Tag Archives: Packing list

Dorm Essentials & Tips

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Happy July everyone! I’m currently blogging from Fairbanks, Alaska where August and the Fall 2021 semester are both right around the corner! Since Orientation, move in, and classes are going to be beginning in less than a month I want to share my favorite Dorm Essentials & Tips for those living on campus. 

Starting this fall, I will have had experience living in a total of three different Residence Halls over a period of my (soon to be) five years at ERAU. I’ve lived on campus my entire college experience and I’m here to share my top tips to make your living space feel like home.

My current home away from home includes lots of weekend hikes, here’s my latest adventure!

Since your dorm room will be where you spend a lot of your time, making sure that is a comfortable space where you can do homework, study, and relax at the end of the day is extremely important. Since this list is general, most residence halls allow all of these items, but double check with your housing contract for items more specific to your specific living community. For reference, you may check out ERAU’s Housing and Residence life Community Standards, linked here, where also featured is a FAQ page, a Residence Hall option guide, a Move-In guide, as well as my personal favorites (guides I reference the most) the Approved Cooking Appliances in the Residence Halls list, and ERAU’s streaming service website for television shows and movies available for free here to all on-campus students. 

My dorm essential list includes, first and foremost, stocking up on snacks! Secondly, my favorite part about coming back to my room at the end of a long day is taking a hot shower and setting up my essential oil diffuser! I also love having plants in my room. All rooms have windows that receive some amount of natural light during the day, so I suggest low maintenance plants like succulents or cacti. Another great option is planting a few wildflower seeds in a small pot to brighten your room, or trying some easy to grow herbs such as basil, mint, or chives!

Nonperishable snacks like granola bars, nuts, and apple sauce are great to have on hand during the school year, but right now I am grateful to be able to pick fresh berries to snack on in between my online summer classes!

Another one of my favorite room essentials is a natural light simulating alarm clock. Since I’m in ROTC (or if you have any early morning or late-night flights if you’re studying Aeronautical Science), I highly recommend getting an alarm clock that can sync with your phone, your Alexa Amazon Echo, and simulates sunrise/sunset to help you regulate your sleep schedule. Before PT in the mornings, I am always listening to music on Spotify while I get ready in my room, so being able to auto-play music directly after my alarm goes off makes my morning routine that much simpler.

I also suggest investing in a good pair of headphones! Despite nighttime quiet hours, and quiet hours during finals, living in the Residence Halls can be loud at times and there are definitely moments when I like peace and quiet. The perfect solution I’ve found to this, other than heading to the Quiet Rooms on the second floor of the library to study, are noise canceling headphones! Since music plays such an important role in helping me relax while taking breaks from studying, I use headphones for peace and quiet while I do homework, as well as for high quality music when I’m working out or relaxing.

Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

The Ultimate Packing List for Each Dorm (with pictures)

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All Dorms: All come with a mini fridge, vanity, microwave, desk, and dresser (and a bed too obviously). The bathrooms come with a shower curtain too. You can order items like bedding through housing or order to-store at Bed Bath and Beyond. There is a Target down the street, across from the Speedway for last minute needs, but a “secret” Super Target is 15 minutes south in Port Orange. We also have a Hobby Lobby, World Market, Pier One Imports, and Michaels if you like decorating! There is a Kohls and Sam’s Club not too far for mattress toppers and bulk-snacks. You can mail stuff to the university after you get your mailbox, but you won’t have your mailbox number until after move in. To send things before you are assigned a mailbox, you can address packages with your name, New Student Embry-Riddle, 600 South Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach FL 32114. Then just pick it up at the mail room when you arrive.

I have a printer but I do not need one. You can print from the 24-hour lab in the College of Business. As for packing clothes, bring lots of t-shirts with jeans/shorts. Also, bring some light sweaters/rain jackets for classrooms and “winter”. I normally wear Keds, flats, or sandals to get across campus. Make sure to bring nice clothes (business casual and at least one business professional outfit) no matter your major. We have our career fair and interviewers coming to campus constantly. Sororities and fraternities also require you to dress nicely once a week as do some on-campus jobs.

For laundry, Adams, Woods, and Doolittle have laundry rooms downstairs. New Hall has two laundry rooms per floor (one per wing). All laundry facilities have an associated app to see which are available. While they are free, you must bring your own detergent.

  • Tubs (for summer storage too)
  • Command Strips (tons, but the velcro ones work best)
  • Hangers
  • Desk Lamp
  • Mattress Topper
  • Bed Covers (Twin XL) – Pottery Barn, Target, and Macy’s has cute ones!
  • Pillows
  • Full-length mirror
  • Trashcan
  • Bathroom Mat
  • Toilet Paper
  • Towels
  • Food Organizers
  • Cleaning Wipes
  • Water Filter
  • School Supplies
  • Desk Organizer
  • Air Freshener
  • Laundry Basket
  • TV (but most students use a laptop – I do!)
  • Pictures!!!

New Hall: New Hall has a tiny kitchen area, so I recommend not bringing a lot of kitchen gadgets. You also don’t have a designated kitchen sink, so cleaning dishes and such gets a little challenging. You will have bathroom cubbies in the shower room and individual closets in your room. Most students raise their beds and put the desk under their bed. Some prefer to bunk their bed with their roommate and put the desks on the other side. My friend was kind enough to let us see her room!

Adams/Woods: Adams/Woods bathrooms are shared with 3 other people, so I recommend a caddy to keep the shower uncluttered. Since the floor is wood, I also recommend a rug. We bought curtains and lots of bins for food and bathroom storage. The photos below are from my freshman dorm!

Doolittle: I have not lived in Doolittle, but I would recommend a bathroom caddy/other bathroom organizers since you will be sharing a bathroom with 7 other people. You will have a large desk as well, so desk organizers could be beneficial if you like to be orderly. A closet is shared too, so consider a closet divider since that could be helpful if you like to keep your belongings separate. Like Adams/Woods, I want to recommend a rug to cover the wood floor! These photos are from a friend!

Personal tip: I like plants in my room since they brighten the space and make it feel more homey!

Move-in gets crazy so bring water! Be patient! It’s overwhelming but everyone does it and your RA should be helpful. Orientation is meant to be fun, so don’t stress! You will have huge moving bins to help! Assignments come out this summer so get excited!

Happy almost summer! – Maddie!