Move-in AFTER You Get These Must-Haves

By Adrianne Hutto

Back to school season is back and if you’re like me you are moving off campus for the first time or maybe just moving into a new place. Either way there is a learning curve to the move in process. As you go along you realize that you wish you had this or that. Spending the entire summer in my first off-campus apartment I realized what a lot of those things are. So, to avoid looking through videos and TikToks, I have it all in one article for you. Here are my top 10 apartment must-haves.

1. Salt lamp, lava lamp or LED

One thing that I think adds a lot to the comfortability of my room is some kind of mood lighting. Personally, I have a salt lamp because I like having the ability to dim the lights and I think it makes my space more cozy. All of these items can be found on Amazon, however, for a lava lamp look at Target instead, as they are usually more expensive online.

2. Tablecloth

With dinner parties trending all over TikTok and social media, you may decide that you want to host one yourself now that you have the space to do so. This was one thing I was really looking forward to doing once I moved-in. However, I didn’t think about buying a tablecloth until I was in Ikea and came across one. Now I have about four and I rotate them weekly. It’s worth buying and you can find them basically anywhere. 

3. Travel cup

Having a travel cup is useful for a lot of reasons, bringing coffee to class, having water for long walks. It’s also nice for bringing your own mixed drink to friends houses. I personally like to put a Shirley Temple in mine and take it around with me so it seems like I’m drinking coffee. 

4. Keychain clip or lanyard

Now that you aren’t living in a dorm, one key difference is the need for keys. This may not seem difficult when you’re going to and from classes or the grocery store but when you have to go out it becomes much more involved. I have found that a lanyard or key helps to avoid losing track of your keys. I wore my keys around my neck for the entirety of the Governors Ball music festival and I barely noticed them. Pro tip: make a copy of your keys at your local hardware store for 2$ and give a copy to a parent or trusted friend in case you leave your keys at home. 

5. Rugs

I personally have three rugs in my room. I love a good hard-wood floor but I don’t like to walk around my bedroom on hard floors. Additionally, I’m a floor sitter so when I have guests over I prefer to sit on the rug and when I feel sick I usually lay on the floor. Ikea and Wayfair have some of the best, cheap rugs I have found. 

6. THIS Target Lamp

Burying me with this lamp because it will bring me back to life. I SWEAR by this thing. I don’t know what kind of voodoo Target is putting in their lamps but I have had this lamp since freshman year of college (I am now going into my junior year) and have never changed the light bulb once. When I was in the dorms it was the only light my roommate and I used because it is so bright, but not so bright that it’s uncomfortable. I bought it to quarantine with me when I got COVID my freshman year and it prevented my quarantine room from sucking me into a depression. 

7. Paint

Now that you don’t live in a dorm you have a lot more freedom to personalize your space. One thing I’ve enjoyed is adding small paintings or pops of color to my place. However, make sure to confirm with your landlord that this is okay before doing so and remember that you may have to paint over it when you move out. 

8. Hanging Beads

I love my hanging beads. They separate my room from the living room and the reason I like them is because I am a door open person. I don’t like to have the door closed unless I have to. So, having the hanging beads allows for just a little privacy and adds a fun element to your room. 

9. Flour, Sugar, Tomato Paste & Vodka

These are four things that I have found are always good to keep around your house. Flour and sugar are needed for most baking and are easier to just buy in bulk when you move in rather than having to run to the store in the middle of making cookies. As for tomato paste and vodka, these are two necessary ingredients for making penne vodka and usually the most annoying to buy and easiest to store. So, if you decide on a random Thursday that you’re craving Penne Alla Vodka, all you need to buy is heavy cream and parmesan cheese.

10. Basil Plant

I bought myself a basil plant for $12 from a deli near campus and it has come in handy more times than one. While this is really only useful if you plan on cooking, it saves you extra money down the road. If you don’t cook regularly, get a mint plant and use it for mojitos. Check TikTok for some helpful tips on how to propagate your plant. Just make sure to give it lots of light and water. 

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