Bedding and Bedside

So, you’re going away to college and you’re feeling overwhelmed. What should you bring, what shouldn’t you bring? You’ve read a few lists, or maybe none at all, but none of them truly capture what you will need to bring. I hope this helps. But before we get into the list, I want you to lead with this intention: minimize what you bring while maximizing what you brought. 

– Sheets –  Most mattresses in student dorms will be XL twins. If you’re boarding off campus, then you’ll probably have a full. I know that a lot of people say to get high quality cotton, but I don’t. A lot of student housing doesn’t have a/c, they think you don’t need at because the term isn’t during the summer, but it’s still really hot. I bought cotton sheets and hated them. However, I still have my amazon basic microfiber twin xl sheets. In fact, I still have them and it’s been almost 8 years. I haven’t bought any since so the quality may have dropped, but I’d still err on easy to clean, cheap, not pilling sheets. 

– Pillows – I’d recommend getting cooling pillows that are stiff enough to lean against. I don’t recommend an armchair pillow unless you’re really set on it, or a body pillow as there’s often not enough space. Getting 1-2 stiff versatile pillows will serve you well in the long term.

– Bedding – Realistically, I’d recommend getting a set. Choose one you like and get it. It’ll have everything you need and a nice storage container.

– Mattress topper – Entirely optional but always highly recommended. They can be expensive but I always had one. The mattresses in student housing are quite thin and lumpy and having a mattress topper can be great. However, a great alternative is just a blanket or two under your sheet. I always had one while I was in student housing.

– Mattress cover – A non-negotiable in my mind. It’ll save you headaches if something goes wrong, it helps keep your blankets or mattress toppers in place, and it contains whatever was on your mattress before it was assigned to you. 

– Disinfectant spray – In the same vein as the mattress topper, when I would arrive I would grab whatever disinfecting spray (not bleach) I had and give the bed and mattress several passes. Then I would place my mattress topper on top and seal it all in with the mattress cover. Peace of mind. 

So you might think you’ll wait till you get to your room before going to the store and purchasing things and that would be a mistake. During move-in weeks, any stores within the city proper will be picked over long before you arrive. Have your essentials bought and in hand ahead of time to prevent having to sleep on a bare mattress in a sweatshirt for pajamas. 

– Bedside clock – I wouldn’t recommend getting an alarm clock, but I would recommend getting a clock for your bedside. You’ll mostly use your phone and if you do use an alarm clock and forget to turn it off once, your roommates will have a grudge. Besides, your phone alarms can be customized to each day’s unique schedule.

– Charging cables – I recommend getting 1-2, one for your backpack and one for your room. Get a long cord (10ft) because the outlet might not be conveniently placed and you’ll want to be able to sit in bed while using it.

– Bedside storage- Some lists say you’ll need a tray and some say you’ll need a pouch. Of the two, I’d say get the pouch. You’re less likely to hit it accidentally and send everything flying. This is one of those purchases you can wait on though, give it a week or two to see if you really would use it or if there’s already a spot on your desk or a shelf you can use. This can be an unnecessary purchase.

– Light – There might not be a space for you to have a bedside lamp like this one, so instead a reading lamp could be a great alternative to allow you to read without disturbing your roommates. Try not to do too much studying in your bed if you can help it.