Whether to help you wake up for class in the morning or stay up studying late into the night, coffee is a college student’s best friend. And what better way to bond with your roommate than to enjoy a fresh cup together from your shared dorm room coffee maker?

If you just want a single cup, you can use a pour-over coffee maker to save on electricity or a single-serve machine to minimize cleanup. When it’s several cups or a whole pot you need, you can use a French press or drip machine. Some coffee makers, like an automatic drip coffee maker or an auto espresso machine, have timers you can set to have a fresh brew waiting for you when you wake up or return from class.

With the dining hall right there in the dorm and cafés and restaurants close by, there’s no need for each of you to have separate flatware and dinnerware. Get a small set of dishes, glasses, and utensils to share, and clean whatever you use right after your meal.

Dorm rooms are messy enough without multiple trash cans taking up room. Reduce the mess by sharing a trash can and trash takeout duties. Lidless trash cans are fun for making shots with your crumpled-up notes, while trash cans with lids can help you keep the room looking better. Lidded trash cans come with step-on, manual, swing-top, or motion-sensing mechanisms to easily lift the top.

While you’re focusing on school and your social life, your dorm room can get pretty messy (even with a great trash can). This is where a vacuum cleaner comes in handy. Vacuums can take up a lot of space, though, and dorm rooms are small, so all you really need is one per room. You can find corded and cordless vacuums and choose between upright, stick, and canister models.

Keep your dorm room cool with a shared fan. Dorm rooms are generally small enough that a single fan will keep you both cool, especially if placed in front of a shared window. And a tower fan or pedestal fan will fit easily into your space.

There’s not much floor space in a typical dorm room, but by sharing an area rug, you can make your space look stylish and cohesive. As a bonus, you’ll keep your feet cozy while pacing as you memorize facts for a test or plot your next paper. Rugs come in a variety of patterns and materials such as jute, cotton, and polypropylene. You can also choose between different piles, such as shag, braided, or flatweave.

Though you’ll probably want your own hampers and won’t split laundry washing duties, there are a few clothing care items that you can share. Drying racks, irons, and ironing boards are all items that will help you and your clothes looking sharp.

Dorm rooms don't tend to have much space for furniture. Sure, you may each need your own desk chair, but if each of you also gets your own lounge seating, bookcase, and shelves, there could be little room left in your dorm room for a path through the furniture. Instead, combine your tastes and your limited dollars for some shared furniture you'll both use.

College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and your roommate is one of the people you’ll likely become closest to. Sharing certain dorm room essentials can help you bond while spending less, so you can both focus on the real work that leads to graduation day.