I would argue that the most, if not only, essential item you need in a dorm is a mattress protector. Dorm mattresses are disGUSTing!!! And sandals/flip flops to wear in the shower, but those are 100% essential and non negational
I’d also add , a pillow from home + favorite blanket, your meds if any , school supplies (paper pencil books ect) and a towel . But omg yes flip flops are so important
I agree. I am an adult who shares a flat and the mattress protector and some simple flip flops just for showering are essential . The pillows are mine so I would also recommend 👍🏻
I live in Spain and for me this kind of content is quite fascinating to see, as in Europe it's very common for college students to live with their parents. I think that's because generally our university is much closer to where we live, compared to you guys. We also have very good public transport, so even if you live outside of the city you can still get to your university in a relatively short period of time. Of course, the US is a huge country, whereas many European countries are quite small, so distances can be covered quickly. This also makes me think of how many students do not have a car here (even though probably about half of them have a driving license), whereas many people in the US absolutely depend on them to get anywhere.
That sounds so nice honestly 😅 I would have rather lived with my parents at that point but ur right the school was 3.5 hour drive away and Florida had ZERO transport between cities
@@Aixopluc_bcn haha no worries I lasted one semester and then went back home and did community college at my parents instead. So much better and only 2 miles away
I work for a college as a campus safety officer. The amount of fully functioning and pretty much brand new items people throw away is gross. I let the homeless take it because I believe in recycling and finders keepers. Throwing away a perfectly good microwave is unacceptable and harmful to the environment. Seeing those end of the year dumpsters makes my stomach sick a little bit.
that really sucks! i've also seen a lot of stuff in thrift stores so hopefully that gets normalized more and people actually reuse and recycle these items
My university had a dropoff sort of deal during the last week of school where students could leave everything they didn't want to take with them in the first floor common room, and the university would donate it for them after the dorms closed. Other students could look through it for anything they wanted, which is how I got a perfectly functional coffee maker that I still use. More colleges should do something similar.
@ No, you should! Go at move in week and the week kids move out. Just don’t do it on campuses that have campus safety police officers. I am not a police officer so I can have that discretion.
As a incoming college freshman, I needed this video. Between all the conflicting advice on what to bring and the excitement/nervousness of moving in, it's been hard to not just buy everything I've been told to by people who "know better" than me. But an influencer doesn't know better than me about MY needs.
So glad this was helpful and I hope you have a wonderful time! You know yourself best, and know your specific dorm rules whereas myself and other creators online don't. You can get what makes sense for you, your dorm, and your needs! You got this
Excited for you! If your dorm is anything like mine was, theres not space for everything some influencer tells you that you need lol. My (unsolicited) advice is to show up with the essentials that you KNOW you will actually need and not much else. There's no rule that you can't get more stuff after you've moved in. It's hard to know what things will just end up cluttering your limited space and what things you'll wish you had and maybe never considered, until you actually move in and test it out. Then you get to be the one to make the calls on what you actually want in your dorm
I’m an incoming freshman too! A little bit of advice my friend (who has lived in a dorm) gave me was to loft your bed enough to store a mini fridge (or stuff you don’t need right away like whatever you used to move in)!
Exactly! Moving in will be exciting on its own, you don't need to buy stuff to make it exciting. My advice is to buy basic essentials (bathroom caddy, shower shoes, some dishes and utensils, mattress cover, etc.) and you don't have to buy everything you can borrow from your home too. And when you get there, and you know how much space you have and your budget, then you can sort out what else you need to get and what you actually can get. No need to bring in a bunch of stuff you don't really need. Just wait until you get there to figure out what's missing, it won't be impossible to get stuff you need later on.
if you want another piece of advice regarding what to bring: if you've never lived on your own, bring something that is an everyday usable at your home that feels like home. the hand soap you use, the specific brand and flavor of tea you drink in the morning, something small like that that you can just use to bring a little bit of home with you. It'll make the space feel more homey and the transition is less jarring, and it's usually pretty cheap and doesnt take up space
If you think this is bad wait till you see the content targeted at pregnant people. The baby “must have” videos are crazy. There’s this $500 baby mattress that people guilt each other about even though they all pass the same safety standards and that’s just one example.
this would be a great topic for sure, the "must-have" culture is insane and lots of guilting or implying you're a bad parent if you don't get all the expensive supplies and gadgets.
I hate to seem like that person, but don’t you mean just women? Just making sure- I don’t mean to come off as rude 😅. There’s no such thing as “pregnant people”, it’s just women
@@theoriginaltoba I wasn’t intending on being political, you’re over analyzing. Normally, I don’t like when dad says, “WE are pregnant,” but in this case dad needs to be included because it is about parents buying stuff. Dad is just as vulnerable in overconsumption as mom. Using a plural pronoun is the fastest way to include dads. Also, women are indeed people, it’s not offensive to call women persons. Lastly, if you hate to be that person then don’t be.
@@Wanda-v4b well I don’t mean to come across as political- and I understand now that you’ve explained your point. I’m sorry if I offended you- it’s just that I’ve seen too many people use that language in an offensive manner towards women. 😅
(because thats a brand new one, bought for her dorm) (she probably has one on her bed at home) (if you travel home for breaks and shit, do you want to move your bedding EVERY TIME??) (no, that shits impractical)
@@dymetex6360 This was my thought as well. Granted I never went home after I moved to college for the first time, but so many of my friends did. Some of them lived a 5 hour flight away but still came home at least 3 times a year. Having to haul your preferred pillow back and forth sounds so annoying.
The way I went to college with $100 in hand, a new comforter/ sheet set from Walmart, and 3 new outfits, I am flabbergasted by these hauls. Just APPALLED First generation scholarship students, THIS TIKTOK TREND IS NOT FOR US 😩 Sit this one out loves, it's not worth the heartache
@@cantstatemyname Being broke in school in general is a great way to learn how to live with the minimum, no better way to teach yourself financial responsibility than having a very limited budget for everything.
@@cantstatemyname I don't live in the dorms but I'm still mildly horrified seeing what some of my classmates do. My family's well off, and that's affected my own circumstances. But they also stay like this by having some common sense! Other factors too, but that's all near useless if you buy a ton of junk every two weeks. The garbage people buy... It's like nobody ever taught them any semblance of financial literacy. I have a nice laptop as a HS graduation gift and that's the splurge. I baby it to keep it in good shape. I've been reusing the same pack of pencils since freshman year (junior now). My notebooks are boring paper and I'll reuse if there's room. If no room, blank pages are my scratch paper instead of buying a pack. I'll use the same handed down waterbottle my mom has had since I was in HS or middle school. No trendy coffees, just vending machine if my blood sugar is low or eat a simple packed lunch from home/at home. I do have a nice stethoscope because it's actually something I'll use in the field and cheaper than rebuying one that's capable, for after graduation. It's still the bottom for what I can realistically expect- no need for a cardiology stethoscope. This trend isn't for anyone who actually wants to have money, not just junk they'll throw away in a year. That kind of nonsense is how people manage to live paycheck to paycheck on six figure salaries. Unfortunately my major is one known for getting rich after graduation (never mind that depends on where you live/experience) and it attracts a certain type of behavior.
Also thrift stores in college towns are loaded with most of what youd need if you had a full kitchen you needed to supply. One near me, i swear the students buy all new stuff then donate it after their first year.
thrift stores in general omg you can get nice good quality silverware/cups/thermos/towels, lots of household essentials without paying the price for a brand-new item
I got new bedding for my college dorm’s twin XL mattresses and held onto it even after graduating. I just passed it on to my grandma for her room in a nursing home. She loves it!
@@shawnaripari Fun fact: hospital beds are Twin XL like college dorm beds so you can pass the bedding for them along to an elder or anyone using a hospital bed (at home or in a facility)
to those who had dorms that came with desk lamps, trash cans, and vacuums, i commend you and i am jealous. my dorm came with a bed that is the likely source of my 36-year-old back pain, a tiny sink, and the most uncomfortable desk chair you have ever imagined. and they were considered NICE at the time bc of the sink! you had to bring EVERYTHING. it gave orange is the new black. on a good day. one common room/kitchen/laundry for the whole 4-floor dorm, and one bathroom per floor. never again, ladies. never again.
yeah literally !! the ones I had at two different universities didn't have anything except for the bed , the desk and a chair that's it , no trash can , no lamps , nothing extra then the bare minimum ( for the rooms ). With the one it was more of an apartment and the other was a dorm like set up. The dorm set up only had one laundry room for the whole building , thankfully though I had my own kitchen in my space & had a bathroom of our own , not communal and a living / common room.
Yep- this setup exactly. Long rectangular window near the ceiling we couldn’t even see out of due to being on first floor which was kind of a basement (like half-buried in the ground? It was weird.) Cinderblock walls that were always semi-damp. 18 tiny double occupancy rooms… one gross locker room style bathroom. The closets in our dorm room were metal, and I was afraid my tetanus shot was going to be tested every day because those edges (esp the bottom) were rusty. I tried to make it cute… it wasn’t. I took most of the cute stuff home (or it was ruined or stolen) and just survived, and then made my first apartment budget adorable!
Not all universities have rentable vaccumes. Mine never did. Even if they did, I wouldn't use it anyway because of sanitary reasons. We had a bed bug infestation in the dorms once, so no thanks. I still use my vaccum I purchased in school to this day and I'm 27. I don't think there is anything wrong with purchasing what the first ladies suggested because most people only purchase these once and use them until they break. It's nice to have your own things, and plus it's sanitary in some cases. Non essential dorm items I would argue would include decorations, an ice cream machine, just things like that. I always went by the rule that I needed to be able to fit all my stuff in my car in one go. I haven't had any issues with that rule...and I drove a Nissan Versa Note so it was indeed a very small car.
@rc3wondere the point of mentioning the rentable vacuum wasn't to say all unis/colleges have that or even that this should be an expectation. The point was to say that different options and experiences exist beyond what a creator is showing in their video and it may or may not apply to you.
My dorms had tile or wood floors. I used a broom mostly, but I did inherit a handheld vacuum from a friend that I used on my rug. I also drive a really small car and whatever didn’t fit didn’t come. It saved so much time when move out came.
I’ve never heard of a school disallowing fans. Space heaters, yes. Fans, no. Students often have fridges, printers, computers, etc. Each school should have a list of prohibited items available.
I work as an RA and have lived in the dorms outside of my job. Most dorms dont allow outdoor lights (can get too hot and take much more power), space heaters, candles you plan on lighting, and full size fridges (too much power and too hard to move). Fans are usually allowed as they dont have any danger in the heat department and they dont take much power.
As someone who is *finally* getting past the “moving into new places every single year (or multiple times a year)” phase of their life (and for me, it was several years past my College years)….their excitement for this new journey is such a foreign emotion to me now. I remember being excited, I remember buying new things and being excited. But for each subsequent move, I did less and less “homemaking”. I’m just so exhausted of the New Place Jigsaw Puzzle to get everything just right. Decorating? Ha! I gave that up within the first year. Now, if it mostly gets the job done and doesn’t do me active harm, it’s good enough until another move.
Going on my 6th move now in 4ish years and I do decorate, but it's the same stuff from room to room. I've reduced the amount of stuff I own with every move and now I could probably list off every single thing I own separately.
@@madlie2452 Moved for college, then moved for my post-college work but a “booming” city meant that rent prices were increasing like crazy every single year. Then I had to keep moving for other jobs until I finally got a halfway decent job.
I hated living in dorms, (American) and the hype of what you do and don’t need is insane . The thing I hated most was no hot plates or crock pots allowed . I’m so glad I’m not in the dorms anymore so my advice is , bring what you like and use , thrift stuff if you can , and don’t feel bad if dorms are just not your vibe !
Same! I went to 2 different (American) universities and I hated living in dorms. The first one was really fun because of the friends I made, but the dorm itself was old and awful. And I wasn't a big fan of the dining halls (any of them). But then I got to my second school and the food was even worse! (And I am not a picky eater.) The dorm rooms were slightly bigger and did at least have a sink in them, but that's about all I can say for that one being any "better." I could not wait to move off campus into an apartment!!
@@luvzdogz I’m so glad you made friends there! I am in a house now (took like 3 years off of uni) and hopefully I can go back next year not in the dorms tho lol 😂 I hope you get into a good apt !
this is my advice as someone who spent 7 years in uni- actual essentials - shower slippers (unless you end up in one of those fancy dorms where you have a private bath) - mattress protector (do NOT trust those mattresses) - some kind of water bottle somewhere between half a litre to 1 litre (bigger ones are also fine but harder to carry to class because theyre heavy) non essentials that i recommend: - mattress topper/ mattress pad (will do wonders for your sleep) - pillow - microwave - minifridge (i used mine for fruit) - kettle (more convenient than microwave for instant noodles. if it's between this and the microwave get the microwave) - set of like 1-2 plates, cutlery, bowls, cups, mugs etc (i used mine for leftovers from takeout or instant noodles. we had sinks to wash them in and i found reusable ones more convenient to have than disposable ones because you can't run out of them. also get microwaveable and dishwasher safe ones so you can basically keep them forever. they're also nicer to move into your first apartment with since you don't immediately have to go out and buy plates. it's also less wasteful which is a bonus) - shower caddy (if you're gonna be using communal showers) other tips - dont get more than 2 sets of sheets. 1 set is doable but kind of a pain in the ass. you're probably gonna have a twin in uni and a full or queen or something when you move into an apartment so the twin sheets are basically not going to be used again once you move out. - you do not need more than 2 towels - you do not need a big vacuum. if you need one get a small one. dorms are tiny and you'll be short on space - lofted beds are nice for space but a pain in the ass to change the sheets for so figure out which one is less of a downside for you - don't buy anything (except for sheets and a comforter) before moving in. a lot of people at my uni got lamps but we have lamps built into the desk so it was unnecessary. same thing with trash cans (already in the dorms). same thing with vacuums and brooms and swiffers and so on (they were available to use for free) - bonus from the last point if you have a roommate: decide on who is going to buy what for things you can share like minifridges so you don't double up (happened to me) - you only need new clothes if you're moving to a cold area and don't have any winter clothes. if so invest in a good coat. winter is mostly a layers game and if you can already layer up with the clothes you have you don't need more. if you can't you only need a few long sleeve shirts and leggings and you can wear them under your regular clothes. - do NOT get a tote or a handbag or something. get a backpack or you will have pain from carrying your stuff around to class all the time - buy stationary and electronics based on your current usage. if you don't already use highlighters, don't get them. if you don't already use a tablet to study, don't get one. if you don't already use binders, don't get one. if you use a laptop, get a new one only if you genuinely think you need to replace your old one, not just for fun (you'll need that money to buy your textbooks) - don't buy textbooks until you've had your first class. some "required" textbooks are optional, or are provided by the professor for free. you can also ask your professors if they have any free options available for the texts - some of them do. some are available for free online. if you have to get your own, renting is usually cheaper than buying and secondhand is always cheaper than new when available. a lot of students also sell their textbooks at the start of the semester/trimester/quarter so see if you can get something from another student (usually cheaper than bookstores) - same thing for calculators or other devices - students who've taken that class before may be looking to get rid of theirs so they'll be willing to sell.
i’d also recommend something to put laundry in! it can be literally anything. laundry hamper/ bag from home if you have one, just some random basket, whatever. i have some storage boxes i use for moving in/ out and one of those is my laundry basket right now, because what else am i gonna use it for
also: some decoration will help against Despair. especially if you have a four-white-walls type dorm. but it doesn’t need to be expensive! i just put like. honestly anything i get on my wall. random floor meeting reminder poster? sure why not. art my friend sent me years ago? yeah ok. an old project i did for a freshman year class? aight. a little color really helps with the Evil and Horrors and such but it doesn’t need to be expensive and you don’t have to go out and buy stuff!!!!!
and while i’m here i’ll add that if you’re using command hooks, be careful with them. clean the wall really well beforehand and be So careful when you’re removing them. nobody wants to deal with the fee from a command hook shredding the wall paint it’s not worth it
When I moved into the dorms (15 years ago...) my "dorm haul" was a shower caddy and some cheap shower shoes. Everything else came from home, either when I first moved in, or later when I realised I needed it. This was before social media became what it is now, and it didn't even occur to me that anyone would buy everything new, unless they lived in a different state/country and could only bring the bare minimum. (And in that case, it makes sense to be even MORE mindful about what you actually need to buy.) My dorm also offered buses to the local Target during move in week, for those who did need to buy dorm stuff. Better to buy stuff once you know the dorm situation and what you actually need, and if you live close enough, chances are you can wait a little and pick up your fan or desk lamp or whatever from home during a weekend visit. Dorms often let students rent things like microwaves, mini fridges, and vacuum cleaners.
Same! I did buy new bedding but that because I had a normal twin bed at home, but my dorm bed was a twin XL. So that was something I actually needed. I am convinced that a lot of these kids buy all new stuff just so they can make these haul videos. Overconsumption for the sole purpose of making content is one of the main things I hate about social media.
I’m glad I’m not going to college now. People wanted a fun dorm room but no one was buying expensive stuff and anything unnecessary, because there wasn’t much space for it. Posters and photos were the main thing. Not nick knacks and unrealistic storage.
American culture is wild, everything is about showing how much you have and can buy... I'm portuguese, here if you go to college and have to leave you parents house you will not buy a mountain of stuff... You will take some of your mother old towels and sheets and stuff, and after you already moved in and start living in it, maybe you will buy somethings that you realised you need... The same thing when you leave your parents home and start to rent on your own, you just take some random shit from your parents... most people would not dream of spending hundreds on brand new things that they dont even know if they will need... you would only do that if you are really well of.
When moving (not to college, I didn't move until after) there were only so many spare items I was able to take from my parents. Many other things I needed to be prepared to afford without their help because they simply didn't have it
honestly these gigantic hauls really only happen for first years who have a decent amount of money. Not a thing every single person does. People in their second and third and especially fourth years don't really do this honestly. There's also always a false narrative of "YOULL NEED THIS" and then you buy it and you just don't need it at all. I remember my first year I brought a fancy clothes hamper and it was so inconvenient I just got a normal one to use for the next three years. Not to mention there's entire college sections in stores full of so much random shit you can buy that you really don't need
I’m American. My first apartment was furnished with random bits from my mom that were old. The only table I had for a year was a milk crate. This is very normal in the states, but it’s not sexy to show this way of living online. The videos are true, but they aren’t the whole truth about how Americans live or even what is typical.
Same when I moved out in Norway. I mostly needed kitchen stuff, but I got all the stuff my family members didn't want anymore. I remember I had some very ugly pink plates with grey flowers and lots of mismatched stuff.
I think part of the reason for pre shopping is a lot of dorms are not in walking distance of stores and many freshmen don't have cars so once parents leave the only option is what can be delivered ,taken on the bus or bought on campus
American here - at my school, we do not have access to kitchens in the first year dorms. Same for most of my friends at other schools around the country. My school provides a microwave and a mini fridge. All other kitchen appliances are banned. You’re basically stuck with microwaveable food or the campus food
That is kind of disgusting given how much you guys pay for uni??? A kitchen should be the goddamn minimum along with shower/bathroom facilities. Even the cheap accommodation at my uni provided kitchens.
interesting, i went to a pretty big public school, and there was a kitchen in my dorm. i never used it because we had regular dining halls as well as a la carte dining halls. i didn't have time to be cooking
@@brandonbubbler4682 and that’s why one girl packed a kettle. You can make oatmeal and noodles. Cook those dehydrated veg soup packs. Have hot drinks outside of the cafeteria.
My dorm in the states didn't have most things. I think we got a bed, little desk area, but little else. At that time, they also didnt have air conditioning. We had a common sitting area, but no kitchenette, stove, fridge, sink, etc. We brought a mini fridge, and a small panini-type grill, and a small microwave. We didnt have communal vacuums. They allow fans, mini fridges, etc. We had to use surge protectors to plug all of our electric items, and no restrictions on "power." There was no way to blow a fuse. Most colleges and universities have larger rooms, and we visited our university and dorm before we moved in. It was called orientation. Bringing towels was a must. Plus, a lot of students dont live near their college, so they need to bring all these things when they move in, bc if they wait to do so, they have the added time and pressure to get things as you're trying to get ready to begin classes. Are lots of these items necessary? A majority are, bc we dont get well-furnished dorms, usually. A lot of what these gals are showing dont seem silly or unnecessary, to me. Since its your first home away from home, its fun to decorate, furnish, and have fun with the new space. Freshman yr will show you what you want/need in the following years. I just say let em live, its all in good fun 😉 basic cold/flu meds and other meds are crucial bc once one person in the dorm gets sick, it spreads like crazy, lol. Having a first-aid kit and cold/flu meds is so important, bc it keeps you from having to go buy them when you do get sick. We all got sick and stayed sick just bc of the close contact w everyone. I never got sick as often or as bad as i did when i was in college, lol. I do love your recommendation of going to a secondhand store in the college town, though. 😊 Even if you don't get to see your dorm room in person before moving in, i believe you get info about how much space is in the room so you can plan. Also, you generally get the roommate(s) info to connect with before you move in, so you can plan what to bring together.
i attend a us college and there is so much variation. tiktoks and dorm hauls have almost complicated things by making people think they 'need' certain items when they don't. i always recommend to friends to just go by what upperclassmen from their school or what the school housing guidelines say as to what can/can't be brought. some of these tiktoks are useful bc you definitely need meds, appliances, and probably a majority of your stuff bought and packed ahead of time, but many of those influencer hauls that go viral are unrealistic for the average student, which is why theyre viral. always cool to see what people are buying, though
This is why you can really score dumpster diving at the end of the school year because people throw everything and I mean everything away when the prepare to leave especially foreign students. My daughter scored a leather sectional sofa this year for free when she dumpster dived at the big university near her.
As someone who dumpster dives college dorms during every move out season, this is so triggering to me. I find so many undamaged/perfectly good clothing items, furniture and cleaning supplies. To the point where I filled an entire Uhaul truck and brought what I found to local thrift stores. College students have to be the most wasteful demographic on the planet.
As someone who spent 5ish years living in dorms a few years in barracks after that here is my two cents. Things you need: Sheets - these can be brand new or they can be ones you already have. Most dorms have twin xl mattresses make sure what ever sheets you bring fit that size Laundry bag/hamper - really depends on what is going to work best for you. Mesh laundry bags are less expensive but not as durable, they do have the benefit of being able to be washed with all your clothes inside( bulk laundry not really applicable to college). Laundry bags with a strap are more convenient for carrying if there are a lot of stairs or laundry is in a separate building Soap container - Shower shoes Pillow - Trash can - if one is not provided. Towels - at least one, two is not a bad idea Hangers - they don't have to be anything fancy.
My dorm was basically a shoebox that I shared with another person 😂. Idk what I could have possibly "hauled" because our basic necessities barely fit. I got some cheap XL twin bedding, a new backpack because my high school bag had fallen apart, and a caddy and shoes for the shower.
Moved into college in 2013 and remember buying a set of sheets, a blanket, towels, and a desk lamp. All things i used for many years and moved with multiple times. Any form of massive haul tbh is not normal!!!! Love your videos!!!!
influencer culture has made these huge haul videos go viral when it's not realistic at all for the average student lol my roommates and i have just brought basics -mostly from home, though bought sheets/appliances, and a few packs of noodles- and we've managed to get by buying things as we need them. dorm decor is great for atmosphere, but i don't understand the obsession with the 'perfect' living space. who has the time to keep that space looking like that all the time?
Mom of a college sophomore this year. Here’s my experience with planning dorm items for my daughter… Everyone’s experience IS different, and the items that you will “need” is subjective to each person. What happened with us is that I had THREE college age girls, two of which were going to the same school in the same dorm at the same time. It’s a long story, but none of these girls have a drivers license or car that they could use at the time. Neither did they have a job. So they had no source of income to purchase their own items for their dorm. So as a mom helping to plan for being out of the house for the first time, I did a TON OF RESEARCH into what we should order, plan for, and purchase in store. Knowing my girls had NO WAY to get to the store after moving in, and even if they could, they had no money in which to purchase more items. (We live in a state where there’s not a lot of variety on the shelves, and things DO sell out. Especially when everyone is buying all at once. Also; we don’t live in big cities. So public transportation is not really feasible here. You literally cannot walk anywhere. No sidewalks and things are very far away. So assuming that items are going to be readily available AFTER You move in, is narrow minded. There are a lot of small towns in the US, and stores are pretty far away. Even ordering online takes time and money. Not all of us are made of money, and need to budget for items. Even last minute items and groceries. So all that to say there was a lot of reasons why I began helping them plan and shop for items in JANUARY of their senior year. I ended up spending thousands, and then after we got them moved in, Went to buy groceries and ended up spending several hundred more on food, and last minute items. Some people say “you NEED” this and that, and others say opposite. I looked at photos that we took of the dorm tour, watched as many vids as I could and read other mom blogs about moving your kid into college. The school Also had rough estimates of the dimensions of the rooms and each piece of furniture. One of my girls couldn’t care less about dorm decor, one was a foster and cared quite a bit, and the other decided after one year that college wasn’t for her. There are plenty of online lists out there for the “essentials”. I compiled a list of items that I considered practical, from as many sources as possible. These days it’s seems that each university probably has at least one kid on UA-cam showing “move in vlogs” or room tours. This was not the case with my girls school. It was difficult to find anything on it. And they also had a shared bathroom in their room. So apart from Bedroom items, and school supplies, they also had to have: a shower curtain and rod, a shower caddy, bath mats or small rugs, towels, curtain rings, a door organizer, and ALL the cleaning supplies needed to keep their room and bathroom clean. They were expected to clean their space (shower and toilet included) there was no cleaning service for that. Not a service before or after moving in either. There were a lot of items I thought would be good for them, which they didn’t need. (Organizational items included). But you really don’t know what you’re going to need until you e lived in the space for a little while. And these girls WILL be living on campus in the dorms for at least the first two years. The most important thing is that you want to feel 1) comfortable, 2) less homesick -so photos etc. 3) you want to feel as prepared as possible on this new stage of your life. Another big aspect was that my girls had no way to come home and visit unless we drove up and got them. And the school is two and a half hours away from where we live. Not too far, but far enough not to be able to just Uber home easily. I did over buy. I did over plan. They did have too much stuff. Our foster was moving out completely. So she did need to take every item she owned at the time. Our other girl was told to take Most of her items, as we converted her room after they moved out into a guest room. So the opportunity to leave a lot of items at home was taken from them. We have a large home, and a spacious attic. So storing the items before, after etc is not really an issue for us. We also have two more girls who will eventually go to college and possibly be able to use a lot of the same items. So our situation is different. I can confirm however, that moving out SUCKS. Like a lot. When you’re a freshman moving in a lot of time the school tries to make it fun and will have teams of volunteer students helping families move items in. This does not happen when moving out. You’re on your own. AND yes, they give you like two days to move out and actually clean your space all while you’re trying to finish finals. It’s incredibly stressful. Even though we constantly went to visit my girls, and helped them bring back items in bins left and right prior to moving out, there was still way too much stuff. And they didn’t even have all the items like what you see in Alabama house vlogs. We still had to rent a uhaul both times. It was miserable trying to move in either direction. It’s hot, takes all day, is exhausting going up and down stairs or elevators with heavy boxes, and you’re on your own doing it all too. One of my girls is an art/ graphic design major, so she had: a mini fridge, microwave, storage containers, bathroom decor and items, sewing machine, bins and bins of art supplies and projects, an adult size scooter, cleaning supplies, school supplies, clothing, bedding, snacks, a long mirror and standing lamp, closet organization and a full shoe rack, a vacuum cleaner (which she did use and was awesome) laundry basket and laundry cleaning supplies- the list goes on and on. Basically an apartment size full of stuff minus the tv, sofa, and full kitchen. I also special ordered monogrammed towels for the girls with their names on them. As they were sharing bathrooms, this helped. It did end up being a good idea, and they can use them all four years. Not a need. But a good idea. This year we are acknowledging what a nightmare it was to move all the items they took the first time, and my art student is leaving a lot of items in bins in a closet at home. She’s also cut down the amount of clothing and shoes she’s taking. She’s got one sheet set, four towels, four hand towels, stuff for the bathroom again, cleaning supplies, her fridge and microwave, a dash mini rice maker (which she did use last year), school supplies, and we will shop for snacks and food when we get there. She’s taking very very little pillows and decor. Her art supplies however, are still going to be a lot. This girl is a collector and a hoarder. So the amount of items she will have is still going to be more than anyone needs. I can confirm though that last year she had across the hall neighbors whose room looked like a Barbie dream house (full Alabama sorority house) pink furry glittery everything. She told me that within a month that room had four foot deep of crap all over the floors because they couldn’t keep it clean. It was too Much stuff. I just tell people get what you need to feel safe, comfortable, and homey in your space. If it’s too much, that’s on you. ❤
I remember vividly how much got thrown away at the end of each year in college, and this was 15 years ago - I don’t think the culture was to have nearly as much stuff. But as you said, people often move into different spaces the following year, and you’re not going to get a storage unit for the summer to keep the decorative pillows and cute trash can. Each of these hauls feel like “look at all this stuff I’m going to throw away in 9 months”.
Yeah, can confirm. I'm actually glad my school had a couple donation options for stuff that was helpful, because I had a bunch of stuff that definitely didn't need to get thrown away, but that I couldn't take with me or didn't need. I ended up donating a bunch of socks I had lying around that were gently used, but that I didn't wear anymore, several boxes of tampons/ soap/ hygiene stuff that was unopened. Unfortunately there aren't enough schools that have donation drives run through the area during move out time, bc they could get sooo many supplies for people in need if they did.
I rented a tiny storage unit for 1 summer & did summer school for a summer (program with gifted & talented high school students that paid me so I just moved rooms in the same building that year) And grad student friends can sometimes keeps stuff for the summer for you if you know any & they live in a decent sized rented house or apartment.
The girl with fancy stuff ( the second one) seems to be that profile. Her parents must be paying for her education but they do not have enough money to rent an individual flat/ studio for her.
@@joannasliwa8147that girl’s parents can definitely afford to put her in an apartment. Being in the dorm for the first year is an active choice most people make because it’s a social experience.
@@joannasliwa8147 Or as is common for a lot of US colleges & universities, many incoming freshman have to live on campus & buy a meal plan so Mom & Dad spent lavishly on the little stuff for Year 1 & in later years she will be in a fancy rented place near campus.
As a long term dormer, I would say bring what you would for a holiday, plus devices. Then once you get there, wait for a week, work out what you need, then go shopping with roommates for extras. Share an uber home with your extras. Absolute essentials though: mattress protractor. Yes, dorm mattress' are so gross. Avoid nick knacks and hard copy novels. When you have to move back out, you have to box it back up and take it home to store. Such a pain inthe butt. To make yourself at home and calm as quickly as possible, go with scents. Bring the same laundry detergent as you had at home. Having your sheets and pillow cases smell familiar is so calming for sleep.
I’m currently a sophomore living in a 4 person suite style. Honestly the biggest thing I can say is make your space feel comfortable for you. If you’re going to buy stuff for your dorm make sure you have a well thought out plan for your storage, my dad and I came up with a plan for my storage over a couple months and I’ve changed only one thing in the entire year (my dad had the idea from the start and I rejected it 😂) . Worry about decor later especially if you join a sorority you will gain soooooo much stuff. Also the rugs like she said NO FLUFFY RUGS I had a small one under a chair at the entrance to my little room and it got so gritty. Overall though mainly plan your bedding and storage everything can come later. & if your fortune enough to have parents that are willing to pay for basically all your dorm stuff and you want to get a lot of stuff for your room be kind to them and space out your purchases over months so it’s not a burden. And packing will be a game of Tetris
As a sorority girl, I NEED to see u review bamarush stuff, like not necessarily the outfits but just how much random makeup and stuff is bought just for rush and then abandoned ):
I just have to say while I was in college this was genuinely so damaging for my mental health. Constantly comparing myself to my roommates who somehow had the money to constantly buy all these new supplies and deck out their cute little corner of the bathroom while all I had was a little Walgreens bag with my shower and toothpaste stuff. Nobody needs this much stuff especially trying to afford college
As someone from the us our dorms have, desk, under bed storage, a wardrobe and that’s it. No kitchenette in freshman dorms. 1 tv for the entire freshman building. Our campus has so little room people were sleeping in the kitchens one year. It was rough out here. This was a private university.
It depends on the dorm! Our older dorms also only have 1-2 tvs per building with roughly one kitchenette per floor. The new dorms have full kitchens and TVs on each floor! 100% bring your own microwave if you can for any newbies. You will not want to use the communal one.
i probably have a different perspective on dorm move in and move out since i lived in a completely different state for my undergrad (college in new england, home in southeast), so one of the big things i would recommend is ONLY BRING WHAT YOU NEED. you are going to be hauling that shit back and forth! be mindful of that! i had to use a storage building every year for stuff that just could not come home, and the final year i had to have help from both sides of my family to get my stuff home. be very, very mindful of your stuff and what it will take to move it back and forth! this is coming from someone who also really didnt purchase new things each year besides like things for class. i was transporting the same stuff over and over.
also, like shawna said about dorm rules: read up on what is allowed!!! i had candles confiscated that i didnt even burn bc i had a candle warmer, but candles THEMSELVES were against the rules! if youre gonna bring these that violate the rules you BETTER have a good hiding spot, and they better be items that wont affect your fellow students!
For move in 100% only bring the essentials, what she says in this video about move in before you buy most things is so true, bring the bare essentials, you will accumulate more things
We don't all go home during the summers or even post college. Very few of my friends did. I interned every summer so never went home to live again once I left. I did not find moving difficult.
this is true for some people! unfortunately this was not my experience. pretty much everyone left my college for summer, and summer housing didnt always guarantee you were in the same place. this is more for people who do have to move every summer :-) but yes, thank you for bringing this up!
i’m currently going into year 3 at a school in scotland and it’s craaazy how different the culture is from america! i did my associate’s degree before heading to scotland for my bachelor’s so last year was the first time i’ve lived in a dorm/outside of home. going back this weekend and decided that i wanted to invest in nice things to use for the next several years (a set of four plates/bowls/cups since we have full kitchens in housing, a nice quality duvet since i have trouble getting warm at night, etc.) the amount of small things american students insist on having as essentials are craaazy to me. yes i have some items in storage that i plan on using and got lots of use out of, but they’re absolutely not necessities! nice but not essential!
Thank you for sharing! I do think that with socials American videos can inspire folks who live outside of the country. So it's wonderful to hear alternative experiences to provide even more nuance
@@shawnaripari also worth mentioning that as a 22 year old with a couple years left in uni (more when i do my master’s), the financial difference between me and a newly-18 year old student is kinda weird. i largely have to go off of my own savings and income working with the uni during my studies to buy what i want, and a lot of these ~aesthetic~ dorm haul ppl definitely seem to be using their parent’s gift money and spending it on some rly frivolous items. i’m privileged enough to receive some money from my grandparents to use on dorm things but it doesn’t cover everything i need and i wince at the idea of spending $40 on little desk and makeup organizers like some ppl do… surely that’s money better spent elsewhere or tucked away for later??
hi shawna! i love your videos, but as someone who is going into my fourth year at a large US university, there’s a few things i wanted to mention: 1) many dorms, at least freshman dorms, do not come with trash cans or kitchenettes…. it’s super annoying but you usually have to buy a trash can. my college provided recycling bins but not trash. 2) the extensive medicine kits are because of how sick people easily get in bigger schools. i lived on campus for two years and people are always sick, especially the people that party on a regular basis! 3) more remote colleges may not have easy transportation to places like walmart/target or other similar department stores! my college doesn’t even have those in our town and we have to go to the next town over, where you need to take the bus system (huge chunk out of your day) or know someone that has a car. 4) most universities here will have descriptors and photos of what each dorm building’s dorms look like. you’ll know exactly what it comes with
I’ve been watching you since the very beginning of your channel. Congrats on all your growth! Happy to see everyone else catching onto how great your content is, :)
I think a lot of this advice also applies to moving into a new apartment. When I moved into my apartment at 18, I took some hangers and towels from my house so I wouldn't have to automatically buy new stuff. I didn't really spend anything on decorating. Even three years later, I still haven't really decorated much. I personally think a lot of knick knacks just take up space and attract dust. I have very few knick knacks. The ones I do have are from childhood so they're nostalgic to me. I see absolutely zero reason to go out and buy new knick knacks. But that's just me.
Just as a interesting note. A lot of parents not all don’t let you take towels from the house. I know mine didn’t. I also went home during the summer and left my stuff at my grandparents (lived like 2 hours away) it was easier to have separate stuff for home and dorm. Now that I have graduated I still have a lot of those towels, kitchen equipment, laundry stuff. But I always bought with the mindset of is this something I want for the future.
this is my 2nd year in a public student dorm as a masters student in germany. it is a suite-style accomodation with a kitchen, and the room itself has basic furniture. not every dorm is like this, but one common thing is how easy it is to find second hand stuff in facebook marketplace and such. i got so many stuff later and i even got some of them for free. for example, my dormmates already got a vacuum and we use it together. i also got so many decorative gifts for my room later haha
I work in college housing as a professional staff and just finished move in. (Literally just finished like an hour ago) medicine like DayQuil is so essential because people do get sick. A lot of people really want to maximize their space, so finding items that do that is also important. Other than that, bring what you normally use at home.
It's so fascinating to see and hear how different student living is around the word. In Norway we don't have dorms where you share the room with someone else. A lot of Norwegian students live in collectives, where you have your own bedroom, but chare bathroom, kitchen and livingroom with 1-7 others, or more. I lived in a collective where 14 students only shared kitchen and livingroom, and we all had our own bathroom and bedroom (but that is not that common).
I'm a freshman this year. I didn't get a broom or anything. One of my friends on my floor got one when we went to walmart last week and is sharing it with the rest of the floor. a lot of stuff is sharable, and i think thats the point of dorm living too, to build community
Tip to incoming freshman. Figure out when move out day is the school year before and SO MUCH stuff gets tossed because students are moving back for the summer or they are just so rushed they don’t want to deal with.
It’s just… most of what you need you TECHNICALLY already have…? - bedding - clothes - laundry detergent for the laundry room, MAYBE dryer sheets - your meds - a small safe for important documents and stuff (mainly if you have roommates and no lockable door between you) - first aid/cold and flu stuff kit (bandaids, Tylenol, cough meds, thermometer, etc) - bath soap/shampoo/toothpaste + toothbrush - hair stuff (brush, dryer, MAYBE a flat/curling iron) - your stuff for classes - documents like your insurance cards and IDs and stuff Edit: also masks, colleges are Petri dishes. That’s also why I say get a sick kit along with first aid cuz you don’t know when you’ll get hit with mystery crud or get minor injuries that need a bandaid. There’s usually a HUGE spike in people being sick after breaks, cuz people are coming back from wherever their families are.
@@taylorsronce6041 bed sheets no, blankets/pillows/etc yes. I’ve seen people buy entirely new everything for their dorm bed and then complain that they miss XYZ blanket/pillows/etc or that they dumped all their cash on their trendy dorm bedding and don’t have cash for something else. Plus if you have your old pillows and blankets, or at least some of them, then it helps with being homesick imo.
@Ac3_Silvers I agree. I didn't buy new pillows when I moved into my dorm. I did buy new sheets and a matching comforter. But also keep in mind for most people you will still need to keep 1 set at your parents house for when you visit on holidays. I went to college about a 1 hour drive from my parents but still decided to live in the dorms. I went home about one weekend a month so I still needed to have a room set up at my parents house. Unfortunately that did mean needing more duplicate items for my dorm room and my room at my parents
I used to live near johns hopkins in Baltimore and dumpster dive after move out days cause the amount of stuff people have to throw away and leave on the curb is Astounding. I got a fiddle leaf fig, a really expensive air mattress, a desk, and a nice lazy susan thing all in one stop a few years ago
When I lived in dorms ~10 years ago in the US, and based on the experiences of my brothers and cousins-a lot of US Private schools do not have kitchens, trash, and vacuums in common areas or for rent. And if you go to private schools, you do get judged (as a woman) on how put together your room is, the appearance of your towels and toiletries, etc. It’s not cool but you can spot a rich kid from an upper middle class kid so easily at private schools if you know what to look for
GIIIIIRL i just moved into my first ever apartment and am thinking about how I want to make sure from this point on I don't buy like ANY new stuff; clothes, things etc. This is so relevant to me girl fuel my goals rn!!!
The idea of "dorm hauls" blow my mind because when I think back to my freshman dorm room (21 years ago now) all I can think of is the shock I felt when I first saw how small it was. I'm fairly sure that it was built to be a single room and they were using it as a double. We had to loft our beds up over our desks to fit the the desks, beds, and dressers! This was at a fairly run-of-the-mill state university. From what I hear there still seems to be a shortage of on-campus housing at a lot of schools, so it will be tight quarters. So the point is that you need to be very picky about what you even bring to a dorm room, the more stuff you "haul" for your room, the smaller and messier it will feel!
I was in a (large) triple my first year of college. We talked a fair bit before we got to school but I was still shocked with how much one of my roommates brought. Little did I know that’s just the kind of person she is. She managed to fit everything into our room. The next year we lived together again and our room was tiny and she brought the same amount of stuff. Still managed to fit it all into our shoebox of a room. The moral of the story really is to talk to your roommates
I highly recommend going to your college the may before you move in to forage for furniture by the dumpsters. People leave perfectly good furniture and electronics by the dumpster cuz they cant fit it in their car.
I didn't have the dorm experience and I barely had money to buy nice things even though I lived with my parents and uni was really close and not expensive. I'm so happy that back them UA-cam and social media in general was nothing like now, knowing myself I'd feel so frustrated about not being able to purchase beautiful things or idealize an experience that wasn't suitable to my circumstances.
Sad Fact: after making these videos OR taking this advice, dropping this huge amount of $$$ on "essentials", like 25% of them are just going to drop out.
20:00 my sister got plates and bowls because she wanted them to last longer and now she is bringing them into her house.... Her friend didn't and the good ones that my sister got from Walmart they don't have them anymore so her friend had to get more expensive ones
I think the only things I purchased for my dorm in college were a laundry bag, a few towels, a mattress topper, and a space heater. Everything else I was given or got from my sister, because she was in college before me.
So I work with health insurance for a large hospital in a college town. At least 80% of dorm/apartment "necessities " end up in the dumpsters. However, what the students don't often have is a good grasp of their insurance information as well as their parents' employment and demographic information. Parents, please stop sending your kids out into the world without knowing their important details! Also, let them make their own doctors appointments.
@22:19 American here: My first year university dorm was a twelve story building and the only kitchen area (also the only area with a sink big enough to fit larger dish-ware like plates, pots, pans, etc was on the top floor of the building. And it was just a normal size kitchen capable of fitting maybe one or two people actively cooking or cleaning. It did not have a communal fridge. Imagine twelve floors of people (usually between two-three people per room) trying to share this space to prep for or clean up after meal times, it was a nightmare. My school actually required us to live on campus for at least two years, though I had to live on campus all four years as a requirement to continue receiving my scholarship. The dorms we got access to in years three and four were much nicer and closer to what you're describing here: communal kitchen space for the floor ( though still sans fridge), or if you paid more money, a shared kitchen between a group of 5-6 students. Also, our dorms definitely did not come with desk lamps or trash cans. It did come with free mold though!
Okay, I'm going to add my prespective and what I think you should buy to uni being in a country where students usually move into a rented house/apartment right away, has already seen the room conditions prior to move in and usually go home for the weekend often (I've also lived in 2 different apartments): Essentials: - bath towels, hand towels and kitchen towels. Hand towels are very convinient and usually not shared and kitchen towels are not shared - a mattress topper. most mattresses in these rooms are super old and unconfortable so a mattress topper will make you more confortable (if you've seen the room and the mattress wasn't unconfortable don't buy one and I'm jealous) - a pillow. there's either not going to be a pillow or there's going to be a very old 1cm thick pillow - at least 2 pairs of sheets, 1 for the warm weather and 1 for the cold. there won't be any sheets. - a duvet/conforter(I have no idea what's called in english) and a blanket. almost all rooms are cold as fuck, you'll need one - a small rug. the floor either will be wood or tile, either way it's slipery. + rugs help with the col - extra battery run light sources and candles. either to help set the mood or to see arround during a power outage - duplicate of your most common used hygiene products and phone/laptop/tablet chargers. You'll end up forgetting something when visiting home for the weekend, trust ,e - hangers, there will be at max 3 on the closet - double sided tape or those litle hangers you can put on the doors and walls. Very, very usefull - a basic kitchen set. some plates, some bowls, some glasses, some cutlery, a pan and maybe a frying pan. kitchen stuff is not shared - your medicine, a basic first aid kit and a thermomether, trust me thermometers are not easy to just get once you need (speaking from experience) - a thing to carry your hygiene products as their usually not kept in the communal bathroom - a small trash can, no place I've lived at or saw had one Not essentials but might be needed (aka after talking with your roommates and seeing the house conditions): - any kitchen utensil/appliance you use regularly that isn't in the house already. I was in a place that already had a hand held processer but then moved to a place that hadn't one, and none of the places had a kettle. different places will have different appliances and might not have what you use, but you'll only know once you seen them and talked with your roommates - heating solutions. Your house might already have some integrated if you are lucky, or your roommates will perfer a certain type of heater due to safety or bills. - vaccum, brooms, sweepers and cleaning products. most places will have a vaccum, broom and mop that everyone can use, sometimes they'll share cleaning products too. - a chair for your desk. some places won't have a chair, some will have a very basic chair that's probably not appropriated for a desk. the choice is yours on if you want to buy a better chair deppending on how much time you'll spend sitting on the desk - more storage. I have been in places with so much storage I wasn't using it all even if I tried to, then moved to a place with basically no storage. if you need more storage and what type of storage you'll need can only be determined once you have the organization of the room done - desk lamp, none of the places I've been had desk lamps. once again these is just my experience, in a different situation but might be usefull for someone who's moving to a rented room for the first time
When I lived in a dorm, I just gathered up fun little decor items from my room to decorate with. I mainly just bought some sheets (needed extra long twin, I had regular), a little trash can, a plastic drawer unit to put under my lofted bed for toiletries and such, a decent little $50 mini fridge, and a box fan.
the one thing about "waiting till you get there" is that some towns (like my college town) do not have the supply to meet the demand of all of the college students during move in week. When I moved into a college house we obviously needed a trash can. we couldn't find one in ANY size in any of the stores in town because everyone was buying them. So sometimes waiting till you get there is not an option.
My favorite time of year is hanging around after the semester and straight up dumpster diving. Now that I live in my own apartment it’s been a blast getting the things I need for free like my mirrors, vacuum and fans. It’s all lightly used and perfectly fine. People who go far back home over the summer don’t realize they have to bring it back, especially freshmen Fr
I was REALLY into minimalism in college. I had a giant white canvas on the wall that i made. A medical workbench i thrifted, a classic wooden chair, a string of lights, a floor lamp, and a room divider that i found in the trash to hide my closet junk. That's it, and my room was one of my friends favorite places to chill cuz it wasnt a mess of clutter. To reiterate from the video, moving out is extremely stressful. It's right after finals and you don't get much time, if any to pack depending on your schedule. Save the hauls for your first apartment.
Thank you!!! I move into my dorm next week and these kinda videos make me feel bad or not normal for having the bare essentials and a few extra things. I’m not rich yall I can’t have an air fryer, a blender and a kettle in my dorm
There’s really no need for those things so you shouldn’t feel bad. You won’t want to use them and put work into making food when you can just have dining hall food. Even if you’re sick of dining hall food, you will still probably prefer it to having to find a ride to the grocery store (lots of freshman can’t have cars at many universities), trying to cook something, then having to clean it up in a dorm sink. Terrible- you’re doing it right. 😊
Don't feel bad! Sometimes not having your own of something actually generates social opportunities you might not otherwise have. Ask a neighbor if you can borrow something. (do people still share these days? LOL) That's how new friends are made! :) Good luck at school!
Don’t worry, when you have less stuff you’ll set up everything faster, meaning you can rest sooner than them. Plus at the end of the year you won’t need to cull stuff you can’t take home. The amount of nice unused stuff I got from the dumpsters of college move out was insane, you won’t contribute to that so that’s a fat W in my book🫶
For meds, I actually think you need to bring more than you may think. I brought a bunch and became my roommate/friend's pharmacy lol. Any meds we needed, we would have to purchase from our campus health center (or often off campus), so I would actually recommend first aid/sick supplies. When I was sick, I didn't want to walk to the local pharmacy ten minutes away or rely on someone else (I didn't have a car). I also went to the hospital two or three times in college so it was so nice to have everything in my dorm when I got home.
My dorm had so many things that I've seen on essential lists. We had vacuum access, a full community kitchen, and laundry room for every floor. Our rooms also had a decent sized closet, a dresser, a desk, desk chair, medicine cabinet, toothbrush holder, recycling bin, and a cork board. We also could borrow things from the hall desk which included dishes, small appliances, pitchers, baking pans and supplies, ice cube trays, extension cords, first aid stuff, board games, dvd players, and the library also had an entire movie section with like 800 dvds you could rent. And my school wasn't even an expensive one to attend, it was smaller than a state school. Seriously, it's better to wait and see what you already have access to before you buy things
As far as non essentials go, what ended up being one of my favorite things in my dorm was the pictures I printed out of my family and pets. I went home for a long weekend about once a month and those still helped me get through homesickness that first semester. I think I printed between 5-10 and it cost like $10-$15. Highly recommend
As somebody who is going to college, I think it’s rather dumb already to pay for a dormitory. If the college you’re going to is nearby, then stay as a commuter or rent an apartment with friends. In my culture it’s a saying “if you get it cheaper do it cheaper.” Because I’m a commuter and my tuition is already payed for I don’t have to pay extra 20K! Only 1K! If people want to decorate their personal space, I’d recommend renting with a bunch of people, or staying at an nearby family’s home! Much cheaper and good for your pockets!
Also, I really found it dumb, the dormitory culture around college, living in a single room with 2 to 4 extra people is very uncomfortable if you grew up in a household where you have your own room. For example, I always had my own room and that’s how it’s going to stay when I go to college so hearing that people are excited to pretty much be assigned a room with random people and have some of their rights taken away. For example, when they can leave the room to go out, what bathrooms, cooking and how many people can hang out with you in your dorm! It’s a king nope for me!
@@IncorrectHB You can also get an appeal if it’s available! And be eligible If you are within a few mile radius close to the college or university, that’s what I did and as a freshman I’m commuting!
@@crampedjunkyard2068 yea i know lol. Me personally i wouldnt do it simply because i wouldnt want to go through all that (and i perfer to be close to campus) but i truly have no skin in the game as i go to school out of state lol
I will say having a fairly well stocked first aid kit was a good way to make friends on my freshman dorm hall 😂 but it certainly wasnt all totally necessary.
I got a "dorm in a box" kit when I moved in from one of those overpriced magazines they hand out to high school seniors. Bedding, towels, shower caddy, basic plates and utensils, some other things I'm probably forgetting. Definitely not necessary, but it was so nice to have that "fresh start" as you mentioned. I do still have most of those towels, even if they are relegated to the dogs lol. My freshman year I was moved into the brand spanking new dorms, fresh paint smell and all. Each floor did have a communal space with a lounge, full kitchen, and laundry, but I'll be honest it was always so crowded my introverted ass hated it lol. The building was so big it was never not busy because of how many people had to share the communal space per floor. I was actually so excited for my second year that I actually got to apply to move to the smaller, older dorm building (plus I worked for residential services that year, and they were in that building. WFH before it was cool lol)
We had a Facebook page for my college where you could buy anything dorm and uni related! I bought and sold all my books on there and it’s great to know the stuff you no longer need will help someone else succeed! ❤ Gosh I miss my college days, nostalgia hits hard during back to school season!
I am greek, started uni about 6 years ago amd when I first found those american college dorm hauls and tours, I was pretty shocked😅. Here it is the expected reality that students don't have much money and rooms/ apartments tend to be quite bare and only having the cheapest versions of the absoloute essentials, and sometimes even lacking some. Everyone has some little decor of course, but you truly get to make your space your own by collecting stuff over the years, at least for most people in my circle. I think the way some american students tend to design and buy a lot stuff for their dorm room just for a year is also a reflection of the overall way society treats homes as a disposable asset that you get to change, along with the furniture and even the structure itself. That is what I think at least as an outsider who sees the US only through social media, so I am probably missing a lot of context and insight.
My first year at college (standard double in a dorm, no car) I went with a few new things (like sheets and blankets, mattress pad) and bare minimum dollar tree/walmart/marshalls options. And I'm glad I did just that. As my time in college continued, I gradually brought things that would make my life easier (microwave, organizational drawers) and invest some quality things if I used them consistently. But I totally support the idea of "wait it out" because some of these things in this video are wicked expensive and totally unreasonable. biggest grievance is seeing people buying these high priced iPads for their "aesthetic notetaking" and all they do is just shop online during every lecture. Laptops and a shared google docs work just as good, if not better.
i generally agree with your points here, but i'm curious as to why you say people won't use the things they buy for their first year later on? is this just because of the general trends of overconsumption or is it something you've personally experienced? because i'm watching this while packing to leave uni for good, and i still use the towels/sheets/storage that i bought in first year, and continue to keep using them - i'd say this is pretty common in the uk, maybe it's different in the us/canada?
I'm an American. I use my towels still, mainly for my dog because they now have holes lol. We don't buy per semester. I think the only thing I did buy per semester were cables lol
Some things are absolutely usable year after year like the towels you mention. However, my own experience has shown me that students are just thinking about their first year experience when they buy things and not beyond because they don't know what would comd after. So, things are being purchased with the expectation of first year only. Obviously not all the cases. You buy things specifically for this particular dorm and then all of a sudden you have a completely different living situation and now what? Or students don't consider all the back and forth moving they might be in store for. Do you really want to pack that up every year? Some students do residence first year and then move back home. There's tons of different experiences and circumstances that can happen that are often (although not always) considered when hauling.
This reminds me of when I first moved into my dorm, and my aunt and uncle got me everything I needed (from Walmart). I was too embarrassed to tell my room mate I couldn’t afford to split the cost (and I didn’t want to ask my family who had already helped me) of the mini fridge in our room that she offered to bring, so she said I just couldn’t use it and that was fine with me but I wish I had approached that differently now. I ended up switching roommates for many other reasons, but yeah. College dorms definitely don’t need to be fancy. Edit: I am now realizing that my public state school dorm in the US was bare bones, we had basically nothing in the actual dorm. Just closets, drawers, a desk, and the futon/bed space. No accessories or AC, just heat.
Same, girl. We had a bed and a desk when we moved in. We definitely don't move into furnished dorm rooms. Besides that, getting cute little decorations and stuff is fun. It doesn't have to cost a lot, but it means a lot especially when you're away from home for the first time. ❤
I had dormed and lived in an apartment while in college/univeristy and I completely agree with knowing your space first and making improvements later, because you can't organize a space until you lived in it for a small amount of time to learn what makes it difficult to live in 😅 Bring the basics - your school supplies, your hygienic items, things to cook and clean with, and bedding along with your clothes. There's nothing wrong with bringing some small organzational things to help pack some of your stuff and to have a decent start to store your things. Do not go overboard when you're going in blind.
Three things I invested in for college that were absolutely worth the splurge: 1. A good winter coat (I live in WI) 2. A sturdy backpack 3. A nice bedspread
i'm still in highschool, but I have been seeing quite a few videos about college, and things to do and not do in dorms and such, and one fo the most common that i've seen is that you shouldnt go all out with decorating your dorm, but I think this is a personal choice, but from a necessity point of view, but from a what makes you comfortable point of view! personally, when I go to college/uni and if i end up living in a dorm, I plan on decorating every living bit of it until I feel at home, because I physically cannot bring myself to feel comfortable doing anything if im not in the comforts of my own room/house, so having a decorated space that is just so purely YOU, is a great way to help that! also, a good investment could be battery powered things like healers and fans, and just buying one of those huge red cases of batteries instead of cord/electricity powered ones incase your dorm is short on power :)
im a freshman and am dorming this year and whenever my mom and I would get stuff, her mentality was also "get stuff to get you through the first few nights and everything else you need, you can get after"
I'm not done with the video so she probably says this later, but two things they don't seem to keep (as someone currently living in a dorm) in mind is A) A lot of college dorms don't have a lot of space, and you're bound to run out of storage space if you bring a lot of stuff. It's going to feel very, very crowded if you bring so much with you to college dorms, and B) At some point they're going to have to move back out of the dorms, and while wherever they GO might have more space, the moving part is going to be very inconvenient if you're trying to lug around a minifridge, vacuum, fan, etc.
The things they highlight as essential amaze me. But I don't know what schools usually offer. Surprises me that so few of them show washing utensils, or just drying racks. But perhaps drying racks are not so common? I am also ever so fascinated by the blankets Americans pick to "keep warm"? Is wool not common? In Norway when you move out, your parents often give you a wool blanket from home or buy you one. Perhaps also a lambskin, and winter duvet made of down and a separate summer duvet.
Girl THIS IS SO THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH lmao not Shawna sounding like my MOM? Respectfully asf tho. I love my mom she's smart. I gotta show Shawna to my super thoughtful partner omggggg this video is SO GOOD
Been to dorm 16 years ago and since then travelled to a lot of places with accomodation quite similar to dorms for work. Best advice I can give SAVE YOUR BACK from carrying all that unnecessary stuff and think real hard what are the essentials I absolutley need to survive for two weeks until I find stores I can buy other things in. Also in two weeks you will have a better picture what you actually need. For people that are starting uni also consider how much time will you spend in that room anyway, you have classes.. will you even study in your room with so many sleepmates.. you will socialize..how often will you be able to travel home or to other friends or family members during weekends. For me my room was mostly for sleeping and showering for two years. Definitley invest in health and buy shower shoes, desinfectants etc but for the rest best tactic is recon and then buy you are not in the woods after all! Good luck to all freshies out there!🎉
One thing that I think ended up being great to have was a locking 2 drawer file cabinet. I would lock my laptop in it when i left it in my room and i used the drawers to organize my school papers. It can double as a nightstand. I am 29 and i still have that file cabinet. It organizes all my bills, medical documents, tax documents, etc.
College aside...That Woozoo fan is an essential in this Memphis heat. Best $28 I've ever spent. I use when I get ready. But I rented a house (that was owned by the university I went to) so my "essentials" were VERY different from dorms. I loved it. It was cheap and I shared it with 4 other people. There was always something going on 😄
As someone going into freshmen year of college, I bought what was on the recommended list, basic necessities and just a bit of some things I wanted. Never over buy, especially before you even move in.
In NZ most people who leave their parents to study go flatting, so youre setting up to live on your own forever. People who live in halls of residence are usually wealthly and have their parents pay for it. The rest of us go live in freezing cold, scody flats and pay way too much rent
as a current freshman in a university in america, it sounds like canadian dorms are so nice😭 my dorm had a bed, desk, chair, and dresser so stuff like a lamp, trash can, and mirror were actually needed. however, i waited to buy a BUNCH of stuff until after a week of living there because i was trying to feel out the space! so many of my friends don’t have space for all the clutter they brought so i’m glad i waited but jeez does my dorm look like a jail cell.
I would argue that the most, if not only, essential item you need in a dorm is a mattress protector. Dorm mattresses are disGUSTing!!! And sandals/flip flops to wear in the shower, but those are 100% essential and non negational
I’d also add , a pillow from home + favorite blanket, your meds if any , school supplies (paper pencil books ect) and a towel . But omg yes flip flops are so important
also i recommend getting a mattress pad, not an essential but you’ll sleep better!
I agree. I am an adult who shares a flat and the mattress protector and some simple flip flops just for showering are essential . The pillows are mine so I would also recommend 👍🏻
@@Amy_Rice yes, second this if it's in budget!
@@athenapantazes great additions too!
I live in Spain and for me this kind of content is quite fascinating to see, as in Europe it's very common for college students to live with their parents. I think that's because generally our university is much closer to where we live, compared to you guys. We also have very good public transport, so even if you live outside of the city you can still get to your university in a relatively short period of time. Of course, the US is a huge country, whereas many European countries are quite small, so distances can be covered quickly. This also makes me think of how many students do not have a car here (even though probably about half of them have a driving license), whereas many people in the US absolutely depend on them to get anywhere.
That sounds so nice honestly 😅 I would have rather lived with my parents at that point but ur right the school was 3.5 hour drive away and Florida had ZERO transport between cities
Aixopluc is one of my favourite catalan words
@@athenapantazessure, I understand and I pity you (don't mean to sound condescending)
@@marlydit is a lovely word, isn't it? So glad you like it!
@@Aixopluc_bcn haha no worries I lasted one semester and then went back home and did community college at my parents instead. So much better and only 2 miles away
I work for a college as a campus safety officer. The amount of fully functioning and pretty much brand new items people throw away is gross. I let the homeless take it because I believe in recycling and finders keepers. Throwing away a perfectly good microwave is unacceptable and harmful to the environment. Seeing those end of the year dumpsters makes my stomach sick a little bit.
that really sucks! i've also seen a lot of stuff in thrift stores so hopefully that gets normalized more and people actually reuse and recycle these items
My university had a dropoff sort of deal during the last week of school where students could leave everything they didn't want to take with them in the first floor common room, and the university would donate it for them after the dorms closed. Other students could look through it for anything they wanted, which is how I got a perfectly functional coffee maker that I still use. More colleges should do something similar.
What?! I can’t even fathom that. I’m still using my toaster from undergrad 10 years later 😭
I gotta start dumpsterdiving at unis lmao
@ No, you should! Go at move in week and the week kids move out. Just don’t do it on campuses that have campus safety police officers. I am not a police officer so I can have that discretion.
As a incoming college freshman, I needed this video. Between all the conflicting advice on what to bring and the excitement/nervousness of moving in, it's been hard to not just buy everything I've been told to by people who "know better" than me. But an influencer doesn't know better than me about MY needs.
So glad this was helpful and I hope you have a wonderful time! You know yourself best, and know your specific dorm rules whereas myself and other creators online don't. You can get what makes sense for you, your dorm, and your needs! You got this
Excited for you! If your dorm is anything like mine was, theres not space for everything some influencer tells you that you need lol. My (unsolicited) advice is to show up with the essentials that you KNOW you will actually need and not much else. There's no rule that you can't get more stuff after you've moved in. It's hard to know what things will just end up cluttering your limited space and what things you'll wish you had and maybe never considered, until you actually move in and test it out. Then you get to be the one to make the calls on what you actually want in your dorm
I’m an incoming freshman too! A little bit of advice my friend (who has lived in a dorm) gave me was to loft your bed enough to store a mini fridge (or stuff you don’t need right away like whatever you used to move in)!
Exactly! Moving in will be exciting on its own, you don't need to buy stuff to make it exciting. My advice is to buy basic essentials (bathroom caddy, shower shoes, some dishes and utensils, mattress cover, etc.) and you don't have to buy everything you can borrow from your home too. And when you get there, and you know how much space you have and your budget, then you can sort out what else you need to get and what you actually can get. No need to bring in a bunch of stuff you don't really need. Just wait until you get there to figure out what's missing, it won't be impossible to get stuff you need later on.
if you want another piece of advice regarding what to bring: if you've never lived on your own, bring something that is an everyday usable at your home that feels like home. the hand soap you use, the specific brand and flavor of tea you drink in the morning, something small like that that you can just use to bring a little bit of home with you. It'll make the space feel more homey and the transition is less jarring, and it's usually pretty cheap and doesnt take up space
If you think this is bad wait till you see the content targeted at pregnant people. The baby “must have” videos are crazy. There’s this $500 baby mattress that people guilt each other about even though they all pass the same safety standards and that’s just one example.
this would be a great topic for sure, the "must-have" culture is insane and lots of guilting or implying you're a bad parent if you don't get all the expensive supplies and gadgets.
So I love Brittany Vasseur but her baby must haves were so unattainable when I was pregnant.
I hate to seem like that person, but don’t you mean just women? Just making sure- I don’t mean to come off as rude 😅. There’s no such thing as “pregnant people”, it’s just women
@@theoriginaltoba I wasn’t intending on being political, you’re over analyzing. Normally, I don’t like when dad says, “WE are pregnant,” but in this case dad needs to be included because it is about parents buying stuff. Dad is just as vulnerable in overconsumption as mom. Using a plural pronoun is the fastest way to include dads. Also, women are indeed people, it’s not offensive to call women persons. Lastly, if you hate to be that person then don’t be.
@@Wanda-v4b well I don’t mean to come across as political- and I understand now that you’ve explained your point. I’m sorry if I offended you- it’s just that I’ve seen too many people use that language in an offensive manner towards women. 😅
10:20 *fancy pillow* “I can’t live without it” even tho it’s literally unopened 😂
But thanks to a silky pillowcase you can better enjoy a good night sleep and forget about student loans 😮
(because thats a brand new one, bought for her dorm) (she probably has one on her bed at home) (if you travel home for breaks and shit, do you want to move your bedding EVERY TIME??) (no, that shits impractical)
@@dymetex6360 This was my thought as well. Granted I never went home after I moved to college for the first time, but so many of my friends did. Some of them lived a 5 hour flight away but still came home at least 3 times a year. Having to haul your preferred pillow back and forth sounds so annoying.
@@dymetex6360yeah but you wouldn't die from having to move it or having a cheaper one
The way I went to college with $100 in hand, a new comforter/ sheet set from Walmart, and 3 new outfits, I am flabbergasted by these hauls. Just APPALLED
First generation scholarship students, THIS TIKTOK TREND IS NOT FOR US 😩 Sit this one out loves, it's not worth the heartache
Agreed! Being a broke but scholarship student is odd because you see all the nice stuff other people bring and you sit there wondering LOL
@@cantstatemyname Being broke in school in general is a great way to learn how to live with the minimum, no better way to teach yourself financial responsibility than having a very limited budget for everything.
@@cantstatemyname I don't live in the dorms but I'm still mildly horrified seeing what some of my classmates do. My family's well off, and that's affected my own circumstances. But they also stay like this by having some common sense! Other factors too, but that's all near useless if you buy a ton of junk every two weeks. The garbage people buy... It's like nobody ever taught them any semblance of financial literacy. I have a nice laptop as a HS graduation gift and that's the splurge. I baby it to keep it in good shape. I've been reusing the same pack of pencils since freshman year (junior now). My notebooks are boring paper and I'll reuse if there's room. If no room, blank pages are my scratch paper instead of buying a pack. I'll use the same handed down waterbottle my mom has had since I was in HS or middle school. No trendy coffees, just vending machine if my blood sugar is low or eat a simple packed lunch from home/at home. I do have a nice stethoscope because it's actually something I'll use in the field and cheaper than rebuying one that's capable, for after graduation. It's still the bottom for what I can realistically expect- no need for a cardiology stethoscope.
This trend isn't for anyone who actually wants to have money, not just junk they'll throw away in a year. That kind of nonsense is how people manage to live paycheck to paycheck on six figure salaries. Unfortunately my major is one known for getting rich after graduation (never mind that depends on where you live/experience) and it attracts a certain type of behavior.
If you haven't seen Bama Rush or the Bama Rush price breakdowns, I'd love you to react!
What I just commented!! I went through rush and it's crazy how much waste is generated
those videos are WILD!!!!!
Ooh bout to go see..
Also thrift stores in college towns are loaded with most of what youd need if you had a full kitchen you needed to supply. One near me, i swear the students buy all new stuff then donate it after their first year.
Thats how I furnish my dorms every year SHOP SECOND HAND!!!
thrift stores in general omg you can get nice good quality silverware/cups/thermos/towels, lots of household essentials without paying the price for a brand-new item
I got new bedding for my college dorm’s twin XL mattresses and held onto it even after graduating. I just passed it on to my grandma for her room in a nursing home. She loves it!
@@earlgreys this is really awesome!!
@@shawnaripari Fun fact: hospital beds are Twin XL like college dorm beds so you can pass the bedding for them along to an elder or anyone using a hospital bed (at home or in a facility)
to those who had dorms that came with desk lamps, trash cans, and vacuums, i commend you and i am jealous. my dorm came with a bed that is the likely source of my 36-year-old back pain, a tiny sink, and the most uncomfortable desk chair you have ever imagined. and they were considered NICE at the time bc of the sink! you had to bring EVERYTHING. it gave orange is the new black. on a good day. one common room/kitchen/laundry for the whole 4-floor dorm, and one bathroom per floor. never again, ladies. never again.
yeah literally !! the ones I had at two different universities didn't have anything except for the bed , the desk and a chair that's it , no trash can , no lamps , nothing extra then the bare minimum ( for the rooms ). With the one it was more of an apartment and the other was a dorm like set up. The dorm set up only had one laundry room for the whole building , thankfully though I had my own kitchen in my space & had a bathroom of our own , not communal and a living / common room.
Yep- this setup exactly. Long rectangular window near the ceiling we couldn’t even see out of due to being on first floor which was kind of a basement (like half-buried in the ground? It was weird.) Cinderblock walls that were always semi-damp. 18 tiny double occupancy rooms… one gross locker room style bathroom. The closets in our dorm room were metal, and I was afraid my tetanus shot was going to be tested every day because those edges (esp the bottom) were rusty. I tried to make it cute… it wasn’t. I took most of the cute stuff home (or it was ruined or stolen) and just survived, and then made my first apartment budget adorable!
It’s still nice today because you had a sink????? Like in the room?
@@kgjones5 i was on the 4th floor but yeah exactly this! hahah
@@cantstatemyname yeah, right as you walked in the door. like a small one that made it feel like you were in a prison cell.
Not all universities have rentable vaccumes. Mine never did. Even if they did, I wouldn't use it anyway because of sanitary reasons. We had a bed bug infestation in the dorms once, so no thanks.
I still use my vaccum I purchased in school to this day and I'm 27. I don't think there is anything wrong with purchasing what the first ladies suggested because most people only purchase these once and use them until they break. It's nice to have your own things, and plus it's sanitary in some cases. Non essential dorm items I would argue would include decorations, an ice cream machine, just things like that.
I always went by the rule that I needed to be able to fit all my stuff in my car in one go. I haven't had any issues with that rule...and I drove a Nissan Versa Note so it was indeed a very small car.
i loved my dorm vacuum, my mom told it for herself tho….. and i had a rug that took up half of my dorm
@rc3wondere the point of mentioning the rentable vacuum wasn't to say all unis/colleges have that or even that this should be an expectation. The point was to say that different options and experiences exist beyond what a creator is showing in their video and it may or may not apply to you.
My dorms had tile or wood floors. I used a broom mostly, but I did inherit a handheld vacuum from a friend that I used on my rug. I also drive a really small car and whatever didn’t fit didn’t come. It saved so much time when move out came.
I’ve never heard of a school disallowing fans. Space heaters, yes. Fans, no.
Students often have fridges, printers, computers, etc. Each school should have a list of prohibited items available.
We were allowed fans, but that’s because my dorm Freshman year didn’t have AC. 😥
This is absolutely a thing that exists and why checking the list is important if one is available
I work as an RA and have lived in the dorms outside of my job. Most dorms dont allow outdoor lights (can get too hot and take much more power), space heaters, candles you plan on lighting, and full size fridges (too much power and too hard to move).
Fans are usually allowed as they dont have any danger in the heat department and they dont take much power.
@@stannosaurus thanks for those additions!
I’m glad someone pointed this out because I was wondering what she was on.
As someone who is *finally* getting past the “moving into new places every single year (or multiple times a year)” phase of their life (and for me, it was several years past my College years)….their excitement for this new journey is such a foreign emotion to me now. I remember being excited, I remember buying new things and being excited. But for each subsequent move, I did less and less “homemaking”. I’m just so exhausted of the New Place Jigsaw Puzzle to get everything just right. Decorating? Ha! I gave that up within the first year. Now, if it mostly gets the job done and doesn’t do me active harm, it’s good enough until another move.
Going on my 6th move now in 4ish years and I do decorate, but it's the same stuff from room to room. I've reduced the amount of stuff I own with every move and now I could probably list off every single thing I own separately.
Why do you have to move so much?
@@madlie2452 Moved for college, then moved for my post-college work but a “booming” city meant that rent prices were increasing like crazy every single year. Then I had to keep moving for other jobs until I finally got a halfway decent job.
Shawna please check the description of the video (yes, some of us do read them lol), it doesn't seem right.
You’re correct, it’s the same info from yesterday’s SHEIN video. Looking forward to today’s video 😊
Thank you!!! Missed that when uploading this morning
I hated living in dorms, (American) and the hype of what you do and don’t need is insane . The thing I hated most was no hot plates or crock pots allowed . I’m so glad I’m not in the dorms anymore so my advice is , bring what you like and use , thrift stuff if you can , and don’t feel bad if dorms are just not your vibe !
Same! I went to 2 different (American) universities and I hated living in dorms. The first one was really fun because of the friends I made, but the dorm itself was old and awful. And I wasn't a big fan of the dining halls (any of them). But then I got to my second school and the food was even worse! (And I am not a picky eater.) The dorm rooms were slightly bigger and did at least have a sink in them, but that's about all I can say for that one being any "better." I could not wait to move off campus into an apartment!!
@@luvzdogz I’m so glad you made friends there! I am in a house now (took like 3 years off of uni) and hopefully I can go back next year not in the dorms tho lol 😂 I hope you get into a good apt !
@@athenapantazes i hated it too. being forced to share a bedroom with a stranger was awful. my roommate was cray cray
I had an illegal coffee pot that I may have used to make an illegal quesadilla out of hunger and desperation.
@@coolchameleon21exactly, i think it's cruel to force young people to never have any privacy, i hated it
this is my advice as someone who spent 7 years in uni-
actual essentials
- shower slippers (unless you end up in one of those fancy dorms where you have a private bath)
- mattress protector (do NOT trust those mattresses)
- some kind of water bottle somewhere between half a litre to 1 litre (bigger ones are also fine but harder to carry to class because theyre heavy)
non essentials that i recommend:
- mattress topper/ mattress pad (will do wonders for your sleep)
- pillow
- microwave
- minifridge (i used mine for fruit)
- kettle (more convenient than microwave for instant noodles. if it's between this and the microwave get the microwave)
- set of like 1-2 plates, cutlery, bowls, cups, mugs etc (i used mine for leftovers from takeout or instant noodles. we had sinks to wash them in and i found reusable ones more convenient to have than disposable ones because you can't run out of them. also get microwaveable and dishwasher safe ones so you can basically keep them forever. they're also nicer to move into your first apartment with since you don't immediately have to go out and buy plates. it's also less wasteful which is a bonus)
- shower caddy (if you're gonna be using communal showers)
other tips
- dont get more than 2 sets of sheets. 1 set is doable but kind of a pain in the ass. you're probably gonna have a twin in uni and a full or queen or something when you move into an apartment so the twin sheets are basically not going to be used again once you move out.
- you do not need more than 2 towels
- you do not need a big vacuum. if you need one get a small one. dorms are tiny and you'll be short on space
- lofted beds are nice for space but a pain in the ass to change the sheets for so figure out which one is less of a downside for you
- don't buy anything (except for sheets and a comforter) before moving in. a lot of people at my uni got lamps but we have lamps built into the desk so it was unnecessary. same thing with trash cans (already in the dorms). same thing with vacuums and brooms and swiffers and so on (they were available to use for free)
- bonus from the last point if you have a roommate: decide on who is going to buy what for things you can share like minifridges so you don't double up (happened to me)
- you only need new clothes if you're moving to a cold area and don't have any winter clothes. if so invest in a good coat. winter is mostly a layers game and if you can already layer up with the clothes you have you don't need more. if you can't you only need a few long sleeve shirts and leggings and you can wear them under your regular clothes.
- do NOT get a tote or a handbag or something. get a backpack or you will have pain from carrying your stuff around to class all the time
- buy stationary and electronics based on your current usage. if you don't already use highlighters, don't get them. if you don't already use a tablet to study, don't get one. if you don't already use binders, don't get one. if you use a laptop, get a new one only if you genuinely think you need to replace your old one, not just for fun (you'll need that money to buy your textbooks)
- don't buy textbooks until you've had your first class. some "required" textbooks are optional, or are provided by the professor for free. you can also ask your professors if they have any free options available for the texts - some of them do. some are available for free online. if you have to get your own, renting is usually cheaper than buying and secondhand is always cheaper than new when available. a lot of students also sell their textbooks at the start of the semester/trimester/quarter so see if you can get something from another student (usually cheaper than bookstores)
- same thing for calculators or other devices - students who've taken that class before may be looking to get rid of theirs so they'll be willing to sell.
i’d also recommend something to put laundry in! it can be literally anything. laundry hamper/ bag from home if you have one, just some random basket, whatever. i have some storage boxes i use for moving in/ out and one of those is my laundry basket right now, because what else am i gonna use it for
also: some decoration will help against Despair. especially if you have a four-white-walls type dorm. but it doesn’t need to be expensive! i just put like. honestly anything i get on my wall. random floor meeting reminder poster? sure why not. art my friend sent me years ago? yeah ok. an old project i did for a freshman year class? aight. a little color really helps with the Evil and Horrors and such but it doesn’t need to be expensive and you don’t have to go out and buy stuff!!!!!
and while i’m here i’ll add that if you’re using command hooks, be careful with them. clean the wall really well beforehand and be So careful when you’re removing them. nobody wants to deal with the fee from a command hook shredding the wall paint it’s not worth it
When I moved into the dorms (15 years ago...) my "dorm haul" was a shower caddy and some cheap shower shoes. Everything else came from home, either when I first moved in, or later when I realised I needed it. This was before social media became what it is now, and it didn't even occur to me that anyone would buy everything new, unless they lived in a different state/country and could only bring the bare minimum. (And in that case, it makes sense to be even MORE mindful about what you actually need to buy.)
My dorm also offered buses to the local Target during move in week, for those who did need to buy dorm stuff. Better to buy stuff once you know the dorm situation and what you actually need, and if you live close enough, chances are you can wait a little and pick up your fan or desk lamp or whatever from home during a weekend visit. Dorms often let students rent things like microwaves, mini fridges, and vacuum cleaners.
Same! I did buy new bedding but that because I had a normal twin bed at home, but my dorm bed was a twin XL. So that was something I actually needed. I am convinced that a lot of these kids buy all new stuff just so they can make these haul videos. Overconsumption for the sole purpose of making content is one of the main things I hate about social media.
I asked my parents to mail me something I needed from home once instead of buying a new one 😅 the postage fee was cheaper
I’m glad I’m not going to college now. People wanted a fun dorm room but no one was buying expensive stuff and anything unnecessary, because there wasn’t much space for it. Posters and photos were the main thing. Not nick knacks and unrealistic storage.
I just bring my cheap tapestries and bedspread everything else is unnecessary
American culture is wild, everything is about showing how much you have and can buy...
I'm portuguese, here if you go to college and have to leave you parents house you will not buy a mountain of stuff... You will take some of your mother old towels and sheets and stuff, and after you already moved in and start living in it, maybe you will buy somethings that you realised you need... The same thing when you leave your parents home and start to rent on your own, you just take some random shit from your parents... most people would not dream of spending hundreds on brand new things that they dont even know if they will need... you would only do that if you are really well of.
When moving (not to college, I didn't move until after) there were only so many spare items I was able to take from my parents. Many other things I needed to be prepared to afford without their help because they simply didn't have it
honestly these gigantic hauls really only happen for first years who have a decent amount of money. Not a thing every single person does. People in their second and third and especially fourth years don't really do this honestly. There's also always a false narrative of "YOULL NEED THIS" and then you buy it and you just don't need it at all. I remember my first year I brought a fancy clothes hamper and it was so inconvenient I just got a normal one to use for the next three years. Not to mention there's entire college sections in stores full of so much random shit you can buy that you really don't need
I’m American. My first apartment was furnished with random bits from my mom that were old. The only table I had for a year was a milk crate. This is very normal in the states, but it’s not sexy to show this way of living online. The videos are true, but they aren’t the whole truth about how Americans live or even what is typical.
Same when I moved out in Norway. I mostly needed kitchen stuff, but I got all the stuff my family members didn't want anymore. I remember I had some very ugly pink plates with grey flowers and lots of mismatched stuff.
This isn't American culture stop generalizing over 300 million Americans
I think part of the reason for pre shopping is a lot of dorms are not in walking distance of stores and many freshmen don't have cars so once parents leave the only option is what can be delivered ,taken on the bus or bought on campus
yes, public transport in the US sucks bad, even in cities! it was difficult to shop in college before i got a car
American here - at my school, we do not have access to kitchens in the first year dorms. Same for most of my friends at other schools around the country. My school provides a microwave and a mini fridge. All other kitchen appliances are banned. You’re basically stuck with microwaveable food or the campus food
That is kind of disgusting given how much you guys pay for uni??? A kitchen should be the goddamn minimum along with shower/bathroom facilities. Even the cheap accommodation at my uni provided kitchens.
that’s why everybody sneaks in airfryers😂
interesting, i went to a pretty big public school, and there was a kitchen in my dorm. i never used it because we had regular dining halls as well as a la carte dining halls. i didn't have time to be cooking
@@brandonbubbler4682 and that’s why one girl packed a kettle. You can make oatmeal and noodles. Cook those dehydrated veg soup packs. Have hot drinks outside of the cafeteria.
I learned to cook all kinds of things in a rice cooker
My dorm in the states didn't have most things. I think we got a bed, little desk area, but little else. At that time, they also didnt have air conditioning. We had a common sitting area, but no kitchenette, stove, fridge, sink, etc. We brought a mini fridge, and a small panini-type grill, and a small microwave. We didnt have communal vacuums. They allow fans, mini fridges, etc. We had to use surge protectors to plug all of our electric items, and no restrictions on "power." There was no way to blow a fuse. Most colleges and universities have larger rooms, and we visited our university and dorm before we moved in. It was called orientation. Bringing towels was a must. Plus, a lot of students dont live near their college, so they need to bring all these things when they move in, bc if they wait to do so, they have the added time and pressure to get things as you're trying to get ready to begin classes. Are lots of these items necessary? A majority are, bc we dont get well-furnished dorms, usually. A lot of what these gals are showing dont seem silly or unnecessary, to me. Since its your first home away from home, its fun to decorate, furnish, and have fun with the new space. Freshman yr will show you what you want/need in the following years. I just say let em live, its all in good fun 😉 basic cold/flu meds and other meds are crucial bc once one person in the dorm gets sick, it spreads like crazy, lol. Having a first-aid kit and cold/flu meds is so important, bc it keeps you from having to go buy them when you do get sick. We all got sick and stayed sick just bc of the close contact w everyone. I never got sick as often or as bad as i did when i was in college, lol. I do love your recommendation of going to a secondhand store in the college town, though. 😊
Even if you don't get to see your dorm room in person before moving in, i believe you get info about how much space is in the room so you can plan.
Also, you generally get the roommate(s) info to connect with before you move in, so you can plan what to bring together.
i attend a us college and there is so much variation. tiktoks and dorm hauls have almost complicated things by making people think they 'need' certain items when they don't. i always recommend to friends to just go by what upperclassmen from their school or what the school housing guidelines say as to what can/can't be brought. some of these tiktoks are useful bc you definitely need meds, appliances, and probably a majority of your stuff bought and packed ahead of time, but many of those influencer hauls that go viral are unrealistic for the average student, which is why theyre viral. always cool to see what people are buying, though
This is why you can really score dumpster diving at the end of the school year because people throw everything and I mean everything away when the prepare to leave especially foreign students. My daughter scored a leather sectional sofa this year for free when she dumpster dived at the big university near her.
As someone who dumpster dives college dorms during every move out season, this is so triggering to me. I find so many undamaged/perfectly good clothing items, furniture and cleaning supplies. To the point where I filled an entire Uhaul truck and brought what I found to local thrift stores. College students have to be the most wasteful demographic on the planet.
As someone who spent 5ish years living in dorms a few years in barracks after that here is my two cents.
Things you need:
Sheets - these can be brand new or they can be ones you already have. Most dorms have twin xl mattresses make sure what ever sheets you bring fit that size
Laundry bag/hamper - really depends on what is going to work best for you. Mesh laundry bags are less expensive but not as durable, they do have the benefit of being able to be washed with all your clothes inside( bulk laundry not really applicable to college). Laundry bags with a strap are more convenient for carrying if there are a lot of stairs or laundry is in a separate building
Soap container -
Shower shoes
Pillow -
Trash can - if one is not provided.
Towels - at least one, two is not a bad idea
Hangers - they don't have to be anything fancy.
My dorm was basically a shoebox that I shared with another person 😂. Idk what I could have possibly "hauled" because our basic necessities barely fit. I got some cheap XL twin bedding, a new backpack because my high school bag had fallen apart, and a caddy and shoes for the shower.
Moved into college in 2013 and remember buying a set of sheets, a blanket, towels, and a desk lamp. All things i used for many years and moved with multiple times. Any form of massive haul tbh is not normal!!!! Love your videos!!!!
influencer culture has made these huge haul videos go viral when it's not realistic at all for the average student lol
my roommates and i have just brought basics -mostly from home, though bought sheets/appliances, and a few packs of noodles- and we've managed to get by buying things as we need them. dorm decor is great for atmosphere, but i don't understand the obsession with the 'perfect' living space. who has the time to keep that space looking like that all the time?
Mom of a college sophomore this year. Here’s my experience with planning dorm items for my daughter…
Everyone’s experience IS different, and the items that you will “need” is subjective to each person.
What happened with us is that I had THREE college age girls, two of which were going to the same school in the same dorm at the same time. It’s a long story, but none of these girls have a drivers license or car that they could use at the time. Neither did they have a job. So they had no source of income to purchase their own items for their dorm. So as a mom helping to plan for being out of the house for the first time, I did a TON OF RESEARCH into what we should order, plan for, and purchase in store. Knowing my girls had NO WAY to get to the store after moving in, and even if they could, they had no money in which to purchase more items. (We live in a state where there’s not a lot of variety on the shelves, and things DO sell out. Especially when everyone is buying all at once. Also; we don’t live in big cities. So public transportation is not really feasible here. You literally cannot walk anywhere. No sidewalks and things are very far away. So assuming that items are going to be readily available AFTER You move in, is narrow minded. There are a lot of small towns in the US, and stores are pretty far away. Even ordering online takes time and money. Not all of us are made of money, and need to budget for items. Even last minute items and groceries. So all that to say there was a lot of reasons why I began helping them plan and shop for items in JANUARY of their senior year. I ended up spending thousands, and then after we got them moved in, Went to buy groceries and ended up spending several hundred more on food, and last minute items. Some people say “you NEED” this and that, and others say opposite. I looked at photos that we took of the dorm tour, watched as many vids as I could and read other mom blogs about moving your kid into college. The school
Also had rough estimates of the dimensions of the rooms and each piece of furniture. One of my girls couldn’t care less about dorm decor, one was a foster and cared quite a bit, and the other decided after one year that college wasn’t for her. There are plenty of online lists out there for the “essentials”. I compiled a list of items that I considered practical, from as many sources as possible. These days it’s seems that each university probably has at least one kid on UA-cam showing “move in vlogs” or room tours. This was not the case with my girls school. It was difficult to find anything on it. And they also had a shared bathroom in their room. So apart from
Bedroom items, and school supplies, they also had to have: a shower curtain and rod, a shower caddy, bath mats or small rugs, towels, curtain rings, a door organizer, and ALL the cleaning supplies needed to keep their room and bathroom clean. They were expected to clean their space (shower and toilet included) there was no cleaning service for that. Not a service before or after moving in either.
There were a lot of items I thought would be good for them, which they didn’t need. (Organizational items included). But you really don’t know what you’re going to need until you e lived in the space for a little while. And these girls WILL be living on campus in the dorms for at least the first two years. The most important thing is that you want to feel 1) comfortable, 2) less homesick -so photos etc. 3) you want to feel as prepared as possible on this new stage of your life.
Another big aspect was that my girls had no way to come home and visit unless we drove up and got them. And the school is two and a half hours away from where we live. Not too far, but far enough not to be able to just Uber home easily.
I did over buy. I did over plan. They did have too much stuff. Our foster was moving out completely. So she did need to take every item she owned at the time. Our other girl was told to take
Most of her items, as we converted her room after they moved out into a guest room. So the opportunity to leave a lot of items at home was taken from them. We have a large home, and a spacious attic. So storing the items before, after etc is not really an issue for us. We also have two more girls who will eventually go to college and possibly be able to use a lot of the same items. So our situation is different. I can confirm however, that moving out SUCKS. Like a lot. When you’re a freshman moving in a lot of time the school tries to make it fun and will have teams of volunteer students helping families move items in. This does not happen when moving out. You’re on your own. AND yes, they give you like two days to move out and actually clean your space all while you’re trying to finish finals. It’s incredibly stressful. Even though we constantly went to visit my girls, and helped them bring back items in bins left and right prior to moving out, there was still way too much stuff. And they didn’t even have all the items like what you see in Alabama house vlogs. We still had to rent a uhaul both times. It was miserable trying to move in either direction. It’s hot, takes all day, is exhausting going up and down stairs or elevators with heavy boxes, and you’re on your own doing it all too. One of my girls is an art/ graphic design major, so she had: a mini fridge, microwave, storage containers, bathroom decor and items, sewing machine, bins and bins of art supplies and projects, an adult size scooter, cleaning supplies, school supplies, clothing, bedding, snacks, a long mirror and standing lamp, closet organization and a full shoe rack, a vacuum cleaner (which she did use and was awesome) laundry basket and laundry cleaning supplies- the list goes on and on. Basically an apartment size full of stuff minus the tv, sofa, and full kitchen. I also special ordered monogrammed towels for the girls with their names on them. As they were sharing bathrooms, this helped. It did end up being a good idea, and they can use them all four years. Not a need. But a good idea.
This year we are acknowledging what a nightmare it was to move all the items they took the first time, and my art student is leaving a lot of items in bins in a closet at home. She’s also cut down the amount of clothing and shoes she’s taking. She’s got one sheet set, four towels, four hand towels, stuff for the bathroom again, cleaning supplies, her fridge and microwave, a dash mini rice maker (which she did use last year), school supplies, and we will shop for snacks and food when we get there. She’s taking very very little pillows and decor. Her art supplies however, are still going to be a lot. This girl is a collector and a hoarder. So the amount of items she will have is still going to be more than anyone needs.
I can confirm though that last year she had across the hall neighbors whose room looked like a Barbie dream house (full Alabama sorority house) pink furry glittery everything. She told me that within a month that room had four foot deep of crap all over the floors because they couldn’t keep it clean. It was too
Much stuff. I just tell people get what you need to feel safe, comfortable, and homey in your space. If it’s too much, that’s on you. ❤
I remember vividly how much got thrown away at the end of each year in college, and this was 15 years ago - I don’t think the culture was to have nearly as much stuff. But as you said, people often move into different spaces the following year, and you’re not going to get a storage unit for the summer to keep the decorative pillows and cute trash can. Each of these hauls feel like “look at all this stuff I’m going to throw away in 9 months”.
Yeah, can confirm. I'm actually glad my school had a couple donation options for stuff that was helpful, because I had a bunch of stuff that definitely didn't need to get thrown away, but that I couldn't take with me or didn't need.
I ended up donating a bunch of socks I had lying around that were gently used, but that I didn't wear anymore, several boxes of tampons/ soap/ hygiene stuff that was unopened.
Unfortunately there aren't enough schools that have donation drives run through the area during move out time, bc they could get sooo many supplies for people in need if they did.
I rented a tiny storage unit for 1 summer & did summer school for a summer (program with gifted & talented high school students that paid me so I just moved rooms in the same building that year) And grad student friends can sometimes keeps stuff for the summer for you if you know any & they live in a decent sized rented house or apartment.
yup. my school brings out those big rental dumpsters during move in and move out. they fill up quick
Are these people going to university to study or are they just attending a 4 year social event? Makes one wonder
The girl with fancy stuff ( the second one) seems to be that profile. Her parents must be paying for her education but they do not have enough money to rent an individual flat/ studio for her.
@@joannasliwa8147that girl’s parents can definitely afford to put her in an apartment. Being in the dorm for the first year is an active choice most people make because it’s a social experience.
@@joannasliwa8147 Or as is common for a lot of US colleges & universities, many incoming freshman have to live on campus & buy a meal plan so Mom & Dad spent lavishly on the little stuff for Year 1 & in later years she will be in a fancy rented place near campus.
@@joannasliwa8147 ^ many universities have live-on-campus requirements for a year or two for some reason, maybe that's why
As a long term dormer, I would say bring what you would for a holiday, plus devices.
Then once you get there, wait for a week, work out what you need, then go shopping with roommates for extras. Share an uber home with your extras.
Absolute essentials though: mattress protractor. Yes, dorm mattress' are so gross.
Avoid nick knacks and hard copy novels. When you have to move back out, you have to box it back up and take it home to store. Such a pain inthe butt.
To make yourself at home and calm as quickly as possible, go with scents. Bring the same laundry detergent as you had at home. Having your sheets and pillow cases smell familiar is so calming for sleep.
I’m currently a sophomore living in a 4 person suite style. Honestly the biggest thing I can say is make your space feel comfortable for you. If you’re going to buy stuff for your dorm make sure you have a well thought out plan for your storage, my dad and I came up with a plan for my storage over a couple months and I’ve changed only one thing in the entire year (my dad had the idea from the start and I rejected it 😂) . Worry about decor later especially if you join a sorority you will gain soooooo much stuff. Also the rugs like she said NO FLUFFY RUGS I had a small one under a chair at the entrance to my little room and it got so gritty. Overall though mainly plan your bedding and storage everything can come later. & if your fortune enough to have parents that are willing to pay for basically all your dorm stuff and you want to get a lot of stuff for your room be kind to them and space out your purchases over months so it’s not a burden. And packing will be a game of Tetris
As a sorority girl, I NEED to see u review bamarush stuff, like not necessarily the outfits but just how much random makeup and stuff is bought just for rush and then abandoned ):
I just have to say while I was in college this was genuinely so damaging for my mental health. Constantly comparing myself to my roommates who somehow had the money to constantly buy all these new supplies and deck out their cute little corner of the bathroom while all I had was a little Walgreens bag with my shower and toothpaste stuff. Nobody needs this much stuff especially trying to afford college
I'm so sorry you went through that
As someone from the us our dorms have, desk, under bed storage, a wardrobe and that’s it. No kitchenette in freshman dorms. 1 tv for the entire freshman building. Our campus has so little room people were sleeping in the kitchens one year. It was rough out here. This was a private university.
It depends on the dorm! Our older dorms also only have 1-2 tvs per building with roughly one kitchenette per floor. The new dorms have full kitchens and TVs on each floor!
100% bring your own microwave if you can for any newbies. You will not want to use the communal one.
Same!
@@stannosaurus my university rented out a fridge microwave combo for 50 a semester. I bought my own then gave it to my brother for him in university.
we had the same thing happen! i went to a big public school, but the least they coulda done was get these people an apt. terrible
I remember moving in with just one suitcase and a guitar 😅 I didn't even have a mug at first 🤣
i probably have a different perspective on dorm move in and move out since i lived in a completely different state for my undergrad (college in new england, home in southeast), so one of the big things i would recommend is ONLY BRING WHAT YOU NEED. you are going to be hauling that shit back and forth! be mindful of that! i had to use a storage building every year for stuff that just could not come home, and the final year i had to have help from both sides of my family to get my stuff home. be very, very mindful of your stuff and what it will take to move it back and forth! this is coming from someone who also really didnt purchase new things each year besides like things for class. i was transporting the same stuff over and over.
also, like shawna said about dorm rules: read up on what is allowed!!! i had candles confiscated that i didnt even burn bc i had a candle warmer, but candles THEMSELVES were against the rules! if youre gonna bring these that violate the rules you BETTER have a good hiding spot, and they better be items that wont affect your fellow students!
For move in 100% only bring the essentials, what she says in this video about move in before you buy most things is so true, bring the bare essentials, you will accumulate more things
We don't all go home during the summers or even post college. Very few of my friends did. I interned every summer so never went home to live again once I left. I did not find moving difficult.
this is true for some people! unfortunately this was not my experience. pretty much everyone left my college for summer, and summer housing didnt always guarantee you were in the same place. this is more for people who do have to move every summer :-) but yes, thank you for bringing this up!
@tyisakson1004 there are so many experiences!
i’m currently going into year 3 at a school in scotland and it’s craaazy how different the culture is from america! i did my associate’s degree before heading to scotland for my bachelor’s so last year was the first time i’ve lived in a dorm/outside of home. going back this weekend and decided that i wanted to invest in nice things to use for the next several years (a set of four plates/bowls/cups since we have full kitchens in housing, a nice quality duvet since i have trouble getting warm at night, etc.) the amount of small things american students insist on having as essentials are craaazy to me. yes i have some items in storage that i plan on using and got lots of use out of, but they’re absolutely not necessities! nice but not essential!
Thank you for sharing! I do think that with socials American videos can inspire folks who live outside of the country. So it's wonderful to hear alternative experiences to provide even more nuance
@@shawnaripari also worth mentioning that as a 22 year old with a couple years left in uni (more when i do my master’s), the financial difference between me and a newly-18 year old student is kinda weird. i largely have to go off of my own savings and income working with the uni during my studies to buy what i want, and a lot of these ~aesthetic~ dorm haul ppl definitely seem to be using their parent’s gift money and spending it on some rly frivolous items. i’m privileged enough to receive some money from my grandparents to use on dorm things but it doesn’t cover everything i need and i wince at the idea of spending $40 on little desk and makeup organizers like some ppl do… surely that’s money better spent elsewhere or tucked away for later??
hi shawna! i love your videos, but as someone who is going into my fourth year at a large US university, there’s a few things i wanted to mention:
1) many dorms, at least freshman dorms, do not come with trash cans or kitchenettes…. it’s super annoying but you usually have to buy a trash can. my college provided recycling bins but not trash.
2) the extensive medicine kits are because of how sick people easily get in bigger schools. i lived on campus for two years and people are always sick, especially the people that party on a regular basis!
3) more remote colleges may not have easy transportation to places like walmart/target or other similar department stores! my college doesn’t even have those in our town and we have to go to the next town over, where you need to take the bus system (huge chunk out of your day) or know someone that has a car.
4) most universities here will have descriptors and photos of what each dorm building’s dorms look like. you’ll know exactly what it comes with
I’ve been watching you since the very beginning of your channel. Congrats on all your growth! Happy to see everyone else catching onto how great your content is, :)
I think a lot of this advice also applies to moving into a new apartment. When I moved into my apartment at 18, I took some hangers and towels from my house so I wouldn't have to automatically buy new stuff. I didn't really spend anything on decorating. Even three years later, I still haven't really decorated much. I personally think a lot of knick knacks just take up space and attract dust. I have very few knick knacks. The ones I do have are from childhood so they're nostalgic to me. I see absolutely zero reason to go out and buy new knick knacks. But that's just me.
Just as a interesting note. A lot of parents not all don’t let you take towels from the house. I know mine didn’t. I also went home during the summer and left my stuff at my grandparents (lived like 2 hours away) it was easier to have separate stuff for home and dorm. Now that I have graduated I still have a lot of those towels, kitchen equipment, laundry stuff. But I always bought with the mindset of is this something I want for the future.
this is my 2nd year in a public student dorm as a masters student in germany. it is a suite-style accomodation with a kitchen, and the room itself has basic furniture. not every dorm is like this, but one common thing is how easy it is to find second hand stuff in facebook marketplace and such. i got so many stuff later and i even got some of them for free. for example, my dormmates already got a vacuum and we use it together. i also got so many decorative gifts for my room later haha
German student dorms are really nice! Also studying is so much cheaper in Germany.
I work in college housing as a professional staff and just finished move in. (Literally just finished like an hour ago) medicine like DayQuil is so essential because people do get sick. A lot of people really want to maximize their space, so finding items that do that is also important. Other than that, bring what you normally use at home.
It's so fascinating to see and hear how different student living is around the word. In Norway we don't have dorms where you share the room with someone else. A lot of Norwegian students live in collectives, where you have your own bedroom, but chare bathroom, kitchen and livingroom with 1-7 others, or more. I lived in a collective where 14 students only shared kitchen and livingroom, and we all had our own bathroom and bedroom (but that is not that common).
I'm a freshman this year. I didn't get a broom or anything. One of my friends on my floor got one when we went to walmart last week and is sharing it with the rest of the floor. a lot of stuff is sharable, and i think thats the point of dorm living too, to build community
Tip to incoming freshman. Figure out when move out day is the school year before and SO MUCH stuff gets tossed because students are moving back for the summer or they are just so rushed they don’t want to deal with.
It’s just… most of what you need you TECHNICALLY already have…?
- bedding
- clothes
- laundry detergent for the laundry room, MAYBE dryer sheets
- your meds
- a small safe for important documents and stuff (mainly if you have roommates and no lockable door between you)
- first aid/cold and flu stuff kit (bandaids, Tylenol, cough meds, thermometer, etc)
- bath soap/shampoo/toothpaste + toothbrush
- hair stuff (brush, dryer, MAYBE a flat/curling iron)
- your stuff for classes
- documents like your insurance cards and IDs and stuff
Edit: also masks, colleges are Petri dishes. That’s also why I say get a sick kit along with first aid cuz you don’t know when you’ll get hit with mystery crud or get minor injuries that need a bandaid. There’s usually a HUGE spike in people being sick after breaks, cuz people are coming back from wherever their families are.
Usually dorm beds are twin XL not twin so most people don't already own sheets for their dorm bed.
@@taylorsronce6041 bed sheets no, blankets/pillows/etc yes. I’ve seen people buy entirely new everything for their dorm bed and then complain that they miss XYZ blanket/pillows/etc or that they dumped all their cash on their trendy dorm bedding and don’t have cash for something else.
Plus if you have your old pillows and blankets, or at least some of them, then it helps with being homesick imo.
@Ac3_Silvers I agree. I didn't buy new pillows when I moved into my dorm. I did buy new sheets and a matching comforter. But also keep in mind for most people you will still need to keep 1 set at your parents house for when you visit on holidays. I went to college about a 1 hour drive from my parents but still decided to live in the dorms. I went home about one weekend a month so I still needed to have a room set up at my parents house. Unfortunately that did mean needing more duplicate items for my dorm room and my room at my parents
I used to live near johns hopkins in Baltimore and dumpster dive after move out days cause the amount of stuff people have to throw away and leave on the curb is Astounding. I got a fiddle leaf fig, a really expensive air mattress, a desk, and a nice lazy susan thing all in one stop a few years ago
When I lived in dorms ~10 years ago in the US, and based on the experiences of my brothers and cousins-a lot of US Private schools do not have kitchens, trash, and vacuums in common areas or for rent. And if you go to private schools, you do get judged (as a woman) on how put together your room is, the appearance of your towels and toiletries, etc. It’s not cool but you can spot a rich kid from an upper middle class kid so easily at private schools if you know what to look for
GIIIIIRL i just moved into my first ever apartment and am thinking about how I want to make sure from this point on I don't buy like ANY new stuff; clothes, things etc. This is so relevant to me girl fuel my goals rn!!!
The idea of "dorm hauls" blow my mind because when I think back to my freshman dorm room (21 years ago now) all I can think of is the shock I felt when I first saw how small it was. I'm fairly sure that it was built to be a single room and they were using it as a double. We had to loft our beds up over our desks to fit the the desks, beds, and dressers! This was at a fairly run-of-the-mill state university. From what I hear there still seems to be a shortage of on-campus housing at a lot of schools, so it will be tight quarters. So the point is that you need to be very picky about what you even bring to a dorm room, the more stuff you "haul" for your room, the smaller and messier it will feel!
just moved into a dorm and all i need is a case of waters, a microwave, and a box fan. living my best life
These have been all over my feed! I never took this much even when I was out of state. It’s so overwhelming.
I was in a (large) triple my first year of college. We talked a fair bit before we got to school but I was still shocked with how much one of my roommates brought. Little did I know that’s just the kind of person she is. She managed to fit everything into our room. The next year we lived together again and our room was tiny and she brought the same amount of stuff. Still managed to fit it all into our shoebox of a room. The moral of the story really is to talk to your roommates
There’s overconsumption in every aspect of life 😂
I highly recommend going to your college the may before you move in to forage for furniture by the dumpsters. People leave perfectly good furniture and electronics by the dumpster cuz they cant fit it in their car.
I didn't have the dorm experience and I barely had money to buy nice things even though I lived with my parents and uni was really close and not expensive. I'm so happy that back them UA-cam and social media in general was nothing like now, knowing myself I'd feel so frustrated about not being able to purchase beautiful things or idealize an experience that wasn't suitable to my circumstances.
I admit my family has a woozoo. 😂 We dont have air conditioning. It is a cute little corner fan if your dorms are not air conditioned.
Sad Fact: after making these videos OR taking this advice, dropping this huge amount of $$$ on "essentials", like 25% of them are just going to drop out.
20:00 my sister got plates and bowls because she wanted them to last longer and now she is bringing them into her house.... Her friend didn't and the good ones that my sister got from Walmart they don't have them anymore so her friend had to get more expensive ones
I think the only things I purchased for my dorm in college were a laundry bag, a few towels, a mattress topper, and a space heater. Everything else I was given or got from my sister, because she was in college before me.
So I work with health insurance for a large hospital in a college town. At least 80% of dorm/apartment "necessities " end up in the dumpsters. However, what the students don't often have is a good grasp of their insurance information as well as their parents' employment and demographic information. Parents, please stop sending your kids out into the world without knowing their important details! Also, let them make their own doctors appointments.
@22:19 American here: My first year university dorm was a twelve story building and the only kitchen area (also the only area with a sink big enough to fit larger dish-ware like plates, pots, pans, etc was on the top floor of the building. And it was just a normal size kitchen capable of fitting maybe one or two people actively cooking or cleaning. It did not have a communal fridge. Imagine twelve floors of people (usually between two-three people per room) trying to share this space to prep for or clean up after meal times, it was a nightmare.
My school actually required us to live on campus for at least two years, though I had to live on campus all four years as a requirement to continue receiving my scholarship. The dorms we got access to in years three and four were much nicer and closer to what you're describing here: communal kitchen space for the floor ( though still sans fridge), or if you paid more money, a shared kitchen between a group of 5-6 students.
Also, our dorms definitely did not come with desk lamps or trash cans. It did come with free mold though!
Free mold? 🤢
Okay, I'm going to add my prespective and what I think you should buy to uni being in a country where students usually move into a rented house/apartment right away, has already seen the room conditions prior to move in and usually go home for the weekend often (I've also lived in 2 different apartments):
Essentials:
- bath towels, hand towels and kitchen towels. Hand towels are very convinient and usually not shared and kitchen towels are not shared
- a mattress topper. most mattresses in these rooms are super old and unconfortable so a mattress topper will make you more confortable (if you've seen the room and the mattress wasn't unconfortable don't buy one and I'm jealous)
- a pillow. there's either not going to be a pillow or there's going to be a very old 1cm thick pillow
- at least 2 pairs of sheets, 1 for the warm weather and 1 for the cold. there won't be any sheets.
- a duvet/conforter(I have no idea what's called in english) and a blanket. almost all rooms are cold as fuck, you'll need one
- a small rug. the floor either will be wood or tile, either way it's slipery. + rugs help with the col
- extra battery run light sources and candles. either to help set the mood or to see arround during a power outage
- duplicate of your most common used hygiene products and phone/laptop/tablet chargers. You'll end up forgetting something when visiting home for the weekend, trust ,e
- hangers, there will be at max 3 on the closet
- double sided tape or those litle hangers you can put on the doors and walls. Very, very usefull
- a basic kitchen set. some plates, some bowls, some glasses, some cutlery, a pan and maybe a frying pan. kitchen stuff is not shared
- your medicine, a basic first aid kit and a thermomether, trust me thermometers are not easy to just get once you need (speaking from experience)
- a thing to carry your hygiene products as their usually not kept in the communal bathroom
- a small trash can, no place I've lived at or saw had one
Not essentials but might be needed (aka after talking with your roommates and seeing the house conditions):
- any kitchen utensil/appliance you use regularly that isn't in the house already. I was in a place that already had a hand held processer but then moved to a place that hadn't one, and none of the places had a kettle. different places will have different appliances and might not have what you use, but you'll only know once you seen them and talked with your roommates
- heating solutions. Your house might already have some integrated if you are lucky, or your roommates will perfer a certain type of heater due to safety or bills.
- vaccum, brooms, sweepers and cleaning products. most places will have a vaccum, broom and mop that everyone can use, sometimes they'll share cleaning products too.
- a chair for your desk. some places won't have a chair, some will have a very basic chair that's probably not appropriated for a desk. the choice is yours on if you want to buy a better chair deppending on how much time you'll spend sitting on the desk
- more storage. I have been in places with so much storage I wasn't using it all even if I tried to, then moved to a place with basically no storage. if you need more storage and what type of storage you'll need can only be determined once you have the organization of the room done
- desk lamp, none of the places I've been had desk lamps.
once again these is just my experience, in a different situation but might be usefull for someone who's moving to a rented room for the first time
When I lived in a dorm, I just gathered up fun little decor items from my room to decorate with. I mainly just bought some sheets (needed extra long twin, I had regular), a little trash can, a plastic drawer unit to put under my lofted bed for toiletries and such, a decent little $50 mini fridge, and a box fan.
the one thing about "waiting till you get there" is that some towns (like my college town) do not have the supply to meet the demand of all of the college students during move in week. When I moved into a college house we obviously needed a trash can. we couldn't find one in ANY size in any of the stores in town because everyone was buying them. So sometimes waiting till you get there is not an option.
My favorite time of year is hanging around after the semester and straight up dumpster diving. Now that I live in my own apartment it’s been a blast getting the things I need for free like my mirrors, vacuum and fans. It’s all lightly used and perfectly fine. People who go far back home over the summer don’t realize they have to bring it back, especially freshmen Fr
I was REALLY into minimalism in college. I had a giant white canvas on the wall that i made. A medical workbench i thrifted, a classic wooden chair, a string of lights, a floor lamp, and a room divider that i found in the trash to hide my closet junk. That's it, and my room was one of my friends favorite places to chill cuz it wasnt a mess of clutter.
To reiterate from the video, moving out is extremely stressful. It's right after finals and you don't get much time, if any to pack depending on your schedule. Save the hauls for your first apartment.
Thank you!!! I move into my dorm next week and these kinda videos make me feel bad or not normal for having the bare essentials and a few extra things. I’m not rich yall I can’t have an air fryer, a blender and a kettle in my dorm
There’s really no need for those things so you shouldn’t feel bad. You won’t want to use them and put work into making food when you can just have dining hall food. Even if you’re sick of dining hall food, you will still probably prefer it to having to find a ride to the grocery store (lots of freshman can’t have cars at many universities), trying to cook something, then having to clean it up in a dorm sink. Terrible- you’re doing it right. 😊
Don't feel bad! Sometimes not having your own of something actually generates social opportunities you might not otherwise have. Ask a neighbor if you can borrow something. (do people still share these days? LOL) That's how new friends are made! :) Good luck at school!
Don’t worry, when you have less stuff you’ll set up everything faster, meaning you can rest sooner than them. Plus at the end of the year you won’t need to cull stuff you can’t take home. The amount of nice unused stuff I got from the dumpsters of college move out was insane, you won’t contribute to that so that’s a fat W in my book🫶
This video is spot on Shawna and it brought back some great memories. Thanks!
22:14 it does happen in America. We do have hangout areas and kitchen areas and much more 🙂
For meds, I actually think you need to bring more than you may think. I brought a bunch and became my roommate/friend's pharmacy lol. Any meds we needed, we would have to purchase from our campus health center (or often off campus), so I would actually recommend first aid/sick supplies.
When I was sick, I didn't want to walk to the local pharmacy ten minutes away or rely on someone else (I didn't have a car). I also went to the hospital two or three times in college so it was so nice to have everything in my dorm when I got home.
My dorm had so many things that I've seen on essential lists. We had vacuum access, a full community kitchen, and laundry room for every floor. Our rooms also had a decent sized closet, a dresser, a desk, desk chair, medicine cabinet, toothbrush holder, recycling bin, and a cork board. We also could borrow things from the hall desk which included dishes, small appliances, pitchers, baking pans and supplies, ice cube trays, extension cords, first aid stuff, board games, dvd players, and the library also had an entire movie section with like 800 dvds you could rent. And my school wasn't even an expensive one to attend, it was smaller than a state school. Seriously, it's better to wait and see what you already have access to before you buy things
As far as non essentials go, what ended up being one of my favorite things in my dorm was the pictures I printed out of my family and pets. I went home for a long weekend about once a month and those still helped me get through homesickness that first semester. I think I printed between 5-10 and it cost like $10-$15. Highly recommend
This is a third video I watched of yours while I cleaned my room after a very long time
Thanks for helping me ^^
truly the highest honour!!
As somebody who is going to college, I think it’s rather dumb already to pay for a dormitory. If the college you’re going to is nearby, then stay as a commuter or rent an apartment with friends. In my culture it’s a saying “if you get it cheaper do it cheaper.” Because I’m a commuter and my tuition is already payed for I don’t have to pay extra 20K! Only 1K! If people want to decorate their personal space, I’d recommend renting with a bunch of people, or staying at an nearby family’s home! Much cheaper and good for your pockets!
Also, I really found it dumb, the dormitory culture around college, living in a single room with 2 to 4 extra people is very uncomfortable if you grew up in a household where you have your own room. For example, I always had my own room and that’s how it’s going to stay when I go to college so hearing that people are excited to pretty much be assigned a room with random people and have some of their rights taken away. For example, when they can leave the room to go out, what bathrooms, cooking and how many people can hang out with you in your dorm! It’s a king nope for me!
My school forced you to stay in dorms for the first 2 years, it’s messed up
Most colleges require freshmen to stay on campus regardless of where they live (have to go through a process to be able to commute)
@@IncorrectHB You can also get an appeal if it’s available! And be eligible If you are within a few mile radius close to the college or university, that’s what I did and as a freshman I’m commuting!
@@crampedjunkyard2068 yea i know lol. Me personally i wouldnt do it simply because i wouldnt want to go through all that (and i perfer to be close to campus) but i truly have no skin in the game as i go to school out of state lol
I will say having a fairly well stocked first aid kit was a good way to make friends on my freshman dorm hall 😂 but it certainly wasnt all totally necessary.
in all likelihood you’re gonna think all the decor you’re buying at age 18 is ugly as hell in a year or two😭
I got a "dorm in a box" kit when I moved in from one of those overpriced magazines they hand out to high school seniors. Bedding, towels, shower caddy, basic plates and utensils, some other things I'm probably forgetting. Definitely not necessary, but it was so nice to have that "fresh start" as you mentioned. I do still have most of those towels, even if they are relegated to the dogs lol. My freshman year I was moved into the brand spanking new dorms, fresh paint smell and all. Each floor did have a communal space with a lounge, full kitchen, and laundry, but I'll be honest it was always so crowded my introverted ass hated it lol. The building was so big it was never not busy because of how many people had to share the communal space per floor. I was actually so excited for my second year that I actually got to apply to move to the smaller, older dorm building (plus I worked for residential services that year, and they were in that building. WFH before it was cool lol)
We had a Facebook page for my college where you could buy anything dorm and uni related! I bought and sold all my books on there and it’s great to know the stuff you no longer need will help someone else succeed! ❤ Gosh I miss my college days, nostalgia hits hard during back to school season!
I am greek, started uni about 6 years ago amd when I first found those american college dorm hauls and tours, I was pretty shocked😅. Here it is the expected reality that students don't have much money and rooms/ apartments tend to be quite bare and only having the cheapest versions of the absoloute essentials, and sometimes even lacking some. Everyone has some little decor of course, but you truly get to make your space your own by collecting stuff over the years, at least for most people in my circle.
I think the way some american students tend to design and buy a lot stuff for their dorm room just for a year is also a reflection of the overall way society treats homes as a disposable asset that you get to change, along with the furniture and even the structure itself.
That is what I think at least as an outsider who sees the US only through social media, so I am probably missing a lot of context and insight.
My first year at college (standard double in a dorm, no car) I went with a few new things (like sheets and blankets, mattress pad) and bare minimum dollar tree/walmart/marshalls options. And I'm glad I did just that. As my time in college continued, I gradually brought things that would make my life easier (microwave, organizational drawers) and invest some quality things if I used them consistently. But I totally support the idea of "wait it out" because some of these things in this video are wicked expensive and totally unreasonable.
biggest grievance is seeing people buying these high priced iPads for their "aesthetic notetaking" and all they do is just shop online during every lecture. Laptops and a shared google docs work just as good, if not better.
i generally agree with your points here, but i'm curious as to why you say people won't use the things they buy for their first year later on? is this just because of the general trends of overconsumption or is it something you've personally experienced? because i'm watching this while packing to leave uni for good, and i still use the towels/sheets/storage that i bought in first year, and continue to keep using them - i'd say this is pretty common in the uk, maybe it's different in the us/canada?
nah is till use my towels from university now at 28 and I bought them for university at 18. Im American
I'm an American. I use my towels still, mainly for my dog because they now have holes lol. We don't buy per semester. I think the only thing I did buy per semester were cables lol
Some things are absolutely usable year after year like the towels you mention. However, my own experience has shown me that students are just thinking about their first year experience when they buy things and not beyond because they don't know what would comd after. So, things are being purchased with the expectation of first year only. Obviously not all the cases. You buy things specifically for this particular dorm and then all of a sudden you have a completely different living situation and now what? Or students don't consider all the back and forth moving they might be in store for. Do you really want to pack that up every year? Some students do residence first year and then move back home. There's tons of different experiences and circumstances that can happen that are often (although not always) considered when hauling.
Starting my master program now, literally not buying anything lmaooo
But you need a huge haul of stationary 😂😂
This reminds me of when I first moved into my dorm, and my aunt and uncle got me everything I needed (from Walmart). I was too embarrassed to tell my room mate I couldn’t afford to split the cost (and I didn’t want to ask my family who had already helped me) of the mini fridge in our room that she offered to bring, so she said I just couldn’t use it and that was fine with me but I wish I had approached that differently now. I ended up switching roommates for many other reasons, but yeah. College dorms definitely don’t need to be fancy.
Edit: I am now realizing that my public state school dorm in the US was bare bones, we had basically nothing in the actual dorm. Just closets, drawers, a desk, and the futon/bed space. No accessories or AC, just heat.
Same, girl. We had a bed and a desk when we moved in. We definitely don't move into furnished dorm rooms. Besides that, getting cute little decorations and stuff is fun. It doesn't have to cost a lot, but it means a lot especially when you're away from home for the first time. ❤
I had dormed and lived in an apartment while in college/univeristy and I completely agree with knowing your space first and making improvements later, because you can't organize a space until you lived in it for a small amount of time to learn what makes it difficult to live in 😅
Bring the basics - your school supplies, your hygienic items, things to cook and clean with, and bedding along with your clothes. There's nothing wrong with bringing some small organzational things to help pack some of your stuff and to have a decent start to store your things. Do not go overboard when you're going in blind.
Three things I invested in for college that were absolutely worth the splurge:
1. A good winter coat (I live in WI)
2. A sturdy backpack
3. A nice bedspread
i'm still in highschool, but I have been seeing quite a few videos about college, and things to do and not do in dorms and such, and one fo the most common that i've seen is that you shouldnt go all out with decorating your dorm, but I think this is a personal choice, but from a necessity point of view, but from a what makes you comfortable point of view!
personally, when I go to college/uni and if i end up living in a dorm, I plan on decorating every living bit of it until I feel at home, because I physically cannot bring myself to feel comfortable doing anything if im not in the comforts of my own room/house, so having a decorated space that is just so purely YOU, is a great way to help that!
also, a good investment could be battery powered things like healers and fans, and just buying one of those huge red cases of batteries instead of cord/electricity powered ones incase your dorm is short on power :)
im a freshman and am dorming this year and whenever my mom and I would get stuff, her mentality was also "get stuff to get you through the first few nights and everything else you need, you can get after"
I'm not done with the video so she probably says this later, but two things they don't seem to keep (as someone currently living in a dorm) in mind is A) A lot of college dorms don't have a lot of space, and you're bound to run out of storage space if you bring a lot of stuff. It's going to feel very, very crowded if you bring so much with you to college dorms, and B) At some point they're going to have to move back out of the dorms, and while wherever they GO might have more space, the moving part is going to be very inconvenient if you're trying to lug around a minifridge, vacuum, fan, etc.
The things they highlight as essential amaze me. But I don't know what schools usually offer. Surprises me that so few of them show washing utensils, or just drying racks. But perhaps drying racks are not so common?
I am also ever so fascinated by the blankets Americans pick to "keep warm"? Is wool not common? In Norway when you move out, your parents often give you a wool blanket from home or buy you one. Perhaps also a lambskin, and winter duvet made of down and a separate summer duvet.
Girl THIS IS SO THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH lmao not Shawna sounding like my MOM? Respectfully asf tho. I love my mom she's smart. I gotta show Shawna to my super thoughtful partner omggggg this video is SO GOOD
Been to dorm 16 years ago and since then travelled to a lot of places with accomodation quite similar to dorms for work. Best advice I can give SAVE YOUR BACK from carrying all that unnecessary stuff and think real hard what are the essentials I absolutley need to survive for two weeks until I find stores I can buy other things in. Also in two weeks you will have a better picture what you actually need.
For people that are starting uni also consider how much time will you spend in that room anyway, you have classes.. will you even study in your room with so many sleepmates.. you will socialize..how often will you be able to travel home or to other friends or family members during weekends. For me my room was mostly for sleeping and showering for two years. Definitley invest in health and buy shower shoes, desinfectants etc but for the rest best tactic is recon and then buy you are not in the woods after all! Good luck to all freshies out there!🎉
One thing that I think ended up being great to have was a locking 2 drawer file cabinet. I would lock my laptop in it when i left it in my room and i used the drawers to organize my school papers. It can double as a nightstand. I am 29 and i still have that file cabinet. It organizes all my bills, medical documents, tax documents, etc.
College aside...That Woozoo fan is an essential in this Memphis heat. Best $28 I've ever spent. I use when I get ready. But I rented a house (that was owned by the university I went to) so my "essentials" were VERY different from dorms. I loved it. It was cheap and I shared it with 4 other people. There was always something going on 😄
As someone going into freshmen year of college, I bought what was on the recommended list, basic necessities and just a bit of some things I wanted. Never over buy, especially before you even move in.
In NZ most people who leave their parents to study go flatting, so youre setting up to live on your own forever. People who live in halls of residence are usually wealthly and have their parents pay for it. The rest of us go live in freezing cold, scody flats and pay way too much rent
Also 'bed skirts' are called valances in NZ, I've never heard them called a skirt lol
Agreed 👍
as a current freshman in a university in america, it sounds like canadian dorms are so nice😭 my dorm had a bed, desk, chair, and dresser so stuff like a lamp, trash can, and mirror were actually needed. however, i waited to buy a BUNCH of stuff until after a week of living there because i was trying to feel out the space! so many of my friends don’t have space for all the clutter they brought so i’m glad i waited but jeez does my dorm look like a jail cell.