Back to School Season is coming around (can’t believe it’s already here!) I’m always scrambling to get my life together right before school, especially when it comes to decorating and furnishing a dorm. There are so many options to choose from, so I put together some dorm essentials that are must-haves. Read on!

Must haves:

1. Over-the-door shelving: space is so hard to find and hard to use well. Bathroom doors and front doors are the perfect hidden places to hang shelving!

2. Plants, either fake or real! I think they add so much life and color to a windowsill and room in general.

3. Game Console: College is the place to meet new friends, and what is easier to bond over than entertainment? Xbox sent me their new Xbox One All-Digital S All Digital to try, and it’s become one of my college dorm / apartment essentials. aThis console doesn’t have any disks (all the games are online) so it’s super easy to set up in a dorm and play. This also means I can’t lose any of the game disks LOL. I got myself the Game Pass which comes with over 100 games; everyone can find a game they like and it won’t cost anything extra.

For a chill night in, you can also stream from sites like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, Hulu, and more, even if you don’t have a Smart TV.

P.S. Thinking of starting a Twitch, who would watch?

4. Cute photos! It sounds basic, but it’s nice to see familiar faces when you’re far from home.

5. Storage bins / plastic dressers: Keep your winter stuff in easy to carry storage bins. If you have too many clothes like me, keep some of your clothes in plastic dressers. When summer move-out comes around, you’ll thank me!

6. A bright light for night time studying. It will brighten up your mood, even during finals week!

7. Microwave mac and cheese and cup noodles. Enough said.