7 Must-Have Pieces Of Furniture You Need To Be Successful

By Timothy Hayes on July 31, 2015

This article is brought to you by CORT, a subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway and the world’s largest furniture rental and relocation services company. To learn more about how we can help college students like you, click here.

This school year’s going to be another tough year for most of us. Maybe it’s your first or it could be your last, but whatever the case, you’re going to need things to get you by this school year.

Your apartment’s probably crammed with all kinds of imaginative college DIY creations and thrift shop treasures, but some of you might be missing out on some great ideas to make sure you’re a more successful student this year.

Here are some ideas for important college furniture to have in your apartment.

1. A dry erase marker board. This is the most used item in my personal apartment. Experience from as early as I can remember has taught me that a marker board is essential for planning. The flexibility of the medium makes this tool able to visualize homework problems that escape you, plan out a week of work, jot down important numbers and names when on the phone, and dozens of other helpful odds and ends.

You could even leave inspirational quotes up every week. Mount a large one on the wall by hanging it on nails or screws to allow you to take it down when you need a brainstorming space. Remember to snap a photo of any important info on it before you erase it all.

2. A good solid chair. This sounds like a no-brainer, but studying should not be taken lying down. The merits of a solid chair on which to sit when doing homework or studying cannot be exaggerated. Sitting down with a straight back can increase your determination to get work done. The chair should be solid so it won’t creak or move around too much as you work.

This should be your chair to work on so the added sensation of hard surface will add a mental cue that it’s time to get work done.

3. A desk to go with it. This is absolutely necessary. This is the quintessential piece of college furniture. I don’t mean a simple lap desk to set your laptop on while you lounge on a lazy boy.

Image by Jeff Sheldon via Unsplash

I mean a big desk you can spread your material out on. With it should be drawers and organizers. The drawers you can fill with scrap paper and pens. Get a file organizer, horizontal or vertical, your choice. Get that desk a mug of pens and pencils to boot. Fill one corner with your papers so you can grab them as needed. Set your laptop off to one side on an angle so you can grab it if you need, but keep the center clear for working. Make sure to set it by a window and include a lamp for when the sun goes down.

4. Bookshelf. You’re going to have quite a few heavy tomes for your school year. Depending on your major you may find yourself pouring through classics of British literature, hefty math textbooks, or music theory books. Whatever your major, you’re going to need the shelf space to hold all the books you’re going to have to buy for your courses. Look at the number you’re going to have to buy, the size, and the weight. From that you should be able to estimate the size and quality of the shelving unit you need. A word of warning, big books belong on shelves below head level and preferably below waist level. Your head and toes will be grateful.

5. Small filing cabinet. This is useful for all kinds of organization. More often seen in an office, these pieces of college furniture serve endless utility for storing old homework, books you’re done with, but need to sell, and a useful stash of much needed treats for the long haul of finals week. This can be placed under your desk just out of your leg room.

Otherwise, set it up next to the bookshelf to keep it out of walking space. Make sure the drawers are facing your desk though for easy access to your store of emergency chocolate for your study break.

6. A bulletin board. This is a great addition to your desk set up. Posting this above or to the side of your desk will let you pin up important documents and materials to see later. These can be great for calendars, pictures of friends or family, and notes to yourself for later. They can immensely increase your organization by lifting your mess of papers up off the desk surface and placing them where you can easily see them. This piece of college furniture is simply a must.

7. A dartboard. Or your choice of similar distraction. Let’s face it: studying for hours on end is draining. Sometimes you just need to unwind.

Image via Pixabay

Darts are a great way to do that since it takes a bit of concentration on a new subject. Mindless tasks can be debilitating, sending a signal to your brain to give up, but with a dartboard, if you want a bulls eye, you’ve got to aim for it. A dartboard, Nerf gun, or a mini basketball hoop are great ways to let out the aggravation of staring at your textbook for hours and not getting anywhere.

Looking for a more convenient way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Rent stylish furniture from CORT and save time and money. For more information on furniture rental packages, click here.

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