Back to College Shopping? 10 Things You’ll Wish You Had

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Brita for Social Spark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Dear Mom,

The water in my dorm room tastes terrible, my mattress is awful and don't get me started on the closet.

Love,

Your Homesick College Student

~~~~~~~

So, you thought you did a great job of shopping for college.  You followed the checklist they passed out at orientation, but it seems you forgot a few things that would have made the transistion to college a little easier.

Dorm life can be a huge adjustment.  If college shopping is on your agenda, this is a must-read before you make your shopping list!  It's a “Top 10” list that we've compiled after 4 years of dorm life.

Back to College Shopping List

• Mattress Topper – Let's face it, you're not going to get a brand new top-of-the-line mattress in your dorm room or apartment, so add a mattreess topper to give it new life.
• Brita® Water Pitcher –  When my oldest son moved into his 1920's Texas A&M dorm room, he discovered the water tasted terrible, and who knows what was in those old pipes!  A Brita® Water Pitcher solved that problem…you just add tap water, and the pitcher filters out impurities for healthy great tasting water.  Don't forget a pack of extra filters to last all school year long!  Now…which color to choose???

• Brita® Refillable Water Bottle – While we're on the subject of water, be green and don't waste space or money on bottled water.  A Brita® Water Bottle works just like the water pitcher, and it's easy to take with you around campus.  Throw in some Crystal Light or Mio if flavored water is your thing. Another plus, you won't have to haul a case of water up 4 flights of stairs regularly.
• Bed Risers – If you don't have a loft-type bed, risers will give you about 6-inches of additional space under your bed which is perfect for storage.  P.S. – You'll find these in the storage section of Target.
• Storage Bins – Now that you've created extra storage space under your bed, buy a couple of storage bins to keep your seasonal clothes in.  Trust me, your dorm room will not have a walk-in closet!  My son's first dorm room had 1, 3 foot wide closet shared by 2 people…yikes!
• Slim Hangers  – Did you know that slim hangers allow you to get twice as many clothes in a closet?  This item is particularly important for girls.
• Over the Door Shoe Rack – Another great space-saver!
• Over the Door Hooks – Perfect for wet towels, sweaty clothes or raincoats.
• Fan – You can't always regulate the temperature in your room, so use a fan to keep you cool.
• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes –  You're not going to have room for all sorts of cleaning products, so opt for multi-purpose disinfecting wipes.

My middle son is making the transition from dorm life to apartment living, so our list now includes…pots & pans, dishes, kitchen “stuff”, Glad food storage containers and more.  I'm off to Target to tackle back to college apartment shopping!  FYI – Target has Brita coupons!  Enjoy this video of our growing shopping cart.

Want to get your own Brita® products for college?  I have a $25 gift card to give away!  Just leave a comment letting me know which Brita® item you want for your dorm…the Space Saver Pitcher (6 cups), the Grand Pticher (10 cups) or the Hard-Sided Water Bottle (23.7 oz.).    One winner will be chosen at random on August 25h.

The contest is over…congratulations Barbara!