The summer vacation before college can be long or short depending on the regions that your school is in. For instance, I'm going to Washington and Lee, which is in Virginia. My school mates, on the other hand, are going to Clemson, located in Clemson, South Carolina. We thus have varying degrees of time for gathering supplies that we must buy before heading off for full-time studies. Being the first-born in my family actually hindered this process. Even though I have until September, my family had no idea where to start looking for bedding. We didn't even know how to create a budget. Thankfully, my family and I found multiple sites and stores that specifically cater to university students, and hopefully this list helps you.
1. Bed Bath & Beyond
This retail chain provides both in-store and online products ranging from decor to laundry supplies. There's even an option for a student to make their own registry with a set date. This way, you control what you want and how much of a product you want. College lists of what is permitted and banned on campus are made available in the location bar of the site, shown in my example where I entered Washington and Lee.
2. Dorm Co
Dormco.com is an online warehouse with multiple categories of dorm supplies. You can create a registry, and the site offers discounts when you order a product in bulk. Please note that some products may be listed at a more expensive price than other retailers.
3. Target
Starting in June, Target begins offering a specialized "Back to College" department in stores and online. I would highly recommend this store if you don't have a Bed and Bath in your town or city. The stores offer a huge amount of bathroom supplies, furniture, and the occasional decoration without emptying your wallet in an hour.
4. Newegg
Newegg is a web-based retailer that specializes in electronics. I always recommend looking here if you're not sure about certain computer specs. Ratings for most products are available, and similarly to Best Buy, Newegg performs a price match if one of their products is sold for a lower price by a different seller.
5. Amazon
If you want to buy items or decorations for lower costs than the usual retail listing, Amazon is your best bet. Their category lists can whittle down results for the type of item you want, and the company often partners up with retailers to provide low-cost alternatives to in-store goods. If you have a school email account, now is a good time to sign up for a six month long Amazon Prime trial. You'll save time and money.
6. Office Depot
Office Depot provides supplies that are often used in the classroom setting. Here you can buy specific school supplies. For instance, maybe you really need a planner. A lot of the time, the store sells planners based on the school year. Office Depot also sells computers and lab supplies if you'd rather not go to Best Buy.
7. Dorm Smart
Dorm Smart is another wholesale website that provides basic college supplies that go beyond what you want or need for your room. There's even discounted items listed in a special section, and college checklists for your school may be available. I haven't used this site myself, but I have used it as a guide for what I need to buy as soon as possible and what I can worry about later on.
If you're not up for going online or to Office Depot, Best Buy often advertises sales every other week. If you want to view computers and look at specifications in person, the computer department is entirely interactive. The store also performs a price match similar to Newegg, but note that the price match is only available if the item is explicitly sold by a third party at lower price. This means that if Amazon is selling a mouse at a lower price, the lister cannot be Amazon if you want to save around five dollars on the same mouse at Best Buy.
9. Residence Hall Linens
You probably have at least one letter from this company. Believe it or not, RHL is very helpful if you want to buy all of your dorm products, save for furniture and electronics. The company partners with schools and offers packages that usually include towels, bedding, decorations and bathing supplies. The price might seem scary on some of these packages, but remember that the price covers all of the products included.
10. Belk Home Store
The Belk Home Store is found in most shopping malls. If you want some upscale bedding and accents for your room, then say no more. Sometimes the prices range from reasonable to absurd, but if you want someone else to buy some supplies for you, registry options are available on the Home Goods section of Belk's website.
11. Travelpro
Travelpro is a luggage brand with a fully accessible website. I recommend looking into buying this brand of luggage if you don't want to deal with the hassle of a standard trunk. If you wish to look at the luggage for yourself rather than on the website, you can visit various department stores in your area.
12. Your School's Campus Store
If you forgot to buy anything over the summer, or you weren't sure what item to buy, remember that your campus store probably has it. With the advent of modern internet, most colleges and universities list their campus products on their websites. For instance, if I need to get myself a Washington and Lee themed chair, I can search it in the school store's site.
Hopefully, this list will assist you in your shopping over the summer break. Remember to stay safe, and if you can save money on your purchases, do so wisely.
