With a little preparation and some planning, you can show up to college with everything you need. And no, the process doesn’t have to be a stressful task! It’s true—and this article will show you which college dorm room essentials you need to adjust to dormitory life from day one. Arriving in late August or early September with all of your college dorm room essentials isn’t as hard as it seems.

And there are resources available to streamline this process. Here’s the information, guidelines, and support you need to create a dorm room space you will actually enjoy living in… and people will enjoy visiting.

Your first taste of freedom… your own space—to furnish as you wish. We’ve been through it all, so let us share some of our knowledge…

College Dorm Room Essentials:

Hangers: Bring them. You don’t want to be the kid with all of his/her clothes shoved in the back of your closet… or worse, on the floor. With limited space, you’re going to want to maximize the use of your closet. No doubt you’re going to want to store other things inside, so properly hanging your clothes is a must. Wrinkled and smelly clothes are not appealing.

Kitchen Supplies: College food get’s a bad rap—so arm yourself with kitchen supplies. Try one college dorm room essential—the can opener. Even students with minimal culinary skills can enjoy the occasional quick meal cooked from the dorm—so bring bowls, cups, plates and other kitchen supplies to impress fellow students with your delicious Easy Mac and Ramen.

Computer Supplies: Before the stress of first semester midterms, make sure you invest in a USB drive and your own printer. (You don’t want to be banging on your hall mate’s door at 7 in the morning trying to print out a last minute assignment…) Professors don’t like hearing that you’ve lost your 20 page final the day that it’s due… so arm yourself with a USB drive or hard drive sticks to backup your work.

Sandals: Who knows what goes on in dorm room showers and what grime may be lurking there? You won’t have to think twice about that if you bring shower sandals. They don’t have to be fancy but they’re certainly a college dorm room essential. You’ll thank them when you don’t have to walk from the shower to your room in bare feet.

Lamps: You’re going to need a lamp, maybe more then one. Many students complain about the “florescent lighting” in dorm rooms, so show up with a lamp and you’ll be good to go. Also, you’re not going to want to be in a position where your roommate wants to turn off the light to sleep and you’ve got an enormous paper to write. Smaller desk lamps will help you take care of your finals and keep roommate relations friendly.

Bedding: Don’t make the mistake of bringing the wrong size sheets—or only one set. Keep in mind that your bed will be multi-functional, serving as a desk, sofa, and sometimes dining table. And be sure to wash your sheets often—you’ll have a more popular dorm room.

Dorm Décor: Dorm rooms can be boring... but you don’t want yours to be. Rugs, wall hangings, additional pillows and other dorm room accessories can transform a space. Decorative lights are a colorful way to add light to your room and a great idea for entertaining.

So we’ve given you a taste of what to bring to college and you have potential to nail your dorm room supply list. Soon, dormitory life will be starting to feel like a new home… now get out of your room and make the most of your college experience! Learn more about creating your college dorm room essential list.