5 Things in My Freshman Dorm That I Did NOT Use

Please learn from my mistakes and save your money.

Living in a dorm is a new experience. Personally I had no idea what I needed or what I would use. So I just bought what Target had in their college section. While some things were very useful and I did end up using (find a list of them here) others proved to be a waste of money and space.

Desk Lamp

The lamp I had and never used

I bought a desk lamp and never used it. I didn’t even get around to plugging it in because I never needed to use it. I didn’t do homework at my desk often and especially not at night. On top of rarely using my desk 90% of my coursework was online so when I did homework at night it was on my laptop and I would’ve needed a lamp anyway. I will say that if you end up preferring to stay up later then your roommate you might want some kind of lamp or reading light, but I recommend waiting to buy one until you know you need it.

Just buy one or two dishes

A Bunch of Dishes

Yes you do need dishes, but you don’t need more than one or two of each. I had two plates and two bowls and I only really needed one of each. Having more dishes takes up more space (dorm rooms are small and you will find yourself searching for storage space anywhere you can find it). And the more dishes you have the less inclined you will be to clean them right after use, and dirty dishes, especially with food still on them, attract bugs and flies and will annoy your roommate. This advice does exclude cups, you will need lots of cups. They go fast while pregaming and when you have friends over in general.

Utility Cart

I never used this

It seemed like something I needed when I bought it, but it was NOT. I set up the cart with all my stuff and it really just got in my way and took up space. I ended up finding a new space for my stuff and putting the cart in my closet where it sat until I gave it to the donation drive at the end of the year. Even though I didn’t use mine I know people that did, and you may end up needing/wanting it, but I recommend waiting to buy one or buying one and setting up your room before opening it so that you can return it if you don’t end up needing it

Throw Pillows and Blankets

This all depends on if you plan to make your bed everyday or not. If you're not going to make your bed don’t get throws. They will just sit on the floor and take up space if you don’t make your bed or find a use for the throws they just sit on the floor and get in your way. On the flip side don’t get to many extra pillows and blankets even if you plan on making your bed everyday. The best way to go is to keep it simple with throws so that your bed isn’t overtaken with pillows and so that you can just throw your bed together in a rush. I do recommend getting a light throw blanket for when it's too hot to sleep with a comforter.

My Bed (I moved the husband pillow to behind my pillows)

Husband Pillow (Backrest)

These are seen in almost every dorm room and I’ve never met a person who actually used theirs. Most likely when you do work in your bed you’ll just lean against your pillows or the wall (if your bed is against the wall). I tried to use mine but found it to be uncomfortable. I only used mine because there was a weird gap between my bed and the wall because of how the room was built. So I used my husband pillow to fill that gap so my pillow didn’t fall down it. The only real reason to get one of these is to complete the stereotypical dorm “look.”