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Dorm Essentials: Everything else necessary for college preparedness

Well Constructed Sleep Zone

In order to be functional you have to have a good night's sleep - sleep is one of the three biggest factors on mental performance throughout the day as well as on your health in the long-term. Good sleep and a well-constructed sleep zone goes beyond just blankets and pillows, to help you wind down at the close of the day, and to keep you comfortable and undisturbed during the night.

In the hour or so before you expect to be falling asleep it can be helpful to have some sort of activity to help your mind unwind from the day. Puzzles, games, and anything with a blue-lighted screen are not a great option for this, as they tend to stimulate the brain more than relax it. A better choice of activity is something that requires little movement and not much concentration, something with low consequences for error such as reading, knitting, stringing beads, or even folding laundry.

Especially if you are a particularly light or tricky sleeps, and even more especially if you have either a shared sleeping space or thin walls, you may find benefits from one or more devices to buffer you from sleep disruptions and preserve your sleeping state. Such items might include noise-cancelling headphones (make sure they're sufficiently breathable!), an eye mask to block out any light, or even a white-noise machine. Our AYT recommended sleep zone essentials are listed below:

Best sheets of the appropriate size (dorms often have oddly-sized mattresses)

Pillow - a good pillow goes a long way

Blanket

Pajamas

Wind-down activity (such as a book, a color-by-number, a beading set, etc)

Any sleep preservation equipment (noise machines, eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, etc)

Well Stocked Bathroom

Some dorms have a private bathroom, while others are only a bedroom and require access to a shared bathroom - usually down the hall. If you are in an apartment or in a dorm with it's own bathroom, you have the chance to leave your items in place - keeping your shampoo bottle in-or-near the shower, leaving your towel hanging dry and ready for you, even placing a no-slip floor mat and a small trash can for convenience; alternatively if your bathroom is a semi-public space down the hall, you'll need to pack all of your bathroom supplies into a well-functioning utilitarian pouch - also definitely opt for a pair of flip flops rather than the floor mat!

Either way, whichever situation you'll be living in, you're going to want to have access to at least the bare minimum as listed below:

Hygiene products (soap, shampoo, feminine care, toothpaste, etc).

A pouch or box to carry and store your hygiene products when not actively in use. Also, if you are in the dorms with a less-private bathroom, you'll want to opt for a carrier or container that you can set down or hang up while you shower.

Bear in mind that you can have a separate pouch for different hygiene activities (e.g. you don't necessarily need to bring your toothbrush with you when you shower, you don't necessarily need your soap and towel when you brush your teeth, etc)

You'll also want to have a few rolls of toilet paper just for yourself - trust us on this one.

Well Kept Dining Zone

The key to a well kept dining zone is an abundance of food and a absence of pests. Some dorms (and even apartment buildings) have rules prohibiting certain types of food, or certain food related supplies (e.g. hotplates and mini-ovens are the most common on such lists) so you'll want to check on whether there are any such prohibitions or recommendations from the place you're going to be living.

Aside from any house rules or guidelines, you'll want to stock the mini-pantry of your dining area (which might just be a single shelf if you're in a dorm) with a few days worth supply of your favorite snacks and drinks to keep you energized throughout the day. You'll also want a few rolls of paper towels on hand to quickly clean up any spilled food items. Even if you prefer a small hand-towel for everyday use, a few disposable paper towels will be the best way to quickly clean up most food related messes and keep the pests away.

One-week supply of snacks and drinks

A few rolls of paper towels

At least two: plates, bowls, cups, and silverware (or plastic-ware)

Smartly Made Study Nook

If you're leaving home to go to a University or College then it stands to reason that a significant portion of your time will be devoted to study. Learning happens best when studying is done in a variety of locations and circumstances, however there is no match for the convenience and reliability of creating for yourself a primary study location within your private space.

You want to make sure your study space has a wide work zone available to you (usually a desk or table top) where you can write things, craft things, read from books, access the internet - or do with your hands whatever is required of your lessons. You'll also want to store your study supplies (textbooks, pencil, paper, spare charger for your electronic devices) nearby so that when you suddenly need something, your studies can be minimally interrupted. Most importantly you'll want a study space that is place in a way to best manage distraction. Notice we say 'manage' not 'minimize' distractions - that's because different people manage distractions in different ways. For some people a desk facing a wall (and away from windows and TV screens) is essential (so that nothing can catch their eye and make their attention wander); for other people it might be necessary to work at a desk facing directly towards a window or TV (so that when their own thoughts distract them, their attention will instead be caught by the window or TV in front of them, which will then remind the student to focus back on the lesson).

Design your study space in a way that best manages to separate your school work from your distractions.

All school supplies in one place - or as close as possible

System in place to focus attention on lessons entirely - or as close as possible

Recreation Area an Supplies

Notice this is Recreation, not Entertainment. Entertainment is what bored minds pursue when they have nothing better to do than waste their own time, whereas Recreation is what powerful minds pursue when they need a rush of energy, inspiration, or other enjoyment. It is certainly possible that the same Entertainment activity for one person can be a Recreational activity for another - the difference is in whether that person is better off after the activity (Recreation) or worse off after the activity (Entertainment).

Whether it's video games, sports, puzzles, books, movies, or any other kind of recreational hobby, we recommend you have it ready at your fingertips - furthermore we recommend being prepared with any supplies needed for a recreational activity you can engage with on your own, as well as a recreational activity you can invite others to join you in:

One or more single user recreational activity

One or more multi-user recreational activity