Julia’s College Guide
Welcome back to the blog! So happy you're here! I wanted to share some advice based on my college experience so far, and share my favorite items to use in the dorms!!
My friends and I, one of the first days living in our sorority house this past year.
I loved living in the house the best so far! Having Mia as my roommate was SO fun!
To all incoming college freshmen or college students looking for new inspiration to spice up their space… this post is for you! My favorite thing, the summer leading up to the start of my freshman year, was watching videos of girls recommending their favorite items and packing tips they used in their college dorm or home. As a now incoming college junior, I was inspired to share my tips and favorite items for you to explore.
I mainly want to share my favorite items I used in my dorm room as a freshman, and what I felt was most helpful and efficient when living in such a small space. I also wanted to share some advice from my friends and I, that we would want tell our freshman selves now if we could. Additionally, I added some of my new items I have recently purchased for my new room as well. Next year, I am living in an off campus home, so I needed to purchase a few new things for the year. The theme is: coastal granddaughter (since I will be living in an off campus beach house in Rhode Island). I linked my room inspiration below if anyone is looking for extra inspiration for the coming year!
Julia's Top 8 Recommendations are as follows:
A Mattress Topper:
The beds have little to no support and having a good mattress topper is crucial. I got mine from Amazon! I personally like one that is thicker for a softer feel so I purchased this one however, for a more inexpensive option this mattress topper looks great as well!
Long Extension Phone Charger:
Another crucial necessity is having a long phone charger. You never know where your outlet will be in your room and sometimes there is only one for you to use. You need to have a cord that can reach your bed from anywhere and I even enjoy having my extra long cords in my room while I’m even home for the summer. This phone charger is the one I use and it is so worth getting. It’s a fast charging cord which is so helpful to have, especially always being on the run and busy as a student. If you take anything away from this post is the necessity for these two items.
Light-Up Desk Mirror:
This is a must! You aren't going to be doing any makeup at a bathroom counter anymore so setting up your space as best as you can at your desk to get ready each day is important! I got mine from Marshalls but I found this one that is a great choice! Having one that lights up is definitely recommended because getting enough lighting is key!
Drying Rack for Clothes:
If you're like me, and you don’t dry all of your clothes in the dryer, having a portable drying rack was a game changer. I would unfold my rack when needed and then easily tuck it away until its next use. I was able to protect my clothes that I don’t wash and it was so convenient to have! I use this one linked here!!
An Ottoman:
Having an Ottoman is HUGE! I didn’t come to college with one and had to immediately ship one to my dorm because I needed one so bad. You don’t realize you need one until you see how high the beds are! I’m pretty tall but I would still have to climb up because the bed was so high. Having an Ottoman to step up on was so helpful and it added a cute and fun storage piece to my room as well! This is the Ottoman I used, however this one is really cute as well!
Black Mini Purse:
Having a mini purse is a college essential. It is so much easier to be the friend with the bag instead of trying to find someone who can hold your phone and lip gloss for you. Plus, if you get a black one it goes well with almost anything! This bag is a great pick because it’s super simple and I love the gold hardware! I also really like this one if you're looking for something a little bit bigger and something fairly inexpensive!
A Fan:
Essentially, get a fan. I know it’s a very general and basic suggestion however, no matter if you're going to a school in the northeast or all the way down south the dorms get hot. Especially in the first few weeks. Additionally, if you're a freshman most of the time your dorms aren't air conditioned so you will definitely need one. When I was asking my friends what I should put on my list, this was the number one suggestion. Even throughout the year during winter time, the dorms get stuffy. This fan is great and comes with a remote but any fan you can get will be a major help! Trust!
Extra Lamp(s):
If you're like me and hate the big ceiling lights, you need to bring in some additional lighting! Most of the dorms have only one, bright overhead light that is annoying to have on both first thing in the morning and at nighttime. It’s so much better having other lighting in the room and adds to a much better interior vibe. I added lighting throughout my past few years by getting string lights and lamps. This coming year, I wanted to do the same so, here is the floor lamp and bedside table lamps that I bought for my room this upcoming year!
I also wanted to share the bedding I bought for my room this year as well! I liked how simple it was and how well it matches my inspiration for the fall!
Have fun shopping!
I asked my friends what they would tell their former freshman selves as now incoming sophomores and juniors and here is what they said:
Allison says, “try and talk to the people sitting next to you in class. It’s great to make connections within your major and make friends at the same time!”
Cailean says, “say hi to everyone you meet and don’t be nervous to make the first move! You never know who you are going to click with.”
Hayley says, “You don’t need as many going out tops as you think. I ended up wearing the same three and everyone shares with each other anyway!”
Angie says, to “go in with an open mind and step out of your comfort zone!”
Here are my friends and I now as incoming juniors!
Also my future roommates for next year!!
From left to right; Cailean, Alexa, Hayley, Angie & Me! (Missing Mia!)
My biggest advice to incoming freshmen is to get involved in anything and everything. For me, being involved in different programs and clubs allowed me to meet a wide variety of people who ultimately became some of my best friends. I enjoyed trying new things and it allowed me to figure out what I really enjoyed at school. When joining different clubs and programs, I would advise to try and become better involved within your major-specific college as well. Personally, I am involved in the College of Business as a peer student mentor for the Business 101 program as well as serving as the Interview Lead for the program my sophomore spring semester. Additionally, I am a Welcome Day Volunteer for the College of Business which has allowed me to gain and make additional connections within the school within both staff and students.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk about sorority recruitment. For me, I wasn’t very familiar with the process and I honestly didn’t know much about greek life as a whole. I personally, wasn’t always interested in joining a sorority. I had debated it for a while the summer leading up to my freshman year. It wasn’t until I attended a pre-recruitment event, when I got to school, that I knew it was something I was interested in and I wanted to go through recruitment. I loved talking to the girls and hearing how involved they were both on campus and within the community. Now if you ask me after being in my sorority for a couple years I would say, joining my sorority was the best decision I have made. I met some of my best friends and people that I can see myself continuing to be friends with years down the road. I have made unbelievable friendships and connections and have raised thousands of dollars for local charities, community organizations and my sororities philanthropies. It is an amazing experience and opportunity to be a part of something so strong and exciting.
If you are on the fence of joining a sorority here’s my unsolicited advice, “Going through the recruitment process you have nothing to loose. You can try it and not like it and simply decide that you don’t want to continue with the process or, you could find that it is somewhere that you are meant to be.” You should most definitely try because you don’t want to look back and say “what if...”. Go through recruitment with an open mind. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and you will find what’s best for you.
I hope you were able to takeaway something helpful from this post!
Wishing you a great start to your academic year no matter what grade you're going into and I wish you all the best success!
Xoxo,
Jules :)
(Check out my room inspiration below!)
