21 Products That Reviewers Say They Used In College And Beyond

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We anticipation you emotion our recommendations! Some whitethorn person been sent arsenic samples, but each were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners whitethorn cod a stock of income and/or different compensation from the links connected this page.


These merit a diploma of their own.

1. A shower curtain with pockets — a existent space-saving fable you’ll beryllium gladsome you bought freshman year. In the dorms, it’ll clasp your endless shampoo bottles and face masks; successful your archetypal apartment, it mightiness postgraduate to vino bottles, kids’ bath toys, oregon adjacent a waterproof speaker. Trust me, it’s 1 of those “why doesn’t everyone ain this?” items.

Reviewer photograph  of the ablution  curtain holding assorted  toiletries

amazon.com

Promising review: "This is by acold 1 of the champion inventions EVER! So, I started getting these successful college alternatively of having ablution caddies—all the girls got a large pouch and tiny pouch —GREAT IDEA! Way little bulk and soap scum astir the ledges wherever mean caddies would get left. As determination was an other pocket, it was a large spot to enactment your telephone oregon adjacent a talker portion successful the ablution (our phones having waterproof cases, of course). Much similar different shower curtains, you tin conscionable lavation them successful the washer oregon by manus and they are similar new! This ace durable curtain tin beryllium utile if you person kids — you tin enactment their toys! Dogs? Put a dainty oregon tennis shot successful the pouch to support them occupied portion bathing them. Need immoderate idiosyncratic time? The ample pockets besides easy acceptable a vessel of vino and tin beryllium reached portion soaking successful the tub. I mean the uses for this happening are endless!" —Ms. Mary 

Get it from Amazon for $14.50.

Read my colleague's Maytex Quick Dry Pockets Shower Curtain review for much deets!

2. A acceptable of blackout curtains designed to crook “just 5 much minutes” into full-on hibernation. They’ll assistance you snooze done your 8 a.m.s present (oops) and support streetlights from ruining your REM cycles successful your aboriginal metropolis apartment. Extra perk: they besides muffle sound and assistance power the temperature, which means they’re pulling triple work for years to come.

amazon.com

If you don't privation to drill into the partition to instal curtains, we urge going with either a tension rod, Command hooks oregon brackets that link to existing blinds.

Promising review: "This is my 3rd clip buying these curtains, been utilizing them since assemblage apartments, and present bought them for our impermanent bedroom. Does a large occupation of blocking sunlight and much light. These pictures are of the grey curtains." —Edog

Get them from Amazon for $15.93+ (available successful a assortment of sizes and colors).

3. Some foam earplugs that'll beryllium the unsung leader of your backpack. They’ll prevention you from all-night parties successful the country adjacent door, rescue your sanity during red-eye flights, assistance you enactment focused successful the library, and supply sanctuary from immoderate aboriginal partners who snore similar chainsaws.

BuzzFeed Editor holding the receptor  plugs

Melanie Aman / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "I initially bought these to assistance during my assemblage exams successful a machine lab. The changeless clacking of keys and clicks of everyone's rodent was distracting me. I lone usage one, and it wholly drowned retired the dependable successful that ear. I started utilizing them erstwhile I slumber during the time (I enactment nights) and usage them successful some ears. It's silent. I can't perceive anything. These are good. I highly recommend. I besides person a kid who doesn't similar large noises, and she utilized them during a fireworks show. They didn't acceptable each the mode successful her receptor (I didn't unit them either) and she said they worked good for her." —JAS

Get a vessel of 50 earplugs from Amazon for $16.49.

4. A lap desk truthful your “desk” tin beryllium wherever you privation it to be. It’s a lifesaver for Netflix-fueled insubstantial penning successful bed. After graduation, it’s cleanable for play emails, crafting sessions, oregon balancing your tablet portion streaming a afloat play of your fave amusement successful 1 sitting.

the achromatic  marble table  with a built-in rodent  pad and telephone  holder

amazon.com

Promising reviews: "I bought this for college. You don’t ever privation to beryllium astatine a array oregon bar. It tin beryllium uncomfortable aft a play of time. You tin chill connected your sofa oregon recliner and usage this. It works great. I should’ve bought this a batch earlier." —David

"Going backmost to college has been a situation for maine moving 2 jobs and having 4 kids. This has made it truthful overmuch easier to sneak disconnected successful my country to bash my schoolhouse work!!!" —Ashley

Get it from Amazon for $33.24+ (available successful 9 colors).

5. A memory foam spot cushion that's fundamentally an apology missive to your tailbone. You’ll emotion it for marathon survey sessions now, and it’ll instrumentality with you for distant enactment days, agelong gaming sessions, oregon anytime you’re trapped successful a seat longer than you planned.

The cushion with a grey  removable cover

amazon.com

It's designed to relieve unit connected your tailbone, and reviewers accidental it's large for reducing little backmost pain.

Promising reviews: "I’m a assemblage student, and I conscionable moved not excessively agelong agone truthful a batch of my escaped clip is spent sitting successful my bureau seat (probably 10 hours a day). I person 1 of those gaming chairs that are truly common, and successful nary clip astatine all, the cushion decayed. This merchandise has revolutionized my chair, making it consciousness marque new. I volition astir apt proceed to bargain these implicit brand-new chairs each truthful often. This is cheaper and equally, if not more, effectual than buying a caller chair. 💯!" —cody

"I broke my tailbone and was successful excruciating symptom for implicit 4 months. I got this cushion erstwhile I archetypal broke it and was capable to beryllium down, and it was AMAZING. Seriously!!! It allowed my tailbone to heal due to the fact that it wasn’t pressed down connected erstwhile I sat down. It’s been implicit 6 months (still successful pain, but it’s mode little pain), and I usage it each azygous day. It got maine done immoderate of my studies arsenic a college student with mostly online classes. I present bring the cushion to the couch, meal table, etc. I urge this to radical without injuries, too. It has helped amended my posture truthful overmuch and takes distant the strain of trying to support a bully posture if you are injured oregon conscionable excessively bushed to beryllium up straight. Love this thing. Buy it, please." —Kel. C. 

Get it from Amazon for $45.99 (available successful six colors).

6. A power strip truthful you tin support each gadget, charger, and hairsbreadth appliance plugged successful astatine once. It’ll beryllium a dorm lifesaver erstwhile you’re sharing 2 outlets with a roommate — and successful your adjacent apartment, it’ll inactive beryllium the crushed your phone, laptop, lamp, and java shaper tin coexist.

the achromatic  circular powerfulness  strip, which has six outlets and 2  USB ports

Amazon

This powerfulness portion besides doubles arsenic a surge protector.

Promising reviews: "This is an fantabulous enactment for a dorm room. Dorm rooms mostly person constricted outlets, and colleges often person restrictions connected what types of hold cords are acceptable. This circular powerfulness portion works good nether a small desk, meets the residential hallway guidelines, and includes ports for straight charging phones and different devices. Perfect." —bsaucoin

"Y'all, I person had this happening since my freshman twelvemonth of assemblage (August of 2018) and I inactive person it!!!! It inactive works perfectly and I emotion it truthful so truthful so much! It’s an indispensable for me, and it fits anywhere; it’s large quality! They tin beryllium heavy, but I deliberation that’s a bully happening due to the fact that it isn’t amazingly dense successful weight. Great for the price, and the cord magnitude has ne'er been an contented for maine from the furniture oregon my desks in college! 5 stars each the way." —Gabrielle James

Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (also disposable successful black).

7. A swivel table chair which nails the saccharine spot betwixt comfortableness and style. It’ll marque late-night cram sessions consciousness little torturous, and erstwhile you’ve moved connected to your archetypal existent location office, you’ll beryllium gladsome you didn’t settee for the squeaky, lumpy alternative.

The achromatic  table  chair

Amazon

Promising review: "Excellent merchandise for a tenable price! The merchandise description/details were accurate. I americium a 61-year aged female, who enactment this unneurotic myself successful astir 45-minutes. It is lightweight, yet sturdy. I purchased this seat for my daughter, who is simply a assemblage pupil and studies agelong hours astatine the table. She confirms that the seat is truthful helpful! It looks nice, too." —Cheryl

Get it from Amazon for $129.99 (also disposable successful white).

8. A brace of blue light–blocking glasses to prevention your eyes from the endless hours of surface clip that assemblage beingness demands. They’ll transportation you done late-night effort edits, gaming breaks, and online lectures, past instrumentality astir for your archetypal table occupation erstwhile spreadsheets and Zoom calls are your caller professors.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Electronic devices emit a batch of bluish light, which your eyes bash a unspeakable occupation of blocking. Over time, bluish airy whitethorn strain your eyes and pb to macular degeneration, the starring origin of imaginativeness loss. Computer glasses that filter bluish airy tin assistance trim the magnitude of bluish airy you're exposed to, positive you don't request a medicine to deterioration them and they enactment adjacent if you're already wearing contacts.

Promising review: "I enactment astatine a occupation that requires maine to look astatine screens beauteous overmuch each day. I'm besides a assemblage pupil who takes my classes online and looks astatine my telephone regularly. I began getting progressively atrocious headaches and researched imaginable explanations. Constant bluish airy surface vulnerability was the astir apt for my circumstantial lifestyle. Since getting these glasses, my frequence and severity of headaches has gone wholly down from before. Not lone that, these glasses are adorable and tin acceptable conscionable astir immoderate look shape. Great prime and enactment wonderfully. Highly recommend." —Madison

Get them from Amazon for $11.19+ (available successful 34 colors and styles).

9. A cold brew maker present to single-handedly slash your java store spending. Freshman year, it’s your antidote to overpriced field lattes; later, it’s your concealed limb for Monday mornings erstwhile you’d alternatively rotation retired of furniture than rotation into a café line.

Diagram showing the three-step process   of utilizing the acold  brew maker

Amazon

It brews a quart (4 cups), truthful you should person capable java to get you done the time (and possibly immoderate near implicit to stock with your favourite coworker).

Promising review: "Bought this respective times. Originally recommended by a person and present we can’t unrecorded without it! So casual to usage and nary bitterness. Only occupation is we spell done the acold brew truthful accelerated I usually enactment it successful a abstracted pitcher truthful I tin commencement brewing the adjacent batch truthful we ne'er tally out!. We ended up utilizing it truthful overmuch I had to bargain my girl her ain to instrumentality to college. The pitcher is integrative and I was initially disappointed but it turns retired it is truthful overmuch amended successful integrative and casual to usage and clean." —OCMomEsq

Get it from Amazon for $24.14+ (available successful 2 sizes and 3 colors).

10. A white-noise machine for transforming chaotic dorm acoustics into a calming backdrop of rain, water waves, oregon gentle thunder. After graduation, it’ll support your slumber ineffable successful noisy flat buildings, during edifice stays, oregon adjacent successful your ain location erstwhile the neighbors get excessively chatty.

the achromatic  rectangular sound  instrumentality   connected  a nighttime  stand

amazon.com

It has six built-in slumber sounds — rain, brook, ocean, thunder, achromatic noise, and summertime nighttime — arsenic good arsenic an auto-off timer that you acceptable for 15, 30, oregon 60 minutes. Plus, it's lightweight and portable truthful you tin bring bully slumber with you anywhere.

Promising reviews: "This merchandise is astonishing arsenic I person conscionable moved into my assemblage apartment. It perfectly drowns retired the sound arsenic you tin set the measurement and alteration sounds depending connected which successful you like. Personally I bask the achromatic sound diagnostic and I permission it connected each night. I besides chose to plug it into an outlet since it comes with the plug and artifact but you whitethorn besides determine to usage batteries. If you usage batteries I suggest you permission it connected the timer mounting which allows for a 15,30, oregon 60 infinitesimal timer and past it volition automatically crook off. It’s been a crippled changer for my slumber and I highly recommend!!!" —Gianna Moraci

"I usage this each night! My roommate in college got maine hooked connected a rainfall instrumentality to assistance maine slumber and adjacent years later, I inactive person to person it to sleep! Great prime and awesome functionality." —amb0319

Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available successful 2 colors).

11. A genuinely ~egg-cellent~ rapid ovum cooker you tin number connected to marque a delicious meal hap successful literal minutes. You’ll trust connected it for speedy macromolecule earlier people now, past support it successful rotation for speedy brunches, packed mornings, oregon lazy Sunday omelets good into adulthood.

Reviewer photograph  of poached eggs connected  an English muffin

amazon.com

Promising review: "I got 1 arsenic a acquisition successful college, and my roommates and I ate truthful galore eggs passim the engaged year, and I decided to get a 2nd 1 for my mom. When we graduated, my erstwhile roommate said she besides got one. Once you person one, you can't spell back. It's truthful utile if you privation a speedy snack oregon summation to a meal, particularly erstwhile you're engaged with different things." —Joanne Ahn

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available successful 2 sizes and 7 colors).

Check retired our Dash Rapid Egg Cooker review for much deets!

12. A heavy-duty alarm clock that tin *shake* you awake erstwhile your willpower won’t. Ideal for making definite you ne'er miss an exam, and arsenic invaluable years aboriginal erstwhile you person to drawback an aboriginal formation oregon log successful for a 7 a.m. meeting.

The circle-shaped clock

amazon.com

Promising reviews: "I got this for my son, who is specified a heavy sleeper. He's astatine assemblage present and there's nary 1 to aftermath him up 10x each morning, conscionable to autumn backmost asleep. He texted maine this greeting and said that it was incredible! Said 5 units distant from his flat decently heard it, but it works!" —Katheryn Webster

"This is the champion alarm timepiece I person yet to own. I americium a college student and determination person been times erstwhile I would slumber done my alarms and would miss class. I tried antithetic methods, similar changing up my alarm and mounting 1 acold away. I adjacent utilized an alarm app that made maine lick mathematics problems to crook it off, but that failed due to the fact that I would conscionable delete the app successful my slumber to unopen it up. This alarm timepiece has been a lifesaver successful making definite I aftermath up successful clip for class. It ever startles maine awake and gets my bosom racing, truthful I don't adjacent consciousness similar going backmost to sleep. I similar however it has the enactment for you to take the transportation of your alarm if you take to usage the noise.

If you are a dense sleeper, person occupation getting up successful the morning, and person a hazard of sleeping done your alarm, this is the alarm timepiece for you!"Thomas R

Get it from Amazon for $43.99 (available successful six colors).

13. A mug warmer present to rescue your java from the destiny of going lukewarm mid-sip. In college, it’ll beryllium your table mate during late-night cram sessions; later, it’ll support you caffeinated and blessed done endless meetings oregon cozy weekends staying successful and reading.

coffee mug that features the New York skyline sitting connected  the achromatic  mug warmer

amazon.com

This mug warmer does *not* person an auto-off feature, truthful we urge besides getting an auto-off outlet if you're prone to forgetting to unplug things.

Promising review: "I bought 1 of these earlier I went to college. It's been astir 10 years and it's inactive going strong. I usage it astir each time astatine enactment and person utilized it beauteous consistently implicit the past decade. No issues whatsoever with overheating (even erstwhile I accidentally permission it connected for longer than planned), and it keeps my drinks perfect. I besides person 1 of those cute small robust teapots, and it keeps that happening perfectly lukewarm for hours and hours. When (if?) excavation dies, I volition decidedly bargain another. I got my grandma a overmuch much costly 1 from Sharper Image, and it doesn't support things astir arsenic warm, and it randomly shuts itself disconnected each hr oregon so. This 1 isn't flashy, but it's decidedly a large elemental small gadget." —Alison

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

14. A three-tier rolling cart that turns “where bash I stash each my stuff?” into “dang, I’m yet organized.” It’ll corral your dorm toiletries, snacks, and mini-fridge essentials now, and aboriginal cruise beside your chamber dresser, clasp your room gadgets, oregon adjacent enactment arsenic a mobile bureau triage presumption during those aboriginal WFH days. Featuring a sturdy metallic frame, mesh-bottom bins, and creaseless swivel wheels, it'll ~roll close along~ with your beingness arsenic it changes. 

Rolling cart with skincare products, hairsbreadth  tools, a plant, books, and a paper  deck. Placed by a window, the cart organizes quality   and self-care items

Promising review: "I got this merchandise to usage successful my dorm country in college, and I emotion it! It is not excessively large for the space, and it fits everything perfectly. It was ace casual to assemble, and it is casual to determination astir erstwhile I request to rearrange things. Definitely recommend, particularly for college use!" —Olivia Conk

Get it from Amazon for $34.17+ (available successful 4 colors). 

15. A microwave pasta cooker guaranteed to instrumentality you from bare to carb-loaded without dirtying fractional the kitchen. It’ll spot you done dorm dinners *and* those nights erstwhile you conscionable privation comfortableness nutrient without the full boiling-water ordeal.

Amazon, youtube.com

Read our Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker review for more!

Promising review: "When I archetypal bought these, I was successful the presumption wherever I needed to navigator each of my meals successful a assemblage dorm without a room and with limitations connected which types of appliances I could purchase. I had a microwave, a toaster oven, a java maker, and a blender.

Needless to say, this microwavable pasta shaper saved my beingness successful college.

I cooked pasta (and ravioli/tortellini!) for astir each of my meals, and this small instrumentality made that process SO casual for me, AND could clasp a hefty fewer servings of pasta connected apical of that! I conscionable filled it with arsenic overmuch pasta arsenic I needed to prepare, filled with water, added a splash of olive lipid to forestall sticking, and my pasta was done successful minutes! No waiting for a cookware to boil, nary needing to acceptable a timer to debar forgetting astir your pasta, nary request for a abstracted cookware and strainer, AND it was ace casual to clean." —Brenda Pelletier

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

16. A memory foam mattress topper for transforming a dorm-issued slab into a furniture you really privation to slumber in. And erstwhile you’ve moved, it’ll travel you to your archetypal apartment, impermanent room, oregon anyplace a small other cloud-like comfortableness is needed.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising reviews: "I was successful hunt of a mattress topper erstwhile moving disconnected to assemblage and this 1 has satisfied each of my needs. It has conscionable the close magnitude of firmness and softness allowing for a bully nights sleep. After placing this mattress topper connected apical of my hard mattress, I nary longer experienced restless nights of sleep. I would highly urge this merchandise if you are moving into a dorm oregon apartment." —Brynlee Urbantke

"AMAZING! It slides astir a small spot and that’s the lone con. I got it for assemblage and it’s truthful astonishing I’m getting 1 for my furniture astatine location portion I’m determination successful the summertime too. Very comfy and soft, I was disquieted but I’m gladsome it worked retired precisely however I wanted it." —Liz K.

Get a two-inch topper from Amazon for $39.99+ (available successful sizes twin–California king arsenic good arsenic a three-inch-thick version).

17. A velvety brushed microfiber duvet acceptable to gain imperishable presumption successful your bedding lineup. You’ll emotion it for movie nights successful your dorm present (and utilizing it to marque your furniture for years to come).

the achromatic  quilted comforter

Amazon

Promising reviews: "I bought this comforter for my lad for assemblage and it is perfect! It's mean warmth, precise brushed and fluffy. Exactly what I was looking for. The quadrate stitching keeps the stuffing perfectly successful place. My favourite diagnostic is the loops connected the corners that necktie to a duvet screen to support the comforter from shifting. I loved this comforter truthful much, I ordered 1 for my different lad and americium going to bid 1 for each different furniture successful the house. An astonishing find! Love everything astir it!" —Sonja M. Ocker

"Bought it for my daughter’s college apartment. She perfectly loves it! Super comfortable! Not excessively warm. Perfect!! She wants to bargain different for her furniture astatine location for erstwhile she visits! :)" —Shannon D. 

Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available successful sizes twin–California king and six colors). 

18. A combination lipid diffuser and humidifier for erstwhile your dorm smells… lived in. It’ll marque your aerial fresher, your country calmer, and your slumber amended — and you’ll support it for each aboriginal location that needs a small temper and moisture boost.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I bought this arsenic a acquisition for my teenage daughter, and she loves it! I besides purchased a acceptable of indispensable oils. The scent is precise light, not excessively beardown and precise spa like. I similar to get it whenever I instrumentality a blistery bath. The colors are beauteous and makes it highly pleasing to the eye. I present privation to acquisition 1 for myself, particularly since I cognize she volition beryllium taking it with her erstwhile she leaves for college!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available successful 3 colors).

19. A Brita h2o dispenser proving staying hydrated doesn’t person to mean hauling 24-packs of integrative bottles up 3 flights of stairs. You’ll admit it successful the dorms, and adjacent much successful your ain room years aboriginal erstwhile cold, cleanable h2o is conscionable a fridge-door propulsion away.

a reviewer photograph  of the pitcher connected  a table

This comes with 1 filter to commencement off, but you'll request to drawback much filters yet due to the fact that it's recommended to regenerate the filter each 2 months. Plus, Brita's filters person been certified by the Water Quality Association, truthful you cognize you're getting the champion of the champion erstwhile it comes to h2o filters. 

Promising review: "Originally bought this for my college dorm erstwhile my roommate suggested we get one. I loved it for that twelvemonth and continued to usage it present that I unrecorded successful an apartment. I anticipation to usage this pitcher for arsenic agelong arsenic I can! Its size is perfect for 1 oregon 2 radical (not truthful overmuch a family). Refilling is casual and you request to bargain a caller filter each mates of months but that is expected. Great buy." —Morgan

Get it from Amazon for $31.48+ (available successful 3 styles and 3 colors).

20. A immense backpack laundry bag that lets you transport a week’s (or two’s) worthy of apparel without breaking your back. Great for laundry country treks successful college, and conscionable arsenic useful for trips to the laundromat oregon packing up linens arsenic a grown-up.

Reviewer wearing the bluish  backpack laundry bag

Review photograph  of the yellowish  backpack laundry bag

Promising review: "I deliberation that this was 1 of the champion purchases I made for college. But this could beryllium utilized for immoderate benignant of having to transport laundry to a antithetic determination than conscionable your dorm country oregon your apartment. It has lasted maine 2 years and has carried and acceptable astir 2 weeks' worthy of laundry without dropping oregon ripping. I besides enjoyed having the pouch successful the beforehand to store laundry detergent pods arsenic good arsenic dryer sheets and different laundry-related items successful bid to beryllium hands-free to propulsion elevator buttons, unfastened doors, oregon transportation my telephone among different things. It has a small spot of deterioration and teardrop present due to the fact that it has been utilized and somewhat abused passim the past 2 years (all the other washing of apparel owed to COVID and stuff) and has continued to clasp up, truthful overmuch truthful that I could usage it adjacent twelvemonth if I didn't person washer and drying successful my flat itself. Great Buy!" —Nitya

Get from Amazon for $15.99+ (available successful 12 colors).

21. A brace of hybrid over-ear headphones present to crook immoderate noisy dorm hallway into a idiosyncratic survey bubble. With up to 60 hours of foodstuff (40 with sound cancelling on) and fast-charging that gives you 4 hours of playback from conscionable 5 minutes plugged in, they’re a nonnegotiable for late-night cramming (and they’re not going anyplace erstwhile you commencement making caffeine-fueled commutes).

amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: "I bought my college-age lad a brace of these, and helium liked them truthful much, I bought myself a brace and I’m gladsome I did. I usage them mostly astatine the gym and the dependable prime is precise good. They are comfy to deterioration and person a precise bully artillery life. The sound cancelling mode is great, knocking retired astir of the inheritance sound you hear, truthful I’m not blasting them truthful loud. They are besides well-made and sturdy. Would recommend!" —Gregory M

Get them from Amazon for $39.99 (available successful 4 colors). 

Reviews for this station person been edited for magnitude and/or clarity. 

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