It’s that time of the year again! The time when many seniors in high school begin their transition into adulthood and begin to prepare for college. While this process is extremely exciting, countless students may feel at a loss about what to buy for their future dorm, as this transition is also a very confusing time for many individuals. Hopefully, these items can act as a baseline for seniors to begin their journey. 

When moving into college dorms, numerous students will inevitably get sick due to poor sleep, high stress, and living in close proximity to many other students, according to HercLéon and The Rider News. To combat this, sites like Breathe Sans recommend that students use air purifiers to help improve air quality and prevent illness from the air all around us. Through their diligent testing, Popular Mechanics recommends the Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier for small dorms. In doing this, studies, like the one conducted by UConn Today, have demonstrated how effective air purifiers are by  “[reducing] the amount of infectious virus in the air and [capturing] both smaller and larger sized particles.” 

Additionally, sites like Medium have recommended students get a mattress topper to improve overall sleep and comfort. In doing so, this not only improves sleep quality and prevents illnesses, by adding an extra layer of foam to the mattress but also enhances overall productivity, which is crucial for students aiming to succeed in college. The benefits of sleep are outlined in numerous studies including one done by Peng et. al, where they found that the better quality of sleep people get, the greater productivity they exhibit. This correlation between sleep quality and productivity can easily be translated into education because, once again, the better sleep a student gets, the more likely they are to achieve higher productivity levels and, consequently, better grades overall. 

Additionally, many college dorms do not have showers in their rooms. Therefore, students are faced with the inconvenient task of gathering all of their things together when it’s time to shower, risking the chance of items falling onto the floor. To address this, it’s important to invest in a portable shower caddy that can easily dry on the bottom (to prevent mold build-up) and keep all of your toiletries in one area to pick up and go. 

Overall, students are inundated with options when it comes to college dorm shopping. However, if students can keep everything organized and maintain their health as much as possible in college, they will have a better likelihood of thriving academically. 

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