Well, you did it. You found that dream apartment. You finally moved out of that small, rinky-dink college dorm room equipped with a twenty-year-old twin-size bed that smelled like feet, a few inches separating you and your roommate and an old rickety desk that you never used.
Now, you moved up in the world and are trying to be a real adult with your first college apartment. Perhaps you’re moving to an apartment provided by your college or university, or you somehow convinced your parents to co-sign a lease for you in an off-campus apartment that is a little nicer than the college-owned property.
Regardless, you are now becoming a real-life adult with a real-life apartment with, most likely, your own room, kitchen and bathroom instead of the communal ones that you shared with an entire floor of co-eds. Even though you probably have roommates, sharing an apartment with three or four other people is definitely more ideal than sharing a dorm room with them.
You’re probably super excited right now as you and your roommates are trying to map out exactly what you need for your new pad to make it your new home for the next year or two. To be honest, you’re probably surprised at how much stuff you will actually need in your new apartment, much of which you didn’t even think you needed until now, such as a can or wine opener. Yes, simple things like that get overlooked all the time when college students are moving from a dorm room to an apartment because you’ve never had to worry about bringing small household items. All you’ve had to worry about so far is bringing bedding, bed risers that you most likely didn’t use, toiletries, clothing, a microwave if you’re the roommate that got stuck with that task and a mini-fridge to house all of your cheap alcohol.
Being in an apartment is very different from living in university housing and you will need a plethora of things for your new home. But don’t worry, this article has got you covered. Here are the 7 things every college student needs for their new apartment.
1. Wine opener
As previously stated in this article, a wine opener is a crucial yet frequently overlooked necessity for every college apartment. By the time you have moved into an apartment, you would have been most likely old enough to legally drink, so instead of drinking cheap liquor, you will resort to drinking cheap wine. You will be surprised at how many times you will actually need a wine opener. Whether you are trying to cook a nice pasta dinner for your roommates with red wine or enjoying a glass or two of white wine while hanging out with friends, you will definitely be happy that you brought one.
2. Inspirational posters
Everyone in a college dorm room hangs posters up on their wall; they’re most likely posters from their favorite movie, actor or sports team. However, when you move into an apartment, you probably want to upgrade those posters to reflect your upgraded living arrangement. Inspirational posters or wall decals will make you feel like a champion upperclassman. These posters will help you stay sane during finals week as well because, let’s be honest, you will need a pep talk before you take on that full week of exams and papers.
3. Coffee maker
Having a coffee maker at your apartment will be a life saver. When you lived on campus, your dining hall probably had free coffee that you could drink whenever you wanted. However, now that you’re living in an apartment, you’ll need to make your own. Whether you need a jolt of caffeine for your 8 a.m. class, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up or something to help you pull an all-nighter, you will be glad that you have that coffee maker to help you. You’ll also save a lot of money by making your own coffee instead of spending around $5 or $6 on your favorite Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts drink every day.
4. Cleaning supplies
Any cleaning supplies, especially multipurpose wipes, are essential for any home, especially a college apartment. Multipurpose wipes are great for an easy and quick clean up when you are in a hurry or when you’re feeling lazy. Other simple cleaning supplies such as a broom and vacuum will also become your most handy cleaning tools because they allow for a quick cleanup before and after that rowdy night with your friends.
5. Storage
Just like when you moved into a dorm, you will need a lot of storage for your first apartment. Most first apartments for college students are small and cramped, which is why they are so affordable for those on a strict budget, so you are going to want a lot of storage space to keep all of your belongings. Bring along that under-the-bed storage from your dorm room and any storage bins you had as well. You will need to store things that you never thought you would have to, such as different clothes for the changing seasons, pots and pans that don’t fit in your kitchen, extra bedding and any other excess stuff that you and your roommates brought multiple sets of.
6. Dry erase board
Dry erase boards will become your best friend in your apartment. You and your roommates can use them for basically anything such as grocery lists, a calendar of upcoming events to keep track of everyone’s hectic schedules, a chore list for everyone in the apartment to make sure they are doing their part to help keep the apartment nice and tidy, and even little reminder notes to remind yourselves of any upcoming homework, projects or the dreaded parents visits.
7. Tool kit
A tool kit will be your saving grace whenever anything breaks in your new apartment, and things will break at one point or another. Whether you have a leaky faucet, a broken chair leg or just some inspirational posters that need to be hung, you will need a tool kit for mostly anything. You want to be prepared for basically anything that goes wrong in your apartment so you don’t have to rely on your landlord all of the time.
