The Do’s And Don’ts Of Dorm Room Shopping

If you are going away to college, it’s easy to get carried away and just buy everything. Don’t do that, though, because you aren’t going to need everything. Allow us to help guide your dorm room shopping.

Do: Buy shower flip-flips.

I know it may seem lame, but trust me, you’ll want – excuse me, you’ll need – to use them. Even if you have your own bathroom, you will want shower flip-flops.

Don’t: Bring your entire closet.

You won’t be able to fit it, anyway. There’s even less space than you might think on your half of the room, so just bring your staple pieces and a few extras, if you must.

Do: Buy a safe.

It never hurts to be extra cautious. You will probably have a lot of people coming and going in your room and it won’t be enough to just lock your door. Put your laptop and any other valuables in a safe when you leave (if you don’t need to bring them with you, of course.)

Don’t: Follow the college checklists to a T.

Unless your school is located in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be able to skip over a few things.

Do: Buy a mattress topper.

The dorm room beds aren’t exactly the most comfortable things in the world, especially if you are used to a Tempurpedic bed at home, so adding a little extra comfort never hurts.

Don’t: Forget to bring important documents like insurance cards.

You will probably be visiting the campus infirmary at least once and you will need your insurance card. Other basic important documents couldn’t hurt, either. Just make sure to keep them in your safe.

Do: Coordinate with your roommate when it come to dorm room shopping.

Discuss what you each want to bring and then delegate the items. Split the items rather than one party bringing everything (and potentially throwing it in your face later.)

Don’t: Forget cleaning supplies.

Unless you want to end up with bugs, I suggest you clean your room from time to time. The already small rooms start to close in on you very quickly.

See Also

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Do: Buy a shower caddy.

Some people might think this is unnecessary, but it helps with organization and doesn’t take up a lot of space in your room. If you don’t have a private bathroom and aren’t as lucky as I was to have the communal bathroom right next door, your future self will thank you when you are only carrying one thing to the bathroom instead of multiple.

Don’t: Buy a whole new wardrobe.

The clothes you have in your closet already will do just fine. There’s no need to spend money unnecessarily on new clothes when you’ll probably spend most of your time in sweatpants and oversized t-shirts anyway.

Do: Buy a fan.

It’s going to get very hot and stuffy in that little room and cracking a window won’t be enough. Make sure you get a fan to keep it as cool in the room as possible.

Don’t: Obsess too much.

At the end of the day, it’s your room (or at least half your room) and you can decorate it however you want (as long as it is within the school’s safety guidelines), so just have fun with it.

I hope this helps those of you who will be heading off to college and starting your dorm room shopping soon!