One of the toughest things about going away to college is getting a roommate, and having to learn how to adjust to the way a stranger lives. This is especially difficult if you love staying up all hours of the night, and you get stuck with a roomie who prefers to be snoring before midnight. Luckily, there are a few dorm essentials for night owls that will make the transition a little easier, which is good, considering dorm rooms are typically small and cramped, meaning you can hear each other doing everything. Maybe you'll get lucky, and live with someone who can sleep through anything, but chances are, you'll get someone who gets sick of your routine after a few weeks.
You shouldn't have to change your entire schedule to fit someone else's, but being respectful of what your roomie does is common courtesy, and will make sharing that space a whole lot easier. Luckily, there are some products you can buy that will make this simple. They'll allow you to stay up watching TV, doing homework, or just scrolling through Tumblr, while your roomie can sleep soundly and happily right next to you.
So if you're winding down your college shopping, don't finish until you check out this list! Here are 10 items every night owl absolutely must bring to college. Trust me — you'll thank me later.
1. Headphones
Headphones are obviously a necessity in any dorm room situation, but especially if you plan on staying up late. If you want to binge watch your favorite series until the wee hours of the morning, use these headphones. They're actually made with females in mind, and they're incredibly comfy.
Skullcandy Knockout Headphones, $99.99, Skullcandy
2. A Notti Light
A Notti light connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and lights up when you have notifications. You can control what you want it to show, whether it's texts, new mail, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter... or all of them. The Notti is great, because it lets you put your phone on silent, and instead of striving to hear it vibrate, you'll just know you got a notification when it flashes. You can make each notification a different color, too, so you'll know whether it's a text or just an Instagram notification. The light isn't super bright, so it should be less disturbing than a text message noise.
Notti Smart Light, $49.99, Witti Design
3. A Lamp That Clips Onto Your Bunk Bed
If you need more light than just a book light, get a lamp that clips onto your bed. Sure, it gives off more light, but sometimes you need it!
Basic Student Clip Lamp, $9.99, DormCo
4. An Alarm Clock
If you're staying up all night long, I'm assuming you have trouble waking up in the morning. Get yourself an alarm clock. This one works as both a speaker and a dock for your phone.
iHome iBT22 Bluetooth Bedside Dual Alarm Clock, $49.99, Kohl’s
5. A Coffee Machine
I'm also going to go ahead and assume that if you're a night owl, you love coffee. If that's the case, make sure you can make it in the comfort of your own dorm room. A Keurig is the easiest thing to use.
Keurig K10 Mini Plus Single Serve Brewer, $79.99, Macy’s
6. A Lap Desk
If you're up all night on your tablet in bed, get this lap desk. It will hold your tablet so you don't have to, and it's an excellent place to put the snacks you will definitely be eating.
iBed Lap Desk, $19, Kikkerland
7. A Lap Pillow For Your Tablet
If you're like, "uhh, I don't want a lap desk — that sounds uncomfortable," then get yourself a tablet pillow. It holds your tablet, and it feels super comfy.
Tablet Comfort Lap Pillow, $14.99, DormCo
8. A Flashlight
Sometimes you have to search for something in the dark, and your iPhone flashlight just doesn't cut it. It's worth getting a small flashlight that is a whole lot brighter, and therefore more helpful.
Flat Light Flashlight, $5.95, DormCo
9. String Lights
String lights make for an awesome decoration, but they're also great for night owls because they give off some nice lighting without being too much of a distraction to the sleeping roomie next to you.
White Cord Globe String Lights, $34, Urban Outfitters
10. A Nap Zapper
OK, this is hilarious, but also kind of amazing. The "Nap Zapper" gives you a little jolt when it notices you nodding off in class. Will you look silly? Probably. Will it help you get a better grade? Totally possible.
Nap Zapper, $7.89, DormCo
Images: Keirsten Marie/Flickr
