Dorm Room Essentials
By Hailey Cernuto
Living on your own in college is a huge challenge. Between balancing class and schoolwork, clubs and extracurriculars, staying active, and keeping up a social life, there is a lot that can fall between the cracks. Sometimes students most frequently overlook taking care of ourselves and making our personal spaces comfortable. That said, I want to share my ideas on what I believe to be the dorm room essentials.
1. Granola/Protein Bars
The first essential on this list is granola bars or protein bars. We are not entirely in charge of our schedules (especially when you get a less than ideal class registration time), and sometimes it's hard to find time to eat something substantial and nutritious. For me, I always turn to protein bars or regular granola bars. They are filling, delicious, and not super packed with sugar that would make you crash later in the day. My favorites are ONE Protein Bars, specifically the Birthday Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors. These bars contain 20 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. At 220 calories per bar, these substitute a small meal. I also love KIND bars. Even though they are not as filing, they are made primarily with nuts and dried fruit that are great for energy. I like the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew and Almond Apricot bars.
2. A solid throw blanket
For me, nothing is better than getting into bed under a soft and warm blanket. Especially in the winter months, I am the most comfortable sleeping with lots of layers. Most importantly though, my blanket reminds me of home and makes me feel better when I’m in a funk.
3. A diffuser + essential oils
Before the start of this semester, I made the choice to invest in a diffuser for my room, and it was truly the best decision I’ve ever made. Anyone who has lived in a dorm room knows that they can get stuffy fast, the air quality only decreases throughout the year. Having a diffuser, with my collection of essential oils, makes my room smell and feel fresh at all times. And I have a lot of fun choosing the oil depending on how I’m feeling and what I think I need. For example, I love the Eucalyptus when I’m congested and tired. *For more on Essential Oils, see our article!
4. Clorox disinfecting wipes
This is a big one. With flu season rapidly approaching, and the ever-lasting Villanova plague, you can never be too liberal with disinfecting. Use these wipes on your doorknob, refrigerator, microwave buttons, desk, and anywhere that is touched often. Also, I think they smell good.
5. Febreeze
I probably use Febreze (fabric refresher) every day. With a demanding schedule, laundry is usually the last thing on my mind until I run out of clothes. It is so much easier (and in most cases just as effective) to spray any quasi-dirty clothes with fabric refresher. It does the job. I also like to spray it on my comforter to mimic the feeling of clean sheets.
