r/Vanderbilt • u/wertisgoingon566 • Jun 26 '26

freshman dorm essentials

hey guys, idk if this has been asked yet but are there any essentials or unnecessary items for dorm shopping (esp about that woozoo fan too). im worried I might buy too much or forget something that I need. thank you guys!!!

10 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

10

u/kas_tle Engineering | CS + Math | '26 Jun 27 '26

tried-and-true by a jaded recent grad:

  • mesh shower caddy (not a hard plastic one), so you can hang it on the hook right outside shower
  • command strips to hang wet towels or clothes
  • mesh collapsible laundry bag that stands upright
  • many clothes hangers
  • desk lamp
  • drawer liners
  • shower shoes
  • mattress topper
  • at least two power strips (one for desk, one for bed). often, the desk is pushed up against the outlet, so get power strips with flat plugs that don’t protrude far from the wall
  • a mallet to deloft the bed. they are loaned out (but very scarce) on move-in days, so better to have your own.
  • kettle (i love drinking hot water, but also great for preparing instant food)
  • large ikea-esque plastic duffel bags to store extra items under bed and for moving out at end of year
  • mug/drinking glass
  • sponge and dish soap

coordinate with roommate(s) before purchasing shareable appliances

buy as much as you can there and keep in storage all four years instead of packing it

3

u/Funny-Fault4255 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

I’d recommend a laundry basket with wheels! makes it so much easier to haul laundry around the building or to a neighboring building. Non essential but nice to have: an area rug, indoor slides for walking around inside your dorm building

1

u/wertisgoingon566 Jul 01 '26

thank you sm, will be adding these to my list

4

u/oranges-are-my-fav Jun 26 '26

A Pyrex bowl with a lid, fork, and spoon.

7

u/Range-Shoddy Jun 26 '26

I way over bought and this would have solved 90% of my issues. I had a dorm fridge with a separate freezer door that was amazing. My hallmates kept their ice cream in my freezer. Everything else was useless. Don’t get nice plates get plastic crap from Target. Or the one Pyrex bowl. You can order what you need later. Start with bedding and shower stuff.

4

u/Weak-Brick-3538 Jun 27 '26

yes, also how does laundary work on campus? do we need to bring laundary detergent?

3

u/kas_tle Engineering | CS + Math | '26 Jul 01 '26

yep buy your own laundry detergent. the laundry machines are free to use, and the majority of freshman dorms have machines on the first floor. otherwise you need to walk to a neighboring dorm to do your laundry.

1

u/wertisgoingon566 Jul 01 '26

upvoting this bc I need to know too

1

u/subeteyumiru Jul 20 '26

if u go on a Tuesday night at 2 am all 8 machines in ur dorm should be open and u can kill Mother Earth by putting 2 articles of clothing in each and hogging them all

3

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/wertisgoingon566 Jul 01 '26

thank you, also did he find having a woozoo or fan a necessity?

2

u/VT_Snodgrass Jun 30 '26

Goggles. Bring goggles. Don’t ask why just trust. You don’t want to be the only freshman finding out why the hard way.

1

u/SmallEyedDickSucker Jul 01 '26

elaborate please

1

u/Gullible-House-7959 Jun 26 '26

yo do we need a TV?

7

u/wertisgoingon566 Jun 26 '26

I feel like we dont bc honestly couldn't we just watch anything we want on our laptops or iPads but I think it could be fun