Moving Into a Dorm Room? These Are the Practical Items You'll Need

You'll need towels, obviously — but choosing the right ones can make your shower schlep a lot easier. First, go for a color; it'll make it easier to recognize your towel in the shared bathroom or with your roommate. Next, get two of each towel you need, so you'll be able to dry off even when the other towel is in the laundry bin. This well-priced Nestwell Hygro Cotton Solid 6-Piece Towel Set ($55) comes in tons of colors and is super soft on the skin.

One of the ways to make a dorm room feel more spacious is to use vertical space. This Simply Essential 2-Tier Stackable Organizer ($22) can be used to hold shoes, storage bins, books, and tons of other small-to-medium-size necessities. Use one on the floor of your closet, or stack a few to create a whole system.

Here's one of those things they don't teach you in class: laundry is a whole lot easier if you separate dark and light clothes, and doing so is effortless if you have these Simply Essential Mesh Pop-Up Hampers ($12). Why? One is black, one is white. Toss your dirties into the corresponding hamper, throw a load in the wash, and never waste time sorting your laundry by color again.

Don't bother googling for the best hangers, because we've found them. The ideal hangers are sturdy and don't take up any room — aka slim hangers. These Squared Away No Slip Slim Hangers ($16) have grippy texture to keep clothes from falling off, making them even better than the typical slim hanger. Now you know.

This Simply Essential Small Shower Tote ($3) is indispensable for holding body wash, loofahs, razors, and every other shower need. What's more, it won't retain water, which helps keep everything clean and sanitary.

Remember what we said about vertical space? This Honey-Can-Do 5-Tier Steel Shelf Tower ($61) has a super-small footprint, so it won't take up much room on your floor. But thanks to its graduated tiers, it'll hold tons of books, clothes, or whatever else your college life needs.

Dorm mattresses get a lot of use over the years. Put a little distance between you and the mattress with this Simply Essential 1.5-Inch 5-Zone Foam Twin XL Mattress Topper ($28), which also adds much-needed cushioning to the budget dorm-room standard twin.

Doesn't matter whether it's hot or cold outside — dorm rooms can get stuffy. Vornado makes some of the best fans out there, and this Vornado 1303 Personal Air Circulator ($30) gets a surprising amount of air moving despite its small size. A wise investment indeed.

Even if you're a minimalist, you'll need a place to stash your stuff. This Squared Away 3-Tier Utility Storage Cart ($40) is incredibly versatile, and you can even wheel it into your closet to make more space in your dorm room. Use it to store clothes, books, mail, houseplants — if you have it, this cart has room for it.