OT College Dorm Shopping

[soFIERCE08]

is anyone else totally overwhelmed?

i see so much stuff that i like but i don't know how much of it i'll need.

tips? tricks? general advice? helppppp!

 

[marissa.d]

oh i am in the exact same boat right now!
any advice would be SO appreciated!

 

[ellie]

so im not in college but my cousin is and i asked her about it and she said to for sure get a mattress pad to go over your mattress because the mattresses are often really thin there.

 

[cheerislove8]

Are you going to a local school or traveling? Do you know who your roommate is yet? Obviously, you don't want to be lugging stuff cross country if you are going far, but if you are rooming with someone that lives close to the school, you could always ask if you could ship some stuff to their house early then just have them bring it on move in day. That's what my sisters roommate did and it saved her so much time and effort! Make sure you are in good communication with your roommate about what you already both have and what you will need, then you can figure out who will buy what and if you can wait to buy it after you move in. Good luck!

 

[Deleted member 1556]

Get those little clear drawers on wheels: you can put clothes food, towels, whatever in them and they can fit under your bed! Also make sure you get a lot of towels-you can never have too many, and you'll end up losing a bunch any way. -brotheroflive2cheer10

 

[ashscott41]

I'm going to pharmacy school in kind of a weird program so I never actually lived in a dorm, but have lived in a house with two other girls for a few years now. These are things I've learned from friends in a dorm:
1) You'll need lots of the same stuff no matter where you live (sheets, towels, clothes, alarm clock, etc). Think back to a standard day of high school and remember what you used on a daily basis. Take all of that!
2) Most dorms give you the same furniture (2 beds, 2, desks, 2 dressers/chairs). Sit down with your roommate and draw out sample arrangements of how you want your stuff to be in your room (or do it in photoshop or excel and email it back and forth if you don't know your roommate). During this time, read your housing rules and see if you can save space by raising or lofting your beds. Having a plan will help save you (and your parents) lots of time/frustration during move-in day. Depending on how much you want to move the furniture, those plastic slider things might be helpful.
3)Also with your roommate make a list of the big things you will need (fridge, microwave, coffee maker, TV/wall-mount, rug, etc). Then for like a week ask family members if they have any of those things that they would give or sell to you. If you know anyone moving they might be getting rid of the things you need! Also if you know anyone moving ask for their boxes when they're done. After that, go back to the list of what you still need and try to split the costs as evenly as possible.
4) You are going to college to get an education. Yes it is an extremely fun time and I've loved every second of it, but school is still the whole reason for going. Keeping an organized calendar is essential. Hang one on the wall to share with the roomie so you know when her tests are because she will likely be waking you up when she comes in from the library at 2 AM. Keep one for yourself in your bag so you always have it with you. You will constantly be scheduling meetings with professors, club events, study sessions, and coffee dates with friends. I seriously cannot stress the importance of a planner (PB teen and Lilly Pulitzer make adorable ones). Also remember school supplies (binders, pens, note cards, staplers, post-its, etc). Having a small book light will likely come in handy during those late-night study sessions.
5)Random things no one tells you about that you will likely need: extension cords and surge protectors (there are never enough outlets when all the girls on your floor are crammed into one room getting ready to go out), ethernet cord (ask someone who has previously lived in your building about the wifi strength. I've found most buildings say they have wifi but the signal is really weak because of the concrete walls), 3M strips to hang things on the wall, a fan and extra blanket because you'll likely be uncomfortable with where the thermostat is set, rubbermaid container things for storage, basic cleaning supplies (I love the clorox wipes for little spills), Fabreeze, Tide-to-go pen, small tool-kit, etc. There are so many little random things we take for granted since our parents have always had them. Luckily if you are in a bind and need something, walmart is usually just a few minutes away!
6) Do your research before you make a purchase. Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond will become your favorite stores. BB&B always has coupons and they accept them even if expired. You can save so much money by using them! PotteryBarn Teen has darling dorm stuff every summer so check out their website.

Ok sorry for the novel, but this will be one of the most exciting times in your life! Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[ShoWStoppeR]

there was a thread about this on the old boards, and i saved a word doc with everything everyone suggested
okay, cant find the word doc, but found my printed version.... i love ya'll enough to type it all up lol

under the bed storage mini dresser
desk organizer
mini desk lamp
desk calendar
TV
under the bed futon storage box
robe
slippers
hangers
surge protector
extension cord
ethernet cable
iron
small ironing board
graphing calculator
small vaccuum
2 pillows
2 sets of twin xl sheets
comforter
duvet
throw blanket/fleece blanket
mattress pad
memory foam twin xl topper
toss pillows
body pillow
alarm clock/ipod dock
big towels
hand towels
wash clothes
rugs-bathroom or large ones for room
bins, tote tubs
bed risers
wii, wii fit, yoga mat
binders/notebooks for each class
stapler
scissors
toaster
coffee pot
plastic silverware
plastic plates, bowls, cups
futon
jump drive/external hardrive
camera
dish towels
shower caddy
measuring cups
shower shoes
air refresheners
antibacterial wipes
umbrella
laundry basket and a laundry bag
fan
decorations to make your room homey
can opener
laundry detergent, dryer sheets
combination lock/safe box
computer mouse
large trash can, small trash can
germ x/hand sanitizer
printer
picture frames
door hanging mirror
bedside table
jewelry closet organizer
jean rack
rain boots

no mind you, this is a list comprised from multiple people before. you are NOT going to need every single thing on this list lol its mostly a oh, i didn't think about that, kinda list. what you bring will depend on a lot of stuff: who you room with, how many people you room with, how you want to divide the list up, your schools specific rules, the size of your room, how far you are from home, etc. me personally, i had the dorm room of all dorm rooms lol legit, it was huge. and i had 3 roomates, and we had 2 bedrooms, but my actual "room" mate moved out. so i had this giant room all to myself. i actually put the 2 beds together and made a king sized bed but most dorms are about the size of a prison cell. lol yes, it seems overwhelming, but i promise its not as bad as you think, and theres plenty of people more than willing to help you out along the way and believe me, you're going to forget stuff. we're human, it happens. but that's why you always locate your nearest walmart before you move in
i believe it is bed bath and beyond, but im not sure, but they have 1. a list of suggested supplies that is VERY helpful. they have it online and in the stores (i would have posted that, but i seem to have misplaced it) and if you ask, they also have a list of things your school allows and doesnt allow by category. also very helpful.

 

[ErinS]

...The only tip I have from college dorm shopping is one that was given to me my freshman year.

All of that cute and extra stuff is going to be...cute and extra and make your room look like a lot of fun. However you accumulate more stuff during the school year which leads to a lot of (unnecessary) stuff . When the school year ends, you will be forced to pack up all of this cute and fun stuff during exam week. Which will not be fun.

 

[caa10]

Don't be too stressed to get everything before you leave! I'm sure there will be a Walmart/Target/etc around you where you can pick up things that you haven't gotten and need. You don't wanna buy buy buy everything and get there to find out you have no where to put it!

 

[soFIERCE08]

thank you so much guys! i'm going away, like 2000 miles away, and since i'm flying, i'm going to ship all of my things ahead of time. it's so nervewracking because my parents want everything packed and ready to go by august 1st! it's also so much to think about because the climate is going to be extremely different. i'm coming from Southern California and i'm going to Chicago.

but, i loved the idea of having a big calendar for my roomie and me to share. we've already discussed some things to bring and what we'll each need but we didn't even think about that. my brother has been helping me with some of the packing since he's already in college, but he's a guy, and he doesn't always get all the little details. hehe.

 

[Nothanks]

not sure how all of your college rooms work but if you use an actual key to get in and out of your rooms, think about getting those 3M (or something similar) hooks and both you and your roommate using that hook to hang up your keys near the door when you're in the room/dorm. This way, when one of you goes to leave, if you see the other hanging up, you know that your roommate is either around or forgot her key and to not lock the door. sometimes you get a 25$ lock out fee if you get locked out too many times.

my roommate and i did this in high school and it saved us a lot of locking each other out haha

 

[Deleted member 1556]

Oh dear...get ready for the winter. They don't call it the windt city for nothin'!

 

[fiercerando88]

I'd agree with basically what everyone has said here. I moved into school early for field hockey and barely had anything because I had no idea what to bring. Once I was settled in, the girls on the team brought all the freshman to Target and helped us get all the little random stuff. My roommate moved in two weeks later and we went shopping too to get more random stuff. It's kind of one of those things where you don't really know what you'll need until you're actually there. We had our own bathroom, so we had to get all that stuff as well. I'd definitely recommend a fridge of some sort. A lot of schools have micro-fridges you can rent which can be a big help. Depending on how big/small your room is can also be a factor. We had a pretty large room, so we didn't need as many storage bins as the kids who were in the other freshman dorms. Besides the fridge, I'd say a couple key things are a surge protector w/o a doubt, random snacks, an eggshell/soft/extra mattress (whatever you wanna call it lol) and water! Good luck!

 

[soFIERCE08]

Since youre going to Chicago, invest in a REALLY nice and warm winter coat. If you live anywhere near the lake, it will be cold and windy.

i'm right on the lake at Loyola University Chicago. in fact, i think my dorm has a lake view. heh.

 

[ufomom]

Got this off the Bed Bath and Beyond site.

Shop Your Local Store & Pick Up Near Your School service where we will ship your Shop for College purchases to either a Bed Bath & Beyond nearest your college or to your college address

I think if you pick up your stuff at local store, you don't have to pay for shipping. They have a link for college shopping which has a lot of information:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/bts01_checklist.asp?

And Target/Walmart is good for picking up stuff when you get there. For whatever reason, those plastic drawers are cheaper at Walmart. Just completed the world's most expensive cross country camp prep there.

Also, Amazon has this thing called "prime shipping" and last I recall, it was $79 for one year. For that you get free 2 day delivery on much of the stuff their website. I just check a box and look things that come under "prime" shipping. I order everything under the sun from it and it comes in 2 days from UPS. You can use it to send gifts etc to friends and family at the holidays and so on.

After spending $10 to ship a $16 gift to someone at the post office, the Amazon prime deal is pretty good.