In my college mom era.
Welcome to summer 2026, the summer in which we have officially entered our dorm-room-shopping era. From mattress covers to nightstands with 300 charging ports to televisions to mini microwaves to buying all the organizational storage items, there is no getting around the fact that our daughter is going to college (and we are learning as we go).
I’d like to know who decided to design dorm rooms with such bulky furniture shoved into such a tight space that still needs to have approximately 9,000 additional items to make it livable. And…who invented twin XL? I mean, honestly? Why? Why did you do this? Did you feel that finding regular twin-sized sheets was not difficult enough? Did you feel that paying $12,000 per semester for our daughter to live in a shoebox was insufficient, so you added a twin XL to the mix just so we could work a little harder to shop?
We have rolling carts, a new television, a microwave, curtains to hang in front of the (surprisingly large) closet space, cleaning supplies, snack bins, new sheets, new drapes, new every single thing, and I have no idea how it’s all going to fit in her room, but we’re going to make it work.
As a mom with a first-time college student who moves out of our house and into her college dorm in exactly 5 weeks, I have absolutely no experience in this life. But I do know that there are very much some must-have items you’re going to need if you have a child leaving soon for college. Thankfully, I’ve linked them all for you right here (and continue to add to this list).
Things your college student actually needs:
- Twin xl sheets (more than one set)
- A mattress topper
- Mattress protector
- Pillows
- Comforter
- Towels – lots of towels
- Laundry basket with handles
- Shower caddy
- Shower shoes
- Extension cords and surge protectors
- Command hooks (the real MVPS)
- A rolling cart
- A tv cart
- A microwave
- A mini fridge
- Under the bed storage bins
- A fan
- A first aid kit
- A medicine kit
- A cleaning supplies kit
- Stain remover
- Steamer
- Tool kit
- Trash bags
- Paper towels
- Lamp
- Candle warmer
- Snacks
- A snack cart
- A robe
- Slippers
- Throw blankets
- A curtain to hang in front of the closet
- Over the door organizers
- Snacks
- More snacks
- Snacks bitch
- Hangers
- Laundry bag
- Fun décor
I’m not even remotely looking forward to move-in day because I’m not ready to send my baby off to college. I can already feel her absence at home, and my heart breaks a little bit more each day thinking about her leaving. But, I’m also working diligently to be okay with her growing up. We’ve prepared her for this. We knew this was coming. Why am I surprised? And seriously, who the fuck invented twin XL sheets? You are a monster.
So now I ask my fellow college-age moms…what am I missing? What is the one thing your child absolutely needed and used the most? And what is going to end up left in the original packaging and eventually thrown away?
Tiffany Raiford 