Your dorm will never look this nice.
So, as I’ve been preparing for college, I’ve realized that it isn’t what it seems. Those things that you always took for granted, you’ll now realize are a lifeline and a godsend.
Things run very smoothly in my house. If you needed juice, you could get it in the pantry. Milk? It’s right there! Toilet paper? Check the basement…that’s where the Y2K storage had blossomed into a wonderful array of canned goods and essential toiletries.
Sadly, when you’re crammed into a ten by eleven with two other people and no bathroom, there is no magical supply of necessity items to keep you from killing your neighbor for her supplies.
So, as many of us soon-to-be college kids have done, I will compile a list of those great godsends that keep that dorm machine running as smoothly as…possible.
1. Paper or Dish towels
Regardless of your habits, there’s no doubting that you WILL need paper towels at some point in your life. They double as plates and can keep your Chef Boyardee from making the inside of the microwave into a meaty Jackson Pollock. And when you’re done you can use the roll for fencing matches or use your imagination. Just remember to recycle!
2. Petroleum Jelly (aka Vaseline) or Antibiotic ointment (aka Neosporin)
I know it sounds awkward, but ointments (especially the antibiotic ones) are very important to have. Not only are they great for helping to heal cuts and scrapes, they also work for chapped lips and dry, cracked skin. Just make sure to invest in a generic brand (if it’s cheaper.)
3. Shower shoes
In college, being squeaky clean takes a back seat to sleep or nourishment. But while you’re in there you’re in that phone booth they call a shower, you’ll need some protection for your little piggies. Athlete’s foot and fungus run rampant in warm dry climates like a shower stall. You’ll really be grateful for a thick flip-flop between you and that germ-soaked tile floor.
4. Hand Sanitizer
There’s nothing worse than having to take a mid-term with a fever of 102. Somehow professors always seem to schedule and exam for the day that you come down with a nasty cold. So, stop those colds before they start by using hand sanitizer frequently. 
5. Febreeze or Room Spray
Now I have good hygiene. I am not a dirty person by any means; however, I have found that when two people are crammed into a closet, things get smelly. No matter how much deodorant you use, the room will often begin to reek of armpit and your suitemate’s overcooked Ramen noodles. Invest in something that doesn’t smell like the inside of a gym shoe.
This is only a preview of the laundry list of items that are necessary for survival in the college wilderness. I hope you enjoy and will learn something from the fruits of my -ahem- numerous misfortunes during my first semester in college.
Happy Dorm-ing!
