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I asked 13 people about the things they have carried from college into adulthood –and found their modern day equivalents
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One of the highlights of the summer before college was trotting off to my local Linens N Things to outfit my new home, a triple dorm room in the Little Building at Emerson College in Boston. Armed with a list of must-haves and strongly suggested essentials, I filled a shopping cart with a lot of stuff I’d use immediately (jersey twin XL sheets) and stuff that I’d eventually throw away after four years (the very same sheets, useless after college when you will never see a twin XL bed again.)
Most, if not all, of the stuff I bought didn’t make it out of Boston, save for a pop-up laundry hamper that did a tour of duty in San Francisco, surviving three moves in four years, before being relegated to its final resting place, the garbage can.
But not all college buys need to be destined for the dumpster. For some graduates, items they bought to get through college have not only carried them well into adulthood, they have inadvertently turned into some of their most-cherished things. We asked college grads from 27 to 57 about the things they bought, loved and still use today, from the ubiquitous under-bed storage to a box that perfectly fits a deck of tarot cards.
And, in some cases when the exact items they’ve shared weren’t always available, we recommended alternatives that we think measure up to the original.
I don’t know that I picked this out myself because I’m not a paisley girl, but when shopping for school, I remember my mom and I were really fixated on items that would be warm and cozy because I was traveling so far up north for the first time.
I wouldn’t say it’s special, but it’s one of those items that has just endured a lot of high and low moments. I was under that blanket when I got pulled out of my dorm room by EMTs because of bad pneumonia. That blanket was on the couch of the first apartment I shared with my husband. It was cozy and nice but not so nice that I felt like I couldn’t use it. I lay it out on the floor to make a little bed for my daughter to watch TV sometimes. Or if it’s cold, I’ll wrap it around my legs. If it starts to smell too much like my dogs and becomes un-cleanable, I will replace it.
My item is … an under-bed storage drawer.
These two items I bought in college thinking they were gonna be kind of stupid but have ended up being incredibly useful through my adult life! I used to use this as under-bed storage and have since purchased a table top for it to use as bathroom storage/table. The step stool is pretty self-explanatory but has especially come in handy for hanging curtains and new light fixtures (which 18-year-old me would have never imagined!)
I’d say neither is particularly mind blowing but I wasn’t aware of the importance that long-lasting practical items would have on my life until I entered the real world. I moved four times in college (all in dorms) and three times since graduating (twice cross country) and both of these items have stayed with me the entire time. I currently use the rack for bathroom storage and have since purchased another for extended hall closet storage. I probably would only replace the step stool if I found one that was equally sturdy, but 10,000x more chic.
My item is … a bright yellow, pink and blue ENO DoubleNest Hammock.
I picked out my hammock from a local outdoor store for my 19th birthday in August 2015. It was right before my sophomore year started. During my first year on campus, I noticed students using hammocks everywhere, so I wanted to try one for myself.
