So, it’s September, and school is finally in session. Many of us have just moved into brand new apartments, complete with kitchens full of utensils we don’t know how to use, broken screen doors, creepy laundry rooms, ancient air-conditioning, and balconies that are home to baby pigeons (oh, maybe that’s just my apartment complex). Regardless, your first apartment is an exciting time but it’s easy to forget all kinds of little things. Here’s a few key essentials to help ensure comfortable apartment living (a.k.a. things I don’t have but really wish I did!):

A really good hand vacuum. It sounds lame, but trust me, this will come in handy when there’s crumbs in a little crevice between the couch and the chair. I recommend a Dirt Devil.

A George Foreman grill. This is the ultimate all-purpose kitchen appliance for those like me who can’t cook. You can make sandwiches, grill chicken or vegetables or pretty much anything in a couple minutes, and it takes up minimal counter space and is easy to clean. Check out this one which also is pretty wallet-friendly.

Lysol Disinfectant Spray. It may not seem necessary, but it definitely is. There’s no way of knowing who or what was on that apartment furniture before you had it. Plus, there’ll always be times when your apartment isn’t spotlessly clean and someone announces they’re coming over in 5 minutes.

A toolkit. And a real one, not one of those girl-ified little pink ones. Things will break, and you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench around if you don’t want to wait for hours for the landlord handyman to come around.

Plenty of picture frames. In an apartment full of girls, you can never really have enough frames for all the hundreds of pictures you'll be bringing with you and taking throughout the school year! Amazon has a great selection.