I added a note to all items where oldest (male) used/liked them too.
Power strips with really long cords
We order on line, 10-15' cord. Oldest had two of these. He still has one at grad school in his apartment. The other went with middle to college. Both kids found them really helpful.
Really Useful Boxes from Office Depot
Middle has the 3 liter size. The 12 in her dorm hold these kinds of thing - female supplies, tools, first aid supplies, batteries, etc. Gift idea would be to buy boxes and then fill with items or give empty boxes. They stack, they are sturdy. She has a variety of colors, but you can still see through them for quick identification. The lids lock for ease of use/stacking.
She also has a set of the tiny ones on her desk for bulldog clips, rubber bands, etc. We have the same tiny ones at home in the cubbies in the computer room.
Small color printer with flatbed for copying/scanning/printing.
Yes, universities have printers for students to use. Middle has done major bulk printing as she puts binders together for future teacher reference use. But both she and oldest also have their own printer. Ease of use for small jobs. Safety factor for middle of the night, emergency needs.
Cord caddy for desk
Really important to get a weighted one (not adhesive). Middle has one on her desk. iPod, phone, etc chargers all in one spot. Really helpful. (The link is from Amazon, but I just bought one of these on an end cap display at Walgreen's for a graduation gift for youngest's car pool girl).
Air filter
Middle has tall, skinny one in her dorm room. Another (bigger) one in her room at home. We buy the kind with washable filters (not disposable). If you are buying one with disposable filters, buy a lot of filters. They are just like bras, go discontinued regularly. Target carries Honeywell brand which we prefer. If student has allergy/asthma issues, this is a great idea. Middle's best friend has one at college too.
Strips and hooks and putty.
All kinds of wonderful adhesives now available which do not damage item nor wall. My favorite place to get them is Hobby Lobby because I can buy one at a time with 40% off one item coupon. We often give a hangable item and include the product to hang it (like middle's painted letters, or a laminated poster, etc).
Tape
Duct tape now comes in fabulous designs. Regular scotch tape, double stick tape, packing tape, blue painter's tape. If you have an arty student or a student in a major (like education) they use a lot of supplies. Yes, middle has a Really Useful Box full of tape and glue.
Shower Bucket
The ones with the best handles and compartments seem to come with an unfortunate lack of drain holes in the bottom. If they are not brittle plastic (which you would not want anyway), we put masking tape on inside and outside and drill holes with power drill (using biggest bit we have). The tape is a woodworking trick that works on finished wood and apparently plastic.
Oldest had a Dopp kit for under grad college. I think he kept all his things in it and probably just carried what he needed to bathroom - toothbrush with paste already on it, razor and cream (he does not use shaving cream, but face lotion). shampoo and bottle of face soap (has never used bar, uses same thing on body as face). He still has his Dopp kit for travel. My husband has always had one too.
Stool with storage
Middle's came from Target when they put their college stuff on clearance. I think it might have been as low as $8. As you can see, she uses it for DVD storage. This is something she will love in an apartment or house.
The main reason she bought this (on sale) was for extra seating and so short people could get to her lofted extra bed. She jumps to the lofts, but most people can't do that. . .
She has a TV at school with a DVD player built in to it (helps with space). She has movie nights A LOT with friends. Or puts on a movie, she has already seen, for background noise when she is working on a project. She can get the campus TV stations, but then she is stuck with their schedule and commercials. She can get Netflix on her laptop, but then she can't use the laptop for other things. So, the TV has been used a lot. We did not buy it, we happened to have it. It is the kind of thing one now finds in closets or on garage sales as people move to flat screens.
Oldest had a flat screen at under grad and also now at grad school for gaming. So, an old TV would not be something he would ever want.
T-Shirt fabric sheet sets
All three of my kids prefer these soft sheets, so yes, oldest used these too. Remember if you are buying for college dorm beds, need XL twin size. I buy these at Target when they close out college stuff in fall. This size works well on the girls' pillow top regular twins at home too. The extra length compensates for the pillow top's thickness.
Quick dry bath towels
I am not sure how they are made. But they do dry more quickly. Good for both girls and guys. I buy these at Target too. If you remember, I buy sheet sets and towels in the same color families so they can all go in the same load of laundry at school. When I give these as gifts, I do 2 bath, 2 hand, 4 wash.
Body pillow
Middle uses her extra bed like a couch. I bought a cute but very, thick, sturdy body pillow cover at Target. I put TWO body pillows in it (back to back) so it is very firm. One body pillow is not firm at all. Yes, it took my husband and I both to sort of wrestle two pillows in one cover, sturdy and straight, but we managed.
Big Joe Roma Chair
Yes, some kids haul couches and futons and all kinds of stuff in very small dorm rooms. This chair worked well for middle, but we did have to add pellets half way through the year. This chair works against wall or in middle of a room. It has a back to it, so is MUCH. Better than a traditional bean bag, in my opinion. It also made a great cradle when middle was sitting with her friends' baby. He was comfy and could not fall. We ordered from Walmart, because I added a couple sale packages of zip lock bags to the order and the whole thing qualified for free shipping (and it was a very big box).
Step Stool
To be honest, we are the house of step stools for three reasons.
1. We have very high ceilings and shelves/cupboards go all the way to ceiling in every room.
2. Youngest is 5' even.
3. I broke my foot stepping up on a folding chair, so we use stools.
Dorm rooms often have tall ceilings and storage up high. Middle has a folding, two step, step stool in her college dorm room. It fits between the trash can and the wall and is both out of way and easily accessible. She has same stool in her closet at home. So do I. We have small stools in bathrooms. We have a large sturdy stool in kitchen pantry. Youngest's closet was designed got her, so things are lower, but she still has a one step stool in there for ease of use. She may well go to college with a three step stool depending on set up of dorm storage.
Microwaveable clear glass dishes with lids
I like the clear glass, NOT made in China. I do not like plastic in microwave nor for (wet) food storage. I buy Anchor Hocking. (And one other company I can't remember) made in USA.
I LOVE THESE LIDS. COMES IN RED AND NAVY -
HATE THIS GREEN LID TYPE -
Dorm Pillows
All three of my kids have these at home. Oldest and middle also use at college. I gave these to my niece and nephew one year for xmas and they love them. In order to be useful, these have to be VERY DENSE. For years I bought them on clearance at JC Penney's. I gave many as graduation gifts. I have not been able to find them at Penney's for the last year or two. And I have not been able to find dense ones anywhere. Do not buy them if they are at all soft.
Lap Top Desks
The kids (including oldest) all have these and love them. I have been giving these as graduation gifts recently. Be sure to get the one with the cushion on the bottom.
GAMES
The pictures from below are from oldest and middle's collection. The ones on the striped rug are middle. The last picture is oldest. They play games with friends at their respective colleges. They played in high school too.
