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Practical College Essentials
51
items I may not be in college anymore, but I thought maybe I could list some items I had in my dorm/apartment while going to college. Hopefully, these are helpful ideas to help a college student out.
Tips
* Buy things that are in bulk to save some money (n...
Sections
6
Food and Drink
Desk
Health
Bedding
Other
Bathroom
Food and Drink
Just some items to help ease your day. If it be food prep or your morning coffee to evening tea.
Getting coffee every morning can add up! I had one of these in my room to help cut costs on coffee. I also enjoyed this as it provided me with hot water for when I wanted tea.
Keurig K-Mini Go Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker Violet: Compact Electric Brewer, 12 oz Capacity, Uses K-Cups & Pods
This is actually my favorite tea! I usually add a little honey in a mug, then poor in hot water to melt the honey, then steep one of these tea bags into the water. It is delicious and helps me relax. Reminds me of one of those teas you get when you g...
Yogi Tea - Honey Lavender Stress Relief Tea - 16ct
This tea is a definite go-to in my collection of tea. It definitely helps me relax and makes me comfortable. I usually always get a good night sleep if I drink this before bed. It was part of my ritual before bedtime when I was in college to drink th...
Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Herbal Tea Bags - Caffeine Free - 20ct
Can't have a Kurig without coffee! Until this day these are my go-to K-Cups. It is a great coffee with the taste of caramel. It is also strong enough to wake me up and start my day.
Starbucks Caramel Flavored Light Roast Keurig K-Cup Coffee Pods - 22ct
I personally did not have one, but one of my roommates did. It is an easy way to make dinner on a busy college schedule.
Crock-Pot 2qt Manual Slow Cooker - Stainless Steel: 3 Settings, Reheat & Warmer, Stay-Cool Handles, Dishwasher-Safe Parts
I didn't have one of these either, but I know someone who did, and they loved it. A great way to quickly heat up leftovers or soup! It is also easily portable.
Crock-Pot 20oz Lunch Crock Food Warmer Moonshine Green: Portable Slow Cooker, Dishwasher-Safe, Locking Lid, 1 Setting
One of my favorites for lunch!
Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli - 15oz
Another item I reached for during lunchtime.
SpaghettiOs Original Canned Pasta - 15.8oz
Easy lunch to stow in my backpack for extra long days on campus.
Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza - 10.6oz
I also liked this one.
Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni - 10.7oz
Nachos were another favorite!
Lunchables Nachos Cheese Dip & Salsa - 10.7oz
Wouldn't be college without Ramen! This is my favorite flavor!
Maruchan Yakisoba Teriyaki Flavor Noodles - 4oz
A great soup to keep you warm if you live in a cold climate like I do and walked a lot in the cold winter to and from campus.
Progresso Rich & Hearty Chicken & Homestyle Noodle Soup - 19oz
Another great choice for lunch or even dinner.
Progresso Gluten Free Rich & Hearty Creamy Roasted Chicken Wild Rice Soup - 18.5oz
These salad kits are awesome! You'll have a meal ready to go within minutes, if it be your lunch on campus or a quick dinner.
Chicken Caesar Salad Bowl - 6.5oz - Good & Gather™
I really liked this one as well!
Santa Fe-Style Salad Bowl - 6.3oz - Good & Gather™
Love these breakfast bars! Every breakfast bar I have tried burns my throat, not sure why, most likely an ingredient of some sort. These are the only ones that don't do that and taste great!
JUNKLESS Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars - 6.6oz/6ct
Another amazing flavor!
JUNKLESS Drizzled Berries & Cream Chewy Granola Bars - 6.6oz
Love this flavor too! I love anything birthday cake flavored, lol!
JUNKLESS Drizzled Birthday Cake Chewy Granola Bars - 6.6oz
Got to have a chip variety pack on hand!
Frito-Lay Variety Pack Classic Mix - 18ct
The flavor pack, yum!
Frito-Lay Variety Pack Flavor Mix - 18ct
A fun pack with a great variety of flavors!
Frito-Lay Variety Pack Family Fun Mix - 18ct
Good ol' popcorn to have as a tasty treat or if you are watching a movie on your laptop.
Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn - 12ct/39.49oz
Desk
Desk essentials I swear buy and have been helpful for me.
Although this is a little flash drive, it can hold a lot of storage. A reliable storage device that you can upload your projects, papers, and presentations to.
Samsung 256GB USB-C Flash Drive, 400MB/s, Blue
This is the first printer I started out with. It works great and prints fast!
HP ENVY 6055e Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
This is the ink I use in my HP Envy printer. I feel you can save a little money on getting the variety pack vs buying them separately.
HP 67 Black & Tri-color Ink Cartridges
I love these pens! They write so nice and of great quality, great for journaling. You can also buy replacement pen ink refills, so you can use these over and over again.
Writech 8ct Black Gel Ink Pens 0.5mm Fine
I ended up ordering these by mistake. But they work just as well as the HP brand and they are like $10 cheaper.
67XL Black Ink Cartridge Combo Pack for HP Printers
This up and up printer paper has been my go-to printer paper even before college, because it works great and you get a lot of paper for a little over $5.
500ct Letter Printer Paper White - up&up™: 8.5x11 Inches, 20 lb, 92 Brightness, Ideal for Printing Letters
Health
Some helpful health items you may want on hand. You don't want to be hunting for these when you’re already miserable. Remember to first consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about any of these.
A go-to medicine during my menstrual cycle. Helps me get through some painful cramping.
Midol Complete Menstrual Relief Maximum Strength Multi-Symptom Relief Gelcaps - Acetaminophen - 24ct
Aleve helps as well when I have minor headaches and muscle aches.
Aleve NSAID Tablets with Easy Open Arthritis Cap, Naproxen Sodium, for Pain Relief - 200ct
I will sometimes take this before bedtime if my allergies are really bad or if I have a minor allergic reaction to something (like a rash or hives).
Benadryl Ultra Allergy Relief Tablets - Diphenhydramine - 48ct
I also take this to reduce a fever and to lessen body aches.
Motrin IB Pain Reliever & Fever Reducer Tablets - Ibuprofen (NSAID) - 100ct
I think bandages are an essential that should be in your first aid kit or cupboard. You never know when you're going to need one. This brand of bandages is my favorite! They come in a variety of colors and designs. They also stick and stay in place, ...
Welly Flex Fabric Assorted Bandage Pack Refills - 100ct
When it comes to extreme cold, sinus issues, and flu season, this stuff gets me through the night, and I have a good night's sleep, giving me plenty of rest.
Vicks NyQuil Severe Cold & Flu Medicine Liquid - Berry - 12 fl oz
The only cough drops that help soothe my throat and coughs. It's tastes better than some other flavors, yet it is still medicated to be effective. Even though the smoothie flavored ones taste good, they just don't work for me.
Halls Cough Drops - Honey Lemon - 80ct
Literally, the only lotion that gets rid of my eczema. I clears it up anywhere between a couple of hours to a couple of days, depending on the severity.
Cortizone-10 Intensive Healing Eczema Relief Lotion for Dry and Itchy Skin - 3.5oz
This is really one of the only things that get me through the pain. If it be headaches, muscle aches, back pain, or even menstrual cramps, this is my go-to to get me through the pain. Obviously, don't take it all the time as it is more of a blood thi...
Excedrin Extra Strength Pain Reliever Caplets - Acetaminophen/Aspirin (NSAID) - 200ct
Bedding
You gotta have some comfort after a long day on campus. Here are some items I chose for my bed and ones I found more cost-effective.
Who doesn't love a nice cozy blanket to snuggle with. This one is large and very soft! It also comes in a variety of colors to choose from!
Full/Queen Microplush Bed Blanket Metallic Blue - Threshold™
I got something similar to this when I was in college. It's not super expensive, and you have all the bedding you need. It comes with the following...
- a comforter
-2 pillow shams
- a flat sheet and a fitted sheet
- 2 pillow cases
7pc Florence Bed-in-A-Bag Printed Comforter Set - Full
Here is another one with pretty blue, green and yellow colors!
7pc Sorento Bed-in-A-Bag Printed Comforter Set - Full
Here's a fun one with blue hues!
7pc Siena Bed-in-A-Bag Printed Comforter Set - Full
My brother had a set just like this.
7 Piece Buffalo Plaid Bed In A Bag Comforter And Sheet Set By Sweet Home Collection® - Queen - Black/White
Other
Some other items you may want to consider to make college life easier.
This helped me a ton! Between towing my luggage to and from home, as well as groceries.
Collapsible Wagon - Embark™
I had one of these chairs in my dorm/apartment. Spent time in this chair reading a book and/or homework and studying.
Emma and Oliver Cozy Faux Fur Oversize Folding Moon Chair with Metal Frame-Dusty Aqua/Soft Gold
I love having slipper socks not only to keep my feet warm but just as an added comfort. These are soft and cozy!
Women's Marled 2pk Cozy Crew Socks - Auden™
An 18 pack of hangers for $3.
18pk Plastic Hangers White - Room Essentials™
A mini fridge for leftovers, pop, and water.
Kenmore 2.5 cu-ft Refrigerator - Black
Bathroom
Some of my favorite bathroom items that didn't break the bank.
These are great towels, and they are only $4. I got these when I was in college.
Everyday Bath Towel Quilt Blue - Room Essentials™
Wash cloth set to go with your towels. These cost $3 for a set of six.
6pk Washcloth Set Light Green - Room Essentials™
A 2 pack of hand towels for $3.
2pk Hand Towel Set Dark Gray - Room Essentials™: Cotton-Polyester Blend, Lightweight, OEKO-TEX Certified