No, it’s not too early to start buying things for your dorm room. In fact, this has personally been my cure for senioritis this semester and what has gotten me excited and motivated for college.

There are different categories of essentials that you will need. Everyone’s first priorities are different for college and some people understandably don’t even know where to start, so I thought I’d share my plan on essential buying.

Academic Essentials:

• Laptop
• A good quality backpack
• Notebooks

Some might say a laptop is an expensive, unnecessary purchase but I would consider it to be the most important item in this category. College will be very difficult for you if you do not have some form of computer to use for writing papers and doing research for your classes. If a laptop isn’t something you’re able to get, almost every campus has a library with computers for student use. A backpack is another must-have, obviously, with the massive amounts of notebooks and textbooks you will be carrying while going back and forth around campus.

Dorm Essentials:

• Clothing storage bins
• Room decorations
• Food storage
• Fridge/microwave
• Cleaning supplies
• Mattress topper

This all can be fun to shop for if you really get into finding whatever is aesthetically pleasing to you. Decorations should be an important part of your dorm shopping because you’ll want to be as comfortable as possible and could help you feel more at home while you are away.

As far as storage goes, it is definitely something everybody needs because things like clothing items will accumulate as the seasons change and you will need somewhere to keep everything. Specifically, under-the-bed storage bins are super helpful since they are out of the way and won’t make your dorm cramped.

Food storage is also a must since most people like to have food of their own in their room and not eat only strictly from the dining hall. I personally purchased a cart for my dorm to keep all of my snacks and drinks which I recommend you do as well.

The most important item of this section is definitely the mattress topper. From what I’ve heard, the mattresses at colleges and universities are awful and uncomfortable. As a college freshman, you will definitely be sleeping a lot, so in order to enjoy this sleep, do your research and choose your mattress topper wisely.

I’d recommend everyone start shopping now for their dorm and school essentials to take away some of the stress you’ll end up having with this new chapter in your life.