We all love those little inventions that seem so simple but make life so much easier.

Door Stops. Coat hangers. Keychains. The list goes on and on. And of course, with the hectic lives college students live, there are plenty of tools available for aid.

1. Brita Pitcher

The taste of most fountain water is much less than ideal, and that is being generous. Supply yourself with fresh, crisp water filtered in a Brita water pitcher for as low as $20! Especially useful in making coffee or tea.

They make skinny, smaller versions of the filter to easily fit in any dorm refrigerator.

2. Electric Kettle

Yet another great thing to have in the dorms; it heats water without using a microwave. Before getting my electric kettle, I used to heat my water for coffee, tea or noodles in 2 microwavable cups, then transfer the water to a bowl or larger cup.

An electric kettle can heat a large amount of water fast, easily and without a mess. Soup can also be heated in it, as an added convenience.

3. Bed Risers

Honestly, when I heard of these before college, I didn’t think I’d need them. But they are truly worth every cent (and they only cost about 10 bucks a set).

The extra space under your bed (which is probably pretty low anyway) adds a whole new storage unit to your room. Without them, my room would be simply cluttered instead of the organized chaos it is now.

Get some roll away containers or short, stackable drawers and put them under your bed for extra clothing or book storage.

4. Extra containers

Many people hate having clutter in their room so it’s always nice to have extra containers. But of course, being in college, we would rather have our stuff look nice.

Cigar boxes offer solid storage space for pens, stationary, etc and are easily stacked. Often, Cigar shops will give away empty boxes for free or many for a low price.

Many home improvement stores also sell colorful plastic stackable boxes; mesh shelves work well too.

5. HandVac

Never underestimate the importance of a vacuum. We aren’t at home anymore, and dirt we track into our rooms and crumbs that fall onto the floor don’t magically disappear when mom cleans the house.

A small vacuum takes up very little space, keeps the room fresh and won’t cost you a ton (I got mine for $15)!