Do you remember your college dorm days? When shopping for a gift for a grad who will be leaving home for the first time, recall the days when you were just starting out—you know, the time when you didn’t even have a couch (let alone a laundry basket) to call your own.
The best gifts for soon-to-be college freshman address basic adult needs: clean laundry (perhaps a well-pressed shirt or two), fresh towels and a good cup of coffee. As someone who survived a healthy dose of dorm life, I can attest to the objects that I needed (and cherished) most when I graduated and started my new life on campus.
Here I’ve highlighted a few of the most crucial and beloved dorm necessities, including the hot water dispenser (a must-have for instant oatmeal and soup), the tool kit that grads never know how much they need (until something breaks) and the cozy couch I wished I had the space to include in my closet-sized room.
- Three-Liter Electric Air Pump/Water Heater, Aroma (target.com).
- 75-Piece Home Maintenance Tool Set, Allied (target.com).
- Steam/Dry Iron with Titanium Soleplate, Panasonic.
- Configurations Laundry Hamper, Rubbermaid (target.com).
- B36 Mini Brewer, Keurig.
- Flex Futon Combo in Kelp/Stone, Mali.
- Reversible Three-Piece Towel Set, Thomas O’Brien (target.com).
