A Guide To Dorm Life: Moving In

Ashley West, Jefferson County Post Staff Writer

With August in mid stream, students are starting to settle back on campuses. Many students choosing to live on campus in dorms find themselves short handed on a few supplies after arriving. Apart from the basic lists provided by the colleges, aka. bedding, towels, ect, students should prep themselves for the unexpected. Command strips and hooks are great for decorating and hanging up towels and such. However, the air conditioning units in each room can make it slightly more humid than your usual bedroom. Having a mini hot glue gun on hand will ensure that nothing is falling out of place. The plus side is that it also leaves no damage to the walls. After getting settled in, many students just aren’t ready to get into the daily routine of cafeteria food yet, and eating out can get pretty pricey when under a budget. It helps a lot to skip stocking the mini fridge with sodas. Instead, opting for a water filtering pitcher means there is always something to drink on the cheap and clean cooking water. Many infamous college foods like Ramen and peanut butter can be used to create cheaper versions of nicer meals, such as pad thai. One last thing to keep in mind is lighting. Students may come prepared with a desk lamp or small standing lamp, but those can keep a roommate up all night. Having a small flashlight or desk light with a clamp is a good way to not disturb the roomie during all nighters. Since they are also lightweight and portable, it also means a smooth path to the restroom or over to the desk at 3 a.m. With so many different lists and books to think about, students forget to think about the smaller items to pack. Sometimes the simpler objects are not only cheaper in the long run, but also a lot more useful.