Moving into your residence hall can be a bit stressful! One thing that I worried about was making sure that I brought everything I needed. Here are nine underrated items for your room that you might not know you need to bring to college!
1. Brita
A Brita is a water filter that is much needed! I use my Brita every single day for clean, filtered water. It also removes the taste and odor of chlorine. Personally, I have a large water dispenser, so it holds quite a bit of water. Brita’s also come in pitchers, fridge filters, and faucet filters! These are very beneficial for college life.
2. Air Purifier
Having an air purifier is essential! If you suffer from allergies, it helps remove pollen particles from the air. Air purifiers also help students sleep better as the cleaner air helps with better breathing. They are easy to operate and help prevent individuals from getting sick.
3. Ice Maker
Along with the Brita, a portable countertop ice maker is a must have! It is very easy to use and can make small or large cubes. I often find myself wanting to add ice to my drinks, so having this on hand is definitely useful. The ice is produced in less than ten minutes and the ice maker stores quite a bit of it!
4. Bed Risers
After using bed risers during my freshman year, I never went back! By lifting your bed, you allow tons of extra room under it. This space could be used for extra storage, which I highly recommend, as your room will have a limited amount of space. In my room, I use this area by putting extra bedding as well as some items of clothing under my bed.
5. Handheld Steamer
In my opinion, a steamer is one of the most important things to have in your room. It is the easiest and fastest way to remove wrinkles from your clothes so that they are ready to wear later that day or the next. Even better, it is handheld, so it’s lightweight and not hard to transfer. Steamers can also help remove stains.
6. Printer
If you’re like me and find yourself writing many papers that need to be printed, you may find that owning a printer would be very beneficial. You also won’t have to pay for printing on campus, as it is your own in your room. If you need a last-minute paper printed out, having a printer on hand is a time saver! They are easy to set up and some even work through Bluetooth.
7. Portable Fan
In the residence halls, sometimes the air conditioning just doesn’t do enough. Because of this, a portable fan is much needed. I recommend having one by your bedside, as it is much easier to fall asleep. It also makes your room cooler if it gets too warm. Even if you find yourself always being cold, a portable fan is a necessity as you may have moments where a fan would feel like the best thing to have next to you.
8. Shoe Organizer
As I previously mentioned, there is unfortunately not much space for everything that you would like to put in your room. If you have tons of shoes, you will find a shoe organizer very useful! This could be hanging or on a rack. The one that I use is hanging by command hooks with mesh pockets. This keeps your shoes organized and easily accessible when needed. It also reduces any clutter in your room as you will not feel the need to take your shoes off and leave them out in the middle of the floor.
9. Dry-Erase Board
Since buying a dry-erase board, my lists have been much easier to remember. Dry-erase boards are so useful as you can use them as a calendar, to-do list, grocery list, etc. I use mine as a to-do list as well as a grocery list. This can be a small board that sits on a wall and does not take up any room! I definitely recommend getting one.
Having these items will help you succeed in college life. Most of these things are affordable and they are all very beneficial. I hope you enjoy living in the residence halls at SIU!
The housing portal will be open soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. In the mean time you can learn more about your housing options here.
