8 Things Every College Student Needs to Survive

By Hannah

You signed a lease for your first college apartment and now it’s time to figure out what you need to pack. It’s an overwhelming process, so before we get any further, remember these eight things you will need to survive. Take it from me, I have lived in college housing or apartments for almost four years now.

1. A spare key

I can’t stress the importance of this enough. A spare key is something you will absolutely need when moving into your college apartment (unless there is a fingerprint system or something high-tech along those lines).

Why do you need a spare key? Because there will definitely be times when you and your roommates rush out of the apartment to make it to class and lock the door, forgetting the key in the process. Having a spare key hidden somewhere — in a light, siding, under a mat will relieve the trouble of worrying about locking yourself out. Just make sure it’s hidden well enough that no one else can easily find it.

2. (Keurig) Coffee maker

I think we all know by this point that college students survive on caffeine. It’s what gets us through long nights of studying and early mornings of class — we need it. A coffee maker of some kind is absolutely essential, specifically a Keurig. I love my Keurig because I am able to make one cup, put it in a to-go tumbler and get out the door.

Yes, there is always the option of buying coffee at your college cafe, but this will significantly affect your bank account. I would suggest that should be an every-now-and-then sort of thing.

3. Headphones

Try going to any college campus nowadays and finding students without headphones — it’s nearly impossible. We use them to block out any noise we don’t want to hear on our way to class during our grumpy mornings. Headphones are even necessary while studying in the supposedly-quiet library, especially when the super-loud table next to you won’t shut up. They are a great way to block out whatever you don’t want to hear, plus music helps relieves stress.

4. Netflix

Split the monthly subscription fee with a few of your roommates and save a lot of money rather than paying a monthly cable bill. It’s a savior when you need a lazy day to yourself and a break from all the work. Remember not to get too sucked in, though — you are at college to get the experience, and not to sit in bed and watch movies all day!

5. Advil

No one likes a headache. Advil can be a lifesaver. Like coffee, we survive on Advil, as well. Whether it’s to relieve your hangover, knock out a throbbing headache after a long night of studying, ease the aches and pains from sleeping in dorm beds or friend’s couches, sitting in uncomfortable desks, jogging a few miles after taking a week off from exercise or hunching your shoulders over a book or a laptop for a few long hours. l Advil helps get the pain out the way and allows you to refocus on school work.

6. Microwave

This seems pretty basic, but you would be surprised how much of a necessity it is in college. We don’t have the money to eat gourmet dinners. We live off of popcorn, ramen noodles, frozen dinners — the list goes on. A microwave is a must for us. Just don’t let your RA find out you have one in your dorm room!

7. Planner

I know a lot of students who think,“I won’t need a planner to write things down. I’ll just put it in my phone.” Then they don’t. These are the kids who don’t get stuff done.

Develop the habit of using a calendar or planner. You have a busy life: you have papers due, events for your campus clubs, maybe even greek parties, internships and job interviews. You don’t have the memory to remember everything going on. Planning your days and weeks in advance will allow you to stay organized, get everything done and avoid missing life-changing opportunities, like coffee with the recruiter from Google or free pizza day in the student center.

8. Storage containers

When moving in, you will most likely run into issues with storage. Your apartment will probably lack places to keep your shoes, clothes, extra supplies, etc.

In order to stay organized, invest in some storage totes or even storage dressers. These are affordable and work great in transporting, storing and organizing your belongings.

Bring these 8 things to college and you will be on your way to a successful semester. I’m telling you, you might think you can get by without them, but they are almost necessities in the life of a present day college student!

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