is miniature. If your student’s stuff was previously strewn about the house, it now needs to be contained into one half of a tiny room. Storage is key! A collapsible laundry bag, an over-the-door shoe rack, a shower caddy, and under-the-bed storage drawers all will help maintain your, and your student’s roommate’s, sanity.
A small change that can make a big difference is a mattress pad! The dorm bed can be uncomfortable and squeaky, but one plush mattress pad can transform it into cloud nine. Seriously, a memory foam mattress topper is pretty much the best thing ever.
Another upgrade to the dorms is wall decoration! The bare white walls can sometimes make the room feel a little like a prison, but luckily this is easy to combat and can be a fun DIY project. Strings of Christmas lights, paper banners, photo collages, and maps are all great ways to make the room not only feel like a home, but make it uniquely your student’s home!
Finally, there are some practical accessories necessary for another extension of your student’s home, their laptop. This computer will likely go with your student everywhere: class, library, meetings, etc. To make sure it stays safe a hard top cover, a soft keyboard cover, and a sleeve to carry it in are all things to consider. Also to make sure the laptop will always work, a long charger can be a lifesaver for the hard to reach plugs!
Photo Credit: Pinterest
What else do you think is an essential for college freshmen?