We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A room divider because sharing a small room with a complete stranger can be a tough adjustment and you may just want to have your own bit of privacy at times!
Promising review: "I bought this to use to divide a big room into two separate areas. It was easy to put together (took me and my 14-year-old under 30 minutes) and the materials seem sturdy. It stands up just fine, even on carpet, and none of my six kids, two dogs, or cat have knocked it over yet. I like that the three panels easily snap together and apart. Makes it convenient to use in several areas as needed." —eightisgreat11
Get it from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in gray and cream).
2. A printable roommate chore chart that'll make it simple to divvy up whose day it is to bring the trash down to the garbage room or vacuum up the dorm, and any other little tasks you may want to split up.
Design Street No 1 is a small biz based in South Korea that sells printable charts and templates!
Get it from Design Street No 1 on Etsy for $2.
3. An adorable mini fridge for keeping snacks and drinks nice and chilled. Trust this will be a lifesaver on those mornings you didn't leave enough time to stop and grab breakfast on the way to class.
Promising review: "Great little refrigerator! Loved everything about it. We used it in a dorm room during a summer workshop and it worked beautifully." —Julieviolin415
Get it from Amazon for $132.04+ (available in four colors).
4. And a retro-style microwave available in a variety of fun colors (so you can match your fridge or just have a cool colorful vibe going on). This is essential because let's face it: Do you really wanna make the trek to the communal microwave every time you get a 2 a.m. craving for Easy Mac?!
5. A microwave pasta cooker, omelet maker, and steamer so you can whip up meals in your room with ease. Sometimes you just reallllllly don't want dining hall food — we get it.
6. And a microwave rack perfect for holding microwave cookers like the ones above or any other random items in your dorm room that could use a little storage spot.
Promising review: "This is sturdier than it looks, is very attractive, and is easier to assemble than you think. Rave reviews here! Great for small to medium microwaves, or other items you need to keep out." —scouter9933
Get it from Amazon for $37.99+ (available in black and white, and with or without a spice rack).
7. A magnetic dry-erase calendar you (and your roomie if you wanna share with them) can use to keep track of important dates like assignment due dates/exams, extracurricular meetings/events, and social gatherings.
Promising review: "Absolutely LOVE this!!! Bought it for my dorm and it works perfectly!!! It’s larger than I expected, but that’s better in my opinion. It’s very good quality and the wood trim is very nice! You’ll need to get some Command strips to hang it up with, the nails they provide aren’t that big." —Jonathan bennett
Get it from Amazon for $33.26+ (available in two sizes and with or without markers).
8. A clip-on desk lamp featuring varying brightness levels great if you have work to do late at night in your dorm but don't want to disturb your roommate by keeping the overhead lights on in the room.
Promising review: "I love this lamp. It attaches to my desk beautifully and is extremely secure. It gives enough bright light to allow me to work on my computer without eye strain." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in two colors).
9. A wall charger complete with six outlets AND two USB ports because college dorm rooms simply never have enough outlets for one person let alone two or more! Plus, this also has a night-light!
Promising review: "Love this. I have many items to plug in now that I have to office at home. There’s plenty of room to plug in two laptops, a computer, a monitor, and my Alexa safely. It’s a little bulkier than I was expecting but that is due to the room your items will need." —Jennifer
Get it from Amazon for $14.73+ (available in two styles).
10. And set of gold cable organizers for when your cords inevitably get all tangled by that nifty charger. This is a simple (and pretty) way to keep wires from charging devices, appliances, and gadgets in order.
Brighttia is a small biz based in New York that sells industrial and modern interior light and decorative pieces!
Promising review: "These brass cable organizers are beautiful and high quality. I’m using two of them to keep a plug-in sconce cord attached to the wall and to direct the cord to the electrical outlet. These little gold pieces add a touch of functionality and glamour to the sconces. Exactly what I was looking for." —Amy Margolis
Get a set of two from Brighttia on Etsy for $11.98+ (available in eight colors).
11. A dorm room cleaning kit that'll set you and your roommate up with the essentials needed to keep your smol space in tidy condition.
12. A mesh shower caddy to keep all of your toiletries in one place and make the walk to/from a communal bathroom a seamless experience.
Promising review: "I purchased this mesh shower caddy for my granddaughter who went to college for the first time this year. She loves it!! She has had several girls on her floor ask her where she purchased it. It holds all of her bathing needs and more, and takes up very little space in her small dorm room." —Littlereyn
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six colors).
13. And a pair of shower shoes because communal shower floors don't exactly have a rep for being squeaky clean. These slides are formulated with holes to help drain out water and dry the shoes quickly.
Promising review: "Purchased for my college daughter. She says they are great! She doesn’t have to worry about standing in her dorm tub and the water streams out of them perfectly. They are easy to slip on and off unlike the thong type with the piece between the toe. Great quality and price." —Happy Customer-Lagrangeville NY
Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in 13 colors and women's sizes 5/6–13/14 and men's sizes 3.5/4.5–11.5/12.5).
14. A small white noise machine if your lack of luck has granted you a roommate who snores, neighbors who party until 4 a.m. on Tuesday nights, or a building located next to a noisy street.
Promising review: "Super awesome device! Well worth the money. I live in a dorm with other people and I’m a light sleeper, but this keeps me asleep!" –Layla Grace England
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
15. A bedside storage organizer because while your dorm should provide you with a nightstand, if you decide to take the top bunk or elevate your bed, you'll probably want a spot to keep things like your phone, TV remote, water bottle, and book near your bed.
Promising review: "I bought this for my son for his dorm room. He said it's very sturdy, and he gets a lot of use out of it. It keeps his phone, iPad, and remote within reach rather than having to climb down from his bed to retrieve them." —Ang
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in three sizes and a variety of colors).
16. And a bedside shelf so you have a spot to place things like a beverage, a snack/meal, and some study/homework materials in case you prefer to work from your bed.
Promising review: "Perfect for a dorm!!! This thing is awesome. It will fit almost any bed railing and is super sturdy. Absolutely amazing for not having a nightstand for a lofted bed." —Alie Shepherd
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in two colors and three styles).
17. A mini first aid kit to keep on hand for minor emergencies. Come on, you don't wanna have to go all the way to the nurse on campus just for a bandage!
This kit comes with a first aid guide, a CPR mask, an emergency blanket, a triangular bandage, a first aid tape roll, a tourniquet, a PBT conforming bandage, a medical scissor, a moleskin blister pad, a metal tweezer, one bottle of eye wash, two fabric knuckle adhesive bandages, two fabric fingertip adhesive bandages, four sterile gauze pads, four antiseptic towelettes, four povidone-iodine prep pads, 10 prep pads, 13 safety pins, 15 junior adhesive bandages, 15 plastic adhesive bandages, and 20 cotton-tipped applicators.
Promising review: "Five stars all the way! Being a retired nurse, I’m familiar with what typical scant first aid kits contain. I always end up adding what I know I would need in an emergency. Not in this case, this is the most comprehensive detailed first aid kit that I have ever received or saw, that the supplier has went above and beyond what I can only imagine would be needed in an emergency. This is definitely an A-rated 5-star first aid emergency kit. For the car, for my daughter in her dorm room in college, for my children raising toddlers, it’s just like having car and homeowners insurance. This is the perfect 'don’t be scared, be prepared' first aid kit. Thank you so much!" —susan
Get it from Amazon for $14.95.
18. An over-bed shelf that'll easily create much-needed additional storage space. This is a great place to keep any essentials you might want close to your bed or even small decorative pieces!
Promising review: "Perfect storage piece to keep things in reach for those small dorm rooms. Sturdy. Adding S hooks to the sides maximizes the usage." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $129.99.
19. And speaking of more storage space, some under-bed storage cubes for holding onto clothing items, accessories, or other essentials that don't fit in the tiny closet space and limited drawers your college provides. Then just slide them under the bed so they're out of sight but still easily accessible.
Promising review: "I purchased these bags due to downsizing my house when I moved in with my boyfriend, and ended up sending them off with my son when he went to college due to how small his dorm was. Fits very nicely under his bed and holds a lot of clothes. It was a lifesaver as he had nowhere to put his clothes." —jamie henman
Get a set of three from Amazon for $23.88+ (available in three styles).
20. A mini personal fan to provide a nice little breeze when you need it. Depending on where you go to school, if the temp outside is hot, chances are the temps inside your dorm will also feel hot (unless you're lucky and live in a building with air conditioning).
21. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones so you can listen to your favorite songs, shows, podcasts, audiobooks, and more while drowning out dorm room sounds — great if you're trying to focus on homework or just want to disassociate for a bit.
Promising review: “Great sound and comfort! Comfortable fit, noise-cancelling works great. Recommend for air travel or whenever you want to escape from outside interruptions. Just flew to Europe and was able to keep headphones on with very little discomfort for the entire 12-hour flight.” —joanne gentile
Get them from Amazon $39.99 (available in four colors).
22. And these reviewer-loved earplugs if you're looking to drown out sounds without actually listening to anything!
Promising review: "I've been having a hard time being in the dorms at college. The floor I live on is pretty quiet but I can't handle small consistent noises in the background and how noisy my roommate is and these are perfect. I can finally sleep and study peacefully. Should've gotten these sooner." —Alex Huss
Get it from Amazon for $24.95 (available in nine colors).
23. A flame air diffuser for a super cool way to fill the air in your dorm room with some sweet scents. Being greeted by the scent of lavender or eucalyptus >> the scent of a musty, old room.
Promising review: "I like how this diffuser kind of looks like a mini fireplace and it’s perfect for winter. I also like how long the water of this diffuser lasts — I always add my favorite essential oil in it when I go to sleep every night without worrying it will run out of water. I used to have insomnia and it helped me to sleep through the night with my relaxing essential oil scent, and it also worked as a humidifier." —Benny
Get it from Amazon for $32.69 (available in black and white).
24. An inflatable sofa to create some additional seating space for when you and your roommate invite friends over to hang out. Plus, it pulls out into a bed, so if either one of you has a friend visiting for the night, they can get a comfy night's sleep here rather than having to share a small twin XL bed.
25. A velvet ottoman that's super cute and can be used for storage, as a side table, as an additional seat for guests, or as a footrest. And you can use the top as a laptop or food tray.
My colleague Emma Lord owns this lovely ottoman! Here's what she has to say about it:
"I recently got one of these for my new apartment to stash my candles and ~candle accessories~ in and it's pretty much become my favorite piece of furniture?? I use it to prop up my feet during work hours and sometimes if I want to eat on my couch I'll use it as a tray. It's also sturdy enough to sit on, if I ever wanted to have guests over and needed an extra chair. It was RIDICULOUSLY easy to set up — I had it done in less than ten minutes, and probably didn't even need the directions. It also just looks so darn cute (and comes in so many colors that I'm tempted to buy another!)."
Get it from Amazon for $42.99 (available in five colors).
26. And last, but certainly not least, a box filled with a mix of 35 sweet/savory snacks bound to turn your room into the hottest room on the floor. For starters, what better way to make friends in college than by luring people in with snacks? Aside from that, if you and your roomie agree on nothing else, the one thing you can probably agree on is that you'll want to keep snacks in the room for when hunger strikes or you need a study time pick-me-up. The assortment in this box will keep things fun for both of you!!
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.