College Home Away from Home: A Shopping List for Dorm and Apartment Living

Heading off to college is such an exciting time, but it comes with a lot of preparation to make sure a new campus residence or apartment has plenty of comfortable and practical conveniences. If you’re shopping for a student, we have compiled some excellent options to make a new home away from home feel extra-special. 

Easy-care and durability is key for dorm life, but so is feeling cozy. To help avoid any potential roommate disagreements over a too-cool temperature setting, it’s nice to have a couple of lightweight cotton blankets handy. Since dormitory beds are usually small, we recommend a throw banket and a twin-size blanket for added warmth—both of which should easily fit in any washer and dryer.

College students aren’t especially known for their laundry skills, so we recommend having a generous supply of bath towels, hand towels and washcloths. Space is always a challenge in dorms, so good-quality, light-weight options that are highly absorbent but fold up to a more compact size make an excellent choice. This full line of hammam towels dries quickly, is super versatile and even the generously-sized bath towel rolls up tight to fit easily in a backpack or gym bag.

While decorating a first apartment is fun and exciting for most, it’s important to remember the basic items necessary for creating a functional living space. Key items are quality kitchen and bath accessories that hold up to lots of use, are simple to keep clean and won’t break the bank when it’s necessary to buy a lot of things all at one time.

The likelihood of dishes and pans piling up in the sink and on the counter goes way down when the right tools are available to make kitchen chores easier. This dish washing scrubber pad comes in a 4-pack and tackles baked-on food, as well as removes stubborn grime and grease without harming or scratching even non-stick surfaces. These scrubber pads also hold up for tough jobs like washing floors or cleaning soap scum out of sinks, tubs and showers. Best of all, this fast-drying, multi-use product is washable and reusable to save money and help the environment.

Cotton dish towels are a must for every home, as they are typically one of the most-used and hardest working kitchen accessories. Since dish towels are used not only to dry dishes, but serve as a great way to keep counters and stovetops clean and polished, having a supply of at least eight towels is a good idea. Dish towels often come in contact with food preparation areas; to ensure safety from bacteria and germs that could cause illness, it is wise to use a fresh towel each day. Eight towels will provide one for each day of the week, plus an extra to have on hand if the laundry piles up a bit. 

When space is at a minimum, it doesn’t mean that a tiny apartment bathroom can’t have a little spa-inspired touch. Crisp-looking cotton shower curtains with simple, timeless patterns that are easy to machine wash and hang to dry are durable, yet pretty—and go with any décor.

Even the most independent young people still get a touch of homesickness or nostalgia that comes from happy memories and traditions. Whether a college student is living in a dorm or an apartment, it’s likely they have access to some basic kitchen appliances. Create a fantastic care package with some hand-written family recipes that are simple to prepare without any elaborate tools, and bundle them up with a few utensils, a pan or two and a whole kitchen solution starter set. With a non-slip silicone-printed oven mitt and two pot holders, two cotton terry dish towels and four dishcloths, they’ll have the beginnings of what they need to whip up some great comfort food to either hoard or share among friends.

While a whole array of basics are needed when students head off to school, an occasional surprise in the mail never fails to lift spirits and show someone they’re remembered. Sending thoughtful gifts that last, as well as serve an everyday purpose are a happy reminder of home and loved ones—and can be as simple to give as shopping online for direct delivery.