america hot: Things I Wish I'd Brought to College

Oh, college. There are so many things I wish I'd known before I got here (like that everyone needs multiple room fans and that dorm decorating rules were made to be broken). One of the things that a lot of people overlook is intense dorm decoration. I mean going beyond just putting a few pictures up on the walls and tossing down a floor rug--INTENSE decoration. My room is sickeningly decorated, and it's the place that everyone gravitates to because it's just so inviting and happy. Anyways, I'm hosting some prospective freshmen next week, and I've been thinking about what they might ask me, and then I realized that there's a ton of stuff I wish I'd thought to bring with me to school.

PB Teen Cushy Lounge Collection, $179-$299 at pbteen.com, Printed Sablesoft Oversized Throw, $39.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com, Peace and Lonve Vinyl Shower Curtain, $14.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com: Floor seating is a must. There are only so many people that can fit on a bed before it gets ridiculous, and I'm one of those people who can't work on her bed without having trouble sleeping there later, but can't work at a desk because I tend to sit like a small child with my legs all over the place. I usually up end on the floor, which isn't exactly cozy. I'd kill for a floor couch like this PB Teen version. It doesn't take up too much space, it's not too heavy, so it's easy to move, and it looks really comfy but also sturdy, which is really important if you have crazy friends who like to jump all over things. You can't underestimate the utility of a throw blanket. They're amazing during the winter if your radiators fail at life, they're great during warmer months if you want to go and lie on the grassy quad, and they make said studying on the floor a lot comfier. I have a nice white blanket, but one in a fun print, like this zebra, would jazz up any room and hide the coffee stains that I inevitably accumulate on everything. Now, your showers will come with shower curtains. BUT they will be ugly and sad and probably ripped (my roommate has literally stapled ours back together about five times). I'd buy a cheap, fun shower curtain that actually works, and put that up instead. Don't worry, no one's going to steal it. They'll just love you for making that miserable shower experience a little more cheerful.

Victoria's Secret Boyfriend Pant, $34.50 at victoriassecret.com, Terry Hoodie Robe, $49.50 at victoriassecret.com, Foldover Yoga Pants, $34.50 at victoriassecret.com: I know it seems like comm0n sense, but bring cute sweat pants to college. Not so you can wear them to class or anything like that, but because I guarantee you, you will want to lounge around your room and study in sweats, and people will come barging in (inevitably, these people will include boys that you like), and since you're going to be wearing sweats, they may as well be cute. I like these Victoria's Secret sweats because they have a refreshingly boyish vibe, they're really comfy but not too oversized, and they're so, so fuzzy inside. A bathrobe is an absolute necessity. I live right next to the bathroom, so not having a bathrobe isn't the end of the world, but think about this: you're walking down the hallway struggling to hold a shower caddy, some extra towels, and holding up a towel around yourself, and then some of your hallmates come bursting out of a room because they've decided to play a spontaneous game of tag. That towel isn't going to stay up. A girly bathrobe is a much easier (and safer) option, and seriously adorable. The yoga pants are perfect for, well, yoga, gym visits on cold days, and days when you really just can't put on real pants to go to the dining hall for breakfast. They're a step up from sweats because they (from a distance) could be mistaken for actual clothing, but they're crazy comfortable.

Victoria's Secret Graphic Slides, $26.50 at victoriassecret.com, Bionair Ultrasound Personal Humidifier, $39.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com, Cuisinart Pink Compact Toasters, $29.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com: I think these sandals are hilarious. They look like those ADIDAS slides that guys wear all the time, which make me want to vomit, but in a stupidly girly way. I would totally use these as shower flip flops just as a joke. And they look super sturdy and practical, which is a plus when that shower floor is covered with unmentionable things. I'm not even exaggerating there. This is really random, but I really wish I had a humidifier. The winter air in Boston is SO dry, and when the air is dry my skin is dry, and then it gets oily, and then it breaks out, and then I stress about breaking out, and it's just a bad cycle. This humidifier is much cheaper than the vast number of yoga classes I would have to take to de-stress. I know toasters are so, so not allowed in dorms, but...I really want a toaster. I miss toast. I can't even explain how much I miss toast. I feel like if my toaster was tiny and pink, it couldn't do bad things like catch on fire. It's just too cute.

Glitzy Glam Large Quilted Damask Train Case, $26 at glitzy-glam.com, Sleep Better 2-Inch Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattress Topper, $74.99 down from $149.99 at amazon.com: I know this sounds silly, but traveling around school would be so much easier if I had a makeup train case. First off, they're just a practical, organized way to store all your makeup so it doesn't take up all your counter space, and second off, if you're spending the night at say, your sorority house, you won't have to toss all your beauty stuff in a giant tote bag and end up missing your toothbrush. Not cool. Plus, how adorable is that pink damask print? This mattress pad might be the best thing you buy all year. I have two mattress pads, and my bed is comparatively really comfy. However, my friend has a memory foam mattress pad, and OMG. It takes that nasty, rock hard school mattress and turns it into a cloud. They aren't cheap, but TRUST ME, they're worth it. You will sleep a million times better and if you use it a for a few years, it becomes more cost effective than repurchasing mattress pads every fall.

And for our totally random segment of the day, here are Reese Witherspoon, Emma Stone, and Dita von Teese. I think it's hilarious that Reese is wearing this adorable white dress and bathed in sunlight, and then totally looks like she's floating because of where her feet are on the sidewalk crossing. Emma Stone just looks adorable, if a little twee, and I WANT her hair. So badly. And then there's Dita. I'd bet my liver that that John Galliano has had something to do with that dress, and I love it. It's so ridiculously 'summertime in Versailles' but the cleavage and skinny straps keep the pannier skirt from being too crazy.