Wondering what items to share with your roommate in college? Lucky for you, this post will give you some commonly shared dorm items!
Getting accepted into college is the hardest step of getting into college. The next one is finding the perfect apartment or dorm. Then, you finally find the perfect roommates.
Whether you are living in a dorm or an apartment, there are so many everyday items to share with your roommate.
Here is a list of items to share with roommates whether it’s an apartment or dorm room!
17 Everyday Items To Share With Your Roommate
Why should I share my precious items with my roommate that I barely know?
To save money, of course! Most people have roommates to save money, but you can also save even more money by sharing some items. There’s no need to have two of every single item, especially for rooms such as the kitchen and living room.
1. Television
Want to watch Netflix in the living room? Or want to watch television in your dorm? Share a television with your roommate!
A small Smart flat-screen television is perfect for a dorm or small apartment.
Watching television with your roommate is another way to bond, especially with shows, such as The Bachelorette/Bachelor or any Shondaland show!
2. Mini Refrigerator
If you are in a dorm room, then you NEED to get a mini-refrigerator. It is one of the most valuable and common shared college dorm items. Freshmen do not have kitchens in their dorm rooms, so cooking is a hassle.
Buying a mini-refrigerator is ideal because you can store all your snacks and all the food you snuck out of the dining hall. You also do not need two mini-refrigerators.
No matter how much you think that you and your roommate will overfill the refrigerator, you most likely won’t (especially if you regular it weekly and actually eat the food in there).
3. Coffee Maker
Another perfect item to share with your roommate is a quality coffee maker. Instead of spending $5 a day on coffee at Starbucks or at the local campus coffee shop, make your own coffee.
All you have to do is set it the night before or once you wake up and turn it on. You do not need to know how much money I wasted on coffee during my first year.
DO NOT WASTE MONEY BUYING COFFEE EVERY DAY.
Make that coffee and tell your roommate to do the same! The coffee maker below is the exact one I used to survive 5 week online classes this past summer.
I used an iced coffee recipe I found on Starbucks ‘ website and cut my coffee spending tremendously.
Related: 25 Things I Wish I Knew Before College
4. Microwave
I think I used a microwave more than anything else during my freshman year of college. Microwaves are commonly shared dorm items for freshmen and even for students living in apartments.
As students, we are so busy that we do not have time to cook or do a lot of prepping. There are days when you want to microwave something and relax. Trust me, I do this a lot.
Obviously, you don’t need to buy two microwaves. It’ll just take up too much space and is ridiculous to have two. Just share and clean it. Simple.
5. Textbooks
If you take a class with your roommate (or anyone you know), you both can split the price of your textbooks.
At my university, most students in dorms have similar majors or start out with taking general ed classes.
Splitting the costs for textbooks is one of the best ways to save money on textbooks.
Freshmen have so many opportunities to split the costs because most live in dorms and can easily find others who have similar classes with them.
Related: The Ultimate Dorm Packing List
6. Dishes and Utensils
The last thing you’ll want is to have a ton of dishes to carry with you during move-in day.
Bring a few plates and pans, but for items like a crockpot or anything like it, try to split the cost with your roommate.
It’s likely that you both are going to use it. These dishes are gorgeous!
7. Gaming Consoles/DVD Players
Gaming consoles can be pretty steep for most students. If your roommate loves playing games or happens to have one, then you two can share. It is also a great bonding activity to see what games they like to play.
8. Streaming Services
This is the top item you should ALWAYS spilt with a roommate!
There are so many streaming services out there and buying all of them isn’t the best for our bank accounts. I share a few services with my roommates and friends.
Several people can be on most streaming services at once so everyone can chip in the price. If you do not share the costs with any other item, then at least split the price of Netflix or Disney Plus will your roommates.
Get Amazon Prime so you can stream everything that is included with Amazon Prime Video!
9. Fan
Unfortunately, some dorms do not have sufficient heating and air conditioning.
If you need a fan, then try splitting the costs with your roommate. Besides, you both will need it.
These ones are the best.
10. Printer
Sometimes printing on campus can be so unpredictable and costly. I recommend sharing a printer with a roommate and sharing the cost.
Printing ink can get so expensive.
I had to give up my printer during my freshman year due to how expensive the ink was, and it was more of a hassle at the time to find some.
Meanwhile, on the first floor of my dorm, there was free printing. But as a senior, I’d love to have my own printer because a LOT OF free printing on campus does not include color ink.
Anyway, if you get a printer, share!
Related: 80 Questions To Ask Your Roommate Before Moving In
11. Broom and Dustpan
Next, a broom and dustpan are the top cleaning supplies to share with a roommate.
Cleaning supplies are going to be the easiest items to share with your roommate because your living area is going to be cleaned.
12. Rugs
Decorations, like a rug, are another item to share with your roommate. It is also a great way to have a cohesive decor style. Rugs are also pretty versatile. You can have one for the kitchen, walking into the apartment/dorm, outside, and in other areas.
Share rugs that are going to be placed in shared living areas.
13. Curtains
Pick out a nice set of curtains for you and your roommate to share.
Spend a day picking out a pair of curtains that you both like! Then, share the cost of them.
14. Laundry Detergent
Sundays are laundry days! Laundry detergent is one of the top items my roommate and I share.
It is also expensive to buy. We share the cost of laundry items because of how high it can get to buy laundry detergent, laundry beams, fabric softener, and dryer sheets.
15. Trash Can
Obviously, someone should pick to bring a trash can or trash cans.
You both are going to share the trashcan.
Another thing to do is figure out who will take out the trash on some days or whose responsibility is it to take it out.
16. Cooking Utensils
For my students moving into apartments, you should totally share cooking utensils. It’s important when sharing cooking utensils to use them correctly and wash them to prevent clutter and stains.
Some cooking utensils that you can share are pots, pans, forks, and spoons, etc.
When moving into your apartment, make sure that you both know the rules of using certain cooking utensils to avoid disagreements and disputes.
Related: The Only College Grocery Shopping List You’ll Need
17. Any Furniture
Finally, the most obvious item or items that you all should share is furniture. This should be simple. Share furniture with your roommate that you are comfortable sharing!
If you have something valuable, then I’d advise you to not share them.
17 Items To Share With Your Roommate in College – Conclusion
Thank you for reading this ultimate list if items to share with your roommate in college.
Other Posts You May Want To Read:
Leave a Reply