As I am getting ready to head back to college in almost a week as a sophomore, I began to think to myself how much less I had to pack this year than I packed last year as a freshman. I was out shopping with my mom for some items that I needed for my new apartment before I move back to school and I remember telling her how we shopped at all of the wrong places last year and spent way too much money on random crap that every dorm supplies list tells you that you need, but end up not using one time the whole year. I keep thinking back to this time last year when I was shopping with my mom for my first year of college and living in a dorm room and wish I had a better list of do's and don't's from someone who knew from experience what they were talking about. So here is my list of do's and don't's and what they did not tell you about moving into your freshman dorm room from my experience.
1. Stay away from Bed, Bath & Beyond.
I know it can be tempting when you see all of the ads on TV and you get the dorm room magazine in the mail to head over to your local Bed, Bath & Beyond and spend all of your money there, but I promise you will be spending way more money there than necessary. It may look like they have everything you need for your cute new dorm room, but you can almost always find what you need for cheaper somewhere else. When in doubt, save this store for last on your dorm shopping list. After you look around at other places and get the majority of what you need, leave the last few items you cannot find on your list for here. You and your wallet will thank me later.
2. Go to stores such as Ross, TJ Maxx and Walmart.
Ross is one of my favorite stores to go shopping at because I can pretty much find almost everything I am looking for here for way cheaper than other places such as Bed, Bath & Beyond. No one Ross or TJ Maxx is the same either which means, you can go to different ones in your area to see if they have different stuff that you did not see before. Also, do not rule out Walmart when dorm shopping. You can find cute and affordable towels, mirrors, lamps, bedding and throw pillows to decorate your dorm room with for a fraction of the cost. This year, most of what I bought for my new apartment came from one of these three places and I did not spend nearly as much as I did last year.
3. Do not forget about thrifting.
Thrift stores are perfect for finding dorm room storage, gently used appliances, and even some cute decor to decorate your dorm room with. This year, I got a few baskets from Goodwill and spray painted them the color that I wanted along with picking up some almost brand new pots and pans for my new apartment. Save your money and only spend 0.99 cents on storage for your dorm rather than $20 or more.
4. A tapestry and some posters can add more color to your dorm than you may think.
This was my freshman year dorm room and I could not have made it any more homey and colorful. I added a tapestry that I bought off of Amazon for $10 and added some of my favorite posters from home. It added color and a feel of being in my own room back home for my first year at college.
5. You do not need everything on the dorm room shopping list you pinned on Pinterest.
While prepping for my first year of college, I pinned everything that I saw on Pinterest that I thought would be helpful for when I went shopping myself. But honestly, I learned that some of the things on the list I did not even need or use. Sure, everyone needs a comforter, sheets, a laundry basket and a trashcan, but not everyone needs a bedside caddy, a mini fan, shower shoes, a giant rug and a mini fridge. Make sure to look at your dorm before moving in and see how it is set up, how big it is and only buy the essentials. If you need something like shower shoes later, then you can go out and buy them once you move in. Do not waste you time stressing over finding the perfect sized mini fan and spending money on a giant area rug that may not even fit in your dorm room anyway.
6. You do not need all the school supplies you may think you do.
I spent so much money last year on school supplies and at the end of my last semester, I still had unopened pencils, sticky notes and folders that I did not even use. My advice is to buy the basics; one pack of pencils, one pack of pens, one pack of highlighters, maybe some sharpies, notebook paper and maybe a notebook or two. Wait until your first week of college starts to see what you actually need for all of your classes. This makes moving and shopping so much easier when you do not have to worry about a buying and packing a bunch of unnecessary school supplies.
7. Communicate with your roommate(s) so you do not bring doubles.
Once you find out who your roommate is, stay in contact with them and plan who is bringing what. My roommate and I had separate rooms, but we shared a bathroom, a small kitchen and small living room together. So instead of bringing two coffee pots and two shower curtains, we stayed in contact with each other and worked out who would bring what. This makes shopping and packing simple and less stressful.
8. A fish or small animal can add some life to your dreary dorm.
The picture you see above is of me and my roommate buying our dorm fish, Gilbert, together. It was kind of fun having a fish to take care of in our dorm room and it added some life and color to our dorm and was a great compromise since we could not bring our dogs from home.
9. Keep your high school memories behind.
You are in college now. You are out on your own and starting a new chapter in your life, so leave things that were in your old chapter behind. I promise you do not need your high school yearbooks, diploma and graduation cap. You do not need that band or choir poster that you still keep hung on your wall, or you high school T-shirts and sports jerseys. These are all things to leave behind that you can come home to and reminisce on, I promise you will thank me later when you are not that freshman that walks around in their high school football jersey and keeps their graduation cap hung on their wall. Instead, decorate your room with banners and signs from your college and wear college T-shirts.
10. Decorate with pictures.
If you think you are going to miss home and moving away from your old friends, then try printing out pictures for your dorm. Decorating with pictures will make you feel at home and remind you of your friends and family when you miss them most. Leave your high school chapter behind, but never forget the memories you made there.
