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Your first ever college apartment! Ahh what an exciting time for many, and a stressful time for most.
Back to school season is upon us, which means you need the essentials for your first apartment to make it a smooth transition. Moving at any point in life can be so stressful, but especially when it’s your FIRST apartment, and you’re also juggling school, and also probably juggling work (and probably still broke):(
When I moved into my first college apartment, I realized the amount of little things that I didn’t realize I needed. I mean, when you’re living with your parents they’re kinda just they’re for you when you need them, you don’t realize all the things that they go out to the grocery store and buy.
I struggled with learning how to be out on my own, learning how to juggle adulting, and learning how to be in my own apartment away from my family. It can be very overwhelming. If you don’t have the help from your parents, we want to give you a list of things you can browse and not have to worry about forgetting anything.
College Apartment Packing List
Kitchen Essentials
- Storage bins
- Pots and pans
- Toaster
- Baking dish set
- Cookie sheet set (if you like to bake)
- Cutting boards
- Sponges
- Glasses
- Silverware
- Mugs
- Coffee Maker
- Plates set
- Trash can
Living Room Essentials
- Sofa
- End tables
- Throw blanket
- Throw pillow
- Lamp (we hate overhead lighting)
- TV Stand
- Area rug
Bedroom Essentials
- Bedframe with storage
- Bed sheets
- Comforter set
- Night stand
- Table lamp
- Dresser
- Full length mirror (gotta see the cute fits)
Bathroom Essentials
- Toilet plunger and brush
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Shower curtain
- Shower liner
- Bathmat
- Small trash can
- Shower caddy
Laundry Essentials
- Two laundry baskets (for clean and dirty clothes)
- Detergent
- Fabric softener
- Dryer sheets
- Ironing board set
Storage and Cleaning
- Shoe rack
- Storage bins
- Swiffer
- Dusting set
Home office essentials
- Printer (printing at university is so annoying)
- Corner desk
- Desk chair
- Dry erase board set and markers
Our Top Products for College Apartment Essentials
Kitchen Essentials
Also, check out our most recent post as well where we list the 19 kitchen essentials that you need in your apartment! If you need a few more things!
Storage bins
These storage bins can help in keeping your side of the fridge organized. It also helps you not to mix your food with your annoying roommate that likes to mingle on your side of the fridge.
Pans
Pans are very important when you are living in college. Cooking for your self is a skill that you’ll have to learn learn in this new phase of life. It is very important to check the quality of the pans you want to make sure that can last you for the college period.
Toaster
Love the look of this toaster. We’re all about appliances and decor with a vintage looking flare (probably because we started listening to Lana Del Rey we when were teenagers, IFYKYK).
Baking Dish Set
Baking sets are very annoying because most of the time they don’t come with any lids. Throw those old ones out and get you some new ones! These will help you cook more, plus since these come with lids as well, you’ll have an easy time storing all of your food (because you’ll be cooking, right?)
Cookie Sheet Set
These are great for all of the baking goods that you’ll need to treat yourself after a long day. It’s easy to just buy some from the grocery store, and honestly, they taste great (why are the desserts from Trader Joe’s so damn good?). But honestly, baking is way more fun than cooking, get into it!
Cutting Boards
Cutting boards are a must-have for cooking. Make sure to cut raw meat on a separate board from raw vegetables, as you don’t wanna risk salmonella. I’ve had it multiple times because I don’t learn from my mistakes, but maybe you can learn from my mistakes!
Organizer for cleaning products
Having your own space comes with a price (aside from money), and that price is cleaning! Yes! Cleaning is a big part of having your own space, especially in college when there’s so much going on. You don’t want come home to a nasty place.
Sponges
Admittedly, this is a very large set of sponges, you probably won’t have to go to the store for the rest of your life for sponges because you’ll be stocked to the brim.
Dying Rack
Drying racks are essential to dry your dishes. But this one also just looks cute! There’s so many little departments for your dishes. Also, it has a cool little drain for the water to run into the sink!
Plates Set
These plates are pretty simple, but honestly, you don’t need anything too crazy. Just go simple!
Glasses Set
This set of glasses is a great deal because glass products can be expensive sometimes! Also, you have scotch glasses to get you through that hard physics class! (just kidding, don’t drink too much;)
Silverware Set
Beautiful silverware!
To-Go Cups
Ahhhhhhh, hydration. Quite expensive for a simple to-go cup, but, hey all the trendy girls at my school seem to love them! Maybe you will too!
Mugs Set
Aesthetically pleasing mugs make an aesthetically pleasing life. That’s the golden rule, right?
Simple Coffee Maker
Caffeine addiction has simultaneously been the best and worst part of college so far. But it’s sooooo good. Please do not buy coffee out every day, it’s good, delicious even. But your pockets will not be as grateful!
OUR Coffee Maker
Okay, but this is the best coffee maker. It’s pretty much just simple coffee, but sooooo good.
Living Room Essentials
Sofa
Cool little sofa. It looks pretty comfy and comes with storage as well in the chaise. Also, comes with a cool little ottoman that you can make forts with!
End Tables
We like these end tables because they’re skinny and don’t take up as much room as normal end tables.
Throw Blanket
Throw this throw blanket on your new sofa for some style and added comfort to your sofa.
Throw Pillow
Lucky for you, we found the matching throw pillows to match the throw blanket. You’ll look so cohesive.
Lamp Shelves
Okay, this lamp is just cool. It has shelves all the way down and an LED light that lights up all of the shelves.
TV Stand
Nice TV stand! It comes in multiple sizes depending on how big your TV is. Don’t get anything too big that will overwhelm your space.
Area Rug
This are area rug is just objectively cute. And, it comes in multiple sizes so it can fit into any room in your house!
Bedroom Essentials
Bedframe With Storage
So, we have only one closet in our entire apartment. Quite inconvenient when you’re materialistic and love clothes like us. Get a bad frame with storage so you never have to stop shopping! (okay I’m kidding again, please don’t overshop for clothing, we all know overshopping for clothing is a huge issue today environmentally).
Bed Sheets
Get white bed sheets so if they get dirty you can just bleach them and they’ll be good as new!
Comforter Set
For a comforter set, go with something simple and a color that you know you’re gonna love for a long time!
Night Stand
Another product that’s just COOL, don’t fight it. The top is a wireless charging station AND has an LED strip that comes in 3 different colors.
Table Lamp
This is a simple lamp. But, it has THREE charging stations for all your products so they’ll never go dead.
Dresser
We love the look of this dresser. If you have a TV in your room, just use this as the TV stand in your bedroom!
Full-Length Mirror
You need a nice mirror for your bedroom so you can make sure all your lewks are looking strong!
Bathroom Essentials
Toilet Plunger and Brush
We all poop. It’s just a fact of life, please don’t forget this item. And make sure to keep your toilet clean. Keeping your space clean is so important (more important than how it’s decorated). Make sure to invest your time and have a nice, clean space, free of poop stains and a clogged toilet!
Bath Towels
You can get any color, but we prefer white bath towels because if they get dirty you can simply bleach them and they’re good as new!
Hand Towels
You’ll definitely need a set of hand towels. We just bought these are they’re honestly great and feel nice!
Shower Curtain
Currently, our bathroom is very white because a clean look in the bathroom is essential. You can’t feel glam doing your morning routine in a dirty bathroom, it’s just not right. But, we are also trying to add in some green to the bathroom to give it a nice natural feel.
Shower Liner
Please don’t forget a nice shower liner. You don’t want to mess up your nice shower liner.
Bathmat
Don’t forget a nice bathmat for your bathroom. You don’t want your bathroom floor to be gross and wet.
Bathroom Trash Can
We use humans produce ample amounts of trash. Get a trash can to dispose of it.
Shower Caddy
Get a shower caddy for all your fun shower goodies!
Laundry Essentials
Laundry Basket
Laundryyyyy. You’ll need a laundry basket for all of your dirty clothes and all of your clean clothes that you’re procrastinating on folding!
Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent is an obvious must-have. Don’t wanna walk around with clothes that are smelling bad.
Fabric Softener
Fabric softener will make your clothes always smell soooo good.We alternate between different fabric softeners but this is a fav!
Dryer Sheets
These will also make your clothes smell delightful.
Ironing Board Set
You can’t be walking around with wrinkles in your clothes, it just looks sloppy.
Cleaning & Organization Essentials
Shoe Rack
If you’re like us, you’ll need plenty of storage for your shoes.
Storage Bins
Once again, we have no storage in this apartment at all. Get storage bins and tuck them into your closet to clean up some space.
Swiffer
We love to have a clean space. And this Swiffer is soooo good! We just started using it, but is a MUST HAVE.
Dusting Set
Not gonna lie, I used to never dust, I never even really paid attention to dust. But once you start paying attention, you realize how much dust can get into your space. And it can make you sick!
Home Office Essentials
Printer
Most college campuses have printers you can use, not exactly an essential. But I swear, if you go ahead and get a printer for your home you will thank yourself later!
Corner Desk
You’ll need small private working space in your home. Sure, you can do your assignments in bed. But it’s not recommended because your bed is meant for relaxing, not working!
Desk Chair
Currently, we just have a regular chair at our desk. It’s not bad, but it’s also not very comfortable. Get a real desk chair so you can get some work in, while still being comfortable.
Dry Erase Board Set
Not exactly an essential, but if you have your to-do list written in big, bold letters above your desk it will help you to stay organized!
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