At Scripps, each dorm has a bit of unique charm that makes our rooms special, but ultimately many students personalize their rooms to make it cozier for their stay! As a first-year student, I definitely struggled with packing. I didn鈥檛 know how many clothes I should bring, what other essentials I should have, or how I would make my dorm room feel like home.
When it comes to packing clothes, I would definitely only bring the clothes you know you will wear. I ended up bringing some clothes that I didn鈥檛 wear at all, which just took up space. Most days as a busy college student, I just want to be comfortable! I find my outfits to be much simpler on the day-to-day. I would recommend bringing clothes for a wide variety of temperatures and dressing in layers. In the first few months of the school year, it is very hot, but in the winter, it does get cold! Though rain is infrequent, it does happen, and the winters were colder than I initially expected. However, I would also recommend a swimsuit and beach towel or blanket! We are very lucky to have our beautiful pool, and trips to the beach are fun weekend getaways. On a sunny day, I also love sunbathing on our lawn, so having a good blanket, some sunglasses, and sunscreen has helped me enjoy the sun and our beautiful campus.
Some other dorm essentials I would recommend are a cozy blanket and comfy pillow. Being a college student is very busy and having a comfortable, warm bed and blanket makes my room feel nice and cozy. I鈥檇 also recommend having some good storage bins, baskets, or drawer organizers to organize your things! A lot of people have rolling carts, which are great, or hanging shelves which are very useful too. I鈥檇 also recommend buying extra command hooks to hang your bags, towels, keys, etc. It really helps save space in the room! My roommate and I share a little mini fridge for snacks and drinks, which has been very nice to have. Having some of your favorite snacks is a given, but I鈥檇 also recommend a set of utensils and a couple cups or mugs.
To decorate my room, I brought some of my favorite postcards, photos of friends and family, and some simple art that I鈥檇 collected over the years. Sometimes my roommate and I will also bring some fresh flowers into our room from the Claremont farmer鈥檚 market or our 61传媒rose garden. A lot of students choose to bring battery-powered string lights for their dorm, posters of their favorite artists, small rugs, and any other items that make your dorm feel like your own. With some personalization, my dorm has definitely felt like my home away from home.