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As someone who grew up in a rural area, I worried the transition to university life in a city as big and lively as Raleigh would chew me up and spit me out. I struggled with looming feelings of being left behind and feared my social anxiety would make interacting with so many new people impossible, and then I would die alone with an army of cats, crying every night about the college experience I never got to have.
Of course, that’s a major hyperbole. But it’s not uncommon to be overwhelmed by the sudden influx of preparations to ensure college living goes as smoothly as possible. Fortunately, as the school year has progressed, I’ve gotten the hang of this transitional period of my life, and I’ve forged a college experience that is unique to me.
I’m sure a lot of us have stumbled across those videos on TikTok boasting the “things you’ll ACTUALLY need for your freshman year of college.” The video in question will then show you the same items you already saw 20 videos ago and conveniently link to the original poster’s Amazon storefront. As I began to receive invites to graduation parties from the high school seniors I knew, I started to consider the things I actually used on a daily basis in college. I’m not talking things like mattress toppers, Command strips, and bedspreads; they’re obvious. I’m thinking more of the little things that you might realize you’d like to have as the year progresses. Things that I discovered were more convenient to have around than I initially expected.
Perhaps, these things could serve as useful gifts for the incoming college freshman in your life.
Wrinkle releaser spray
Trust me when I tell you that your clothes will get wrinkled. It doesn’t matter if you hang them up in your tiny closet or if you fold them in a manner so neat it would make Marie Kondo weep; the wrinkles come for us all. Wrinkle releaser spray has been a lifesaver for me this school year. I use it on everything, from jeans to Nike athletic shorts. Pro tip: Lay your full outfit out, accessories and all, the night before you plan on wearing it. That way the wrinkle releaser can set in overnight, and you’ll be good to get up and get dressed quickly. If you have early classes the way I do, this can be really helpful in managing time efficiency.
I personally use the Downy brand wrinkle releaser, but many different kinds can be found at most major retailers. The smaller bottles of what I use can go for $2 or less, which I think is a good deal considering how useful it’s been for me.
A Nice fragrance
I use the term “nice” very loosely. I don’t expect someone, especially a college student, to go out and drop over $100 on a full size luxury fragrance.
This year I got really into perfume and body mists. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a collector, but I’ve definitely got a wishlist of certain bottles. When I was in high school I didn’t really think about perfume all that much and was perfectly okay with just borrowing my mom’s from time to time. Obviously my mom can’t tag along in the dorms, so I began to explore certain scents that I liked. Here are some of the fragrances I’ve used the most since coming to college:
Sweet Tooth Cherry Baby by Sabrina Carpenter
I’ve always found the packaging of Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Tooth line adorable. The bottle resembles a chocolate bar, an appropriate shape for the product’s namesake. However, I’ve seen Sweet Tooth in body mist form at nearby pharmacies, which will also do the trick (even though you sacrifice the cute packaging). I bought myself the red “Cherry Baby” scent as a birthday treat, and I absolutely love it. It smells like cherries and chocolate, and it lasts quite a while. Other fragrances under the Sweet Tooth umbrella include the original, Caramel Dream, and Me Espresso.
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Passion Mist
Bombshell Passion has a really strong floral scent and it makes me feel very put together. Even though I like this specific scent, both Victoria’s Secret and Pink have a wide variety of lotion and fragrance sets that are perfect for everyday use. I have a friend who recommended Aqua Kiss, and another friend who uses Love Spell religiously. I’ve also noticed that Victoria’s Secret does have sales on their fragrances and lotions quite often, so that’s a tidbit of information to keep in your back pocket. Clearance also has some great options.
Britney Spears Fantasy Intense Eau De Parfum
I love Britney Spears, so I’ve always wanted one of her many fragrances. I was lucky to get my hands on it, as it was a gift from a friend. There are so many different variations to choose from, and even though the bottle can be a bit bulky, the designs are so glamorous that I’m willing to put up with it. Fantasy Intense is both fruity and sweet. It makes me feel like a celebrity, and the scent is strong enough that I don’t have to use too much product for there to be an effect.
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Body Mist
This was part of a Christmas gift set that came with an accompanying body cream. Sephora lists the scent as being “warm and gourmand,” but I think it’s a bit more tropical than that. I could be letting the sunny packaging influence me though. Regardless, I had seen the Sol de Janeiro brand gaining some notoriety on TikTok, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try the scent out. I definitely think having the body cream alongside it boosts its duration, but it lasts a good while and is a good scent to pull out when I’m in a rush for class and need a spritz. Also, if Cheirosa 62 isn’t for you, there are plenty of other Cheirosa body mist options to choose from.
A good duffel bag
This one can be especially useful if you plan to go home often, or when visiting friends at other schools overnight. Sometimes a suitcase can be a bit too much for just a weekend trip. I figured out I needed a sturdy bag when I visited my best friend at a neighboring college, and I had to use three different tote bags and a Kanken backpack to carry my things. It made the long walk to and from her residence hall a lot bulkier than it should’ve been.
When Christmas rolled around I began to look around for a duffel bag that was just right. I mainly looked at brands that were primarily known for sporting goods, as those kinds of bags are likely to have more small pockets and zippers that utilize storage.
pura vida bracelets (but specifically the black and white ones)
When I put on an outfit, I usually sort it into two categories: this will look good with white shoes, or black shoes. It’s the same with accessories. This outfit is either going to look good with a white bracelet, or a black one. They’re both colors that can go with nearly anything, so I think having them around can add a touch of versatility to your accessories. I’ve seen string Pura Vida bracelets on many wrists around campus, and I think they’re a perfect lightweight accessory to both sporty and casual styles. The solid original bracelet comes in a variety of colors other than black and white, so if you’d like, it might be a good idea to get a solid one in the main color of your university. I use my red one all the time. To take it one step further, you could even try to find bracelets that have all the colors associated with your university. If you’re someone that attends a lot of sporting events or has a lot of school spirit, these bracelets could come in handy.
Roach motels & baits (NON NEGOTIABLE)
I don’t care how clean your university claims its residence halls are, roaches are going to find their way inside regardless. While they’re more likely to be found in filthy rooms, know that they’ll find themselves in even the most spotless dorms eventually. While roach spray is useful for quick solutions, if you really want to keep the bugs out, roach motels and liquid baits are the way to go. A roach motel is a small trap box coated with a sticky substance. The roach enters the box, and then can never come out. The liquid baits are smaller, and are designed that if a roach were to come into contact with it, they are met with a lethal dose of insecticide. It becomes even more of a chain reaction should the roach mingle other bugs in close proximity. It’s especially important to put the traps near any food you may have in your dorm, as roaches are more likely to be drawn to those areas.
SMALL HAND SOAPS
Notice how I said soap(s), plural. Before the fall semester began, I took advantage of the 6 for $10 deal Bath and Body Works had on their small PocketBac hand sanitizers. Wouldn’t you know it, I’ve gone the whole school year without running out of any of them. I’m aware six does seem like a larger number than what one may think they’ll need, but in my experience having options comes in handy. I kept two in my school backpack, two in my purse, one in my tote bag, and one on my dorm desk (just in case I needed to clean my hands before having a snack). They don’t take up a lot of space and there’s a wide range of scents to choose from. My personal favorites are Wildberry French Toast, and Lavender and Vanilla (Be warned: L&V is STRONG).
I do want to note that my suggestions are very subjective to myself and my observations as a freshman. You don’t have to get exactly what I tell you to from the exact place I tell you to get it from. Nothing on this list is going to make or break your college experience. You may be overwhelmed for the first month, possibly even the whole first semester, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Trends will come and go, and there’s no objective “correct” way to enjoy college. What really matters is that you find things that make you feel comfortable and prepared to take on the school year ahead. Who knows, by the time you finish your freshman year, you can have a list of your own that’s totally different from mine. It’s all about going at your own pace.
I am serious about the roach stuff though. If you only take away one piece of advice from this article, PLEASE let it be that one.