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Just make a list of what you need and shop sales to get the best deals. Stick to the list to ensure you dont spend more than you need.
Or get your must have (day to day living such as bedsheets) when they go on sale now .. and hold off on the nice to haves later (e.g., posters of kelly ripa and assorted non essential decoration)...
I jest about kelly r... though i think she's hot anyway..
you might want to know what the dorms have.. for example my college housing at the University of Adelaide had kitchens that had cutlery, pots and pans, hot water kettles, etc, etc, so I didi not have to purchase kitchen items. just stuff for my room..
You guys kind of made me giggle - shows the difference between girls and guys. My son has had contact info for his two roommates for a couple of months now.
Do you think any of them have reached out to each other? Nooooo..... typical guys. Figure they'll meet on move in day.
Pitt - my in-laws took our son shopping for bedding, etc. and she bought him two sets of sheets - she must have high expectations that he'll be washing them all the time. Second thought, maybe for a guy it's a good idea....he can just change them and get around to washing the other set whenever.
OP - the other thing to keep in mind that is that your specific dorm may determine what you need. For example, my son is in one of the only dorms on campus where they have their own bathroom per room. So they'll need shower curtain, etc. I'm waiting until they move in just in case another parent got one. If not I'll run to the store.
Girls are a little more likely to reach out, but I've heard the same non-contact stories from them too. My sons didn't hear from their roommates until shortly before they moved in too. Guys!
But I do think there are plenty of things that are universal and have nothing to do with roommates - desk lamps, trash can, under the bed storage containers, these cool hangers - Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers Combo Pack Black : Target, laundry bag, and all kinds of study supplies that will go on sale with back to school stuff.
I would suggest not buying sheets. Everything we read before my kids left for college suggested buying the extra long sheets. We bought them. Neither kid had an extra long mattress. And it wasn't just some weird school. They attended different universities in different states in different years. Since I waited until shortly before school started to buy them, I was at least able to return them, but if I'd bought them a year ahead of time, I would have had to throw them away. You could go ahead and buy an egg crate type foam mattress pad. Buy an extra long, then if you don't need the extra length, you can just cut it off. There's really no difference in the price.
Do you know where you will be going? Do they have bathrooms in suite, or community style? If they are down the hall, you might want to look for some kind of basket to carry your shower stuff in. You could probably pick up a good power strip. There are never enough plugs in those rooms. And maybe a coffee pot, if you drink coffee.
I wouldn't buy anything like a fridge or a microwave until you talk to your roommate. Heck, I would recommend renting that if its offered at your school. We rented for my first son. It cost about he same to rent a combo microwave/fridge as a fridge would have cost by itself to purchase. The next year he was in apartment so owning a mini fridge and a microwave would have been a wast. When my second son left, we rented a combo thing for him too. Then the next year he was in a dorm again, so we just bought the fridge and he lived without a microwave. His suite mate had one if he needed it. He knew the next year he would be in a house, but figured he'd keep the fridge in his bedroom. So we bought a fridge and it didn't even make it one year, before it died. It was a waste of money. He ended up without a fridge before the 2nd semester was over. If we'd rented, they would have just brought him a new one. Plus the beauty of renting is its just sitting in your room waiting for you when you show up, and when you move out, you just leave it and they come and take it away.
Really though until you get there and see what you will need, it's hard to know what to buy. When my first son left for college we bought all kinds of stuff he never used. We got a list from the university and from someplace like Bed Bath and Beyond. Some of it was obviously not needed while some of it looked like a good idea, so we bought it and he never used it at all. The next year, when my 2nd son left, we just forgot about the list, took the basics like a comforter, sheets, blankets, pillows and towels and bought the rest at Wal Mart once we got him in the room. I would suggest just saving all your money, so you can get what you need when you need it.
So my mother is pregnant & is due January 31,2013. I will be entering college August/September of 2013 is it a bad idea to start buying some dorm items now for financial reasons? ( i will be a senior in sept) On top of the baby there's prom and pictures and yearbook and all this other stuff. Sorry If this is a dumb question, but if it isn't could you guys maybe give me some ideas of things I could buy in bulk or ahead of time and keep for storage??
Thanks!
Don't even bother just buy it when you get there. Will you be driving to school? If not shipping that stuff or paying for it to go on a plane with you will be outrageously expensive.
The thing is the OP wants to not have a large outlay of cash at once.
I understand her point of view. Also, putting money aside is easier said than done.The next year wull be full of changes and expences for the OP. Prom is a HUGE temptation to raid the account, as is the birth on an adorable younger sibling!
I say start stocking up on towels, sheets and comforters. If the sheets are too long, ypu can still use them. If they are too short, you can't.
Look at the web site of the colleges that you are thinking of, and proceed from there.
Another thing you will need in college would be decent PJs and a bathrobe. Bathrobes are not popular, but in college, when you are on your way to the bathroom and you live in a co-ed dorm - or even if you do not, a nice wrap around terry bath robe will come in handy. As will slippers.
The school usually gives you a list of needed items. Some schools require extra-long sheets, some don't. Some don't allow certain things, e.g. halogen lamps. Often the "back to college" section of stores like Target and Kohl's contain things like this that you can't use. At least wait until you get your information from the housing office. I can think of nothing you'll need to buy in bulk, other than perhaps kleenex. You generally don't have to supply your own toilet paper. There will be places on campus or nearby to buy shampoo, toothpaste, etc when you need it. I agree that a savings account is better than buying and attempting to store a lot of stuff.
Do you know where you are going to school and what kind of housing? I wouldn't buy anything yet. It is nice if you can cooridinate with your roommate on things and eventually on furniture arrangement. That can save money, like sharing a mirror or a curtain for a closet. Will you be in a suite with a bathroom or a bathroom down the hall. Some places give trash cans, mirrors, have "closets" with doors or without. Your beds may or may not be lofted. We did the Bed, Bath, and Beyond program, where you went to your local store and picked out what you wanted, then picked up the stuff at the store near the school. Then after seeing the dorm room, we picked up a few other items. One year, we needed a mat or a small area rug, other years the room had carpet.
What you could do is make a list of the things that you already have at home that would be useful, such as a lamp, clock, desk organizers, laundry basket, extra blanket or other spare linens. office supplies. Concentrate on your HS senior year first and don't let the grades slip. If you are concerned about money, then put some aside. It's a good idea to learn how to budget and save for later.
I teach at a college and in the past I have volunteered to help students on move-in day. The sheer amount of crap that students bring with them is stunning. My rule of thumb would be that if your stuff won't all fit in a medium sized trunk, then cut back. You can always go home on break and bring back more stuff if you need it. The world won't end if you don't have your electric teapot or extra thirty pairs of shoes. Nothing gets you off on the wrong foot with a roomate like junking up your shared space.
Also, don't bring a ton of posters and wall decorations. It is fine to bring a picture or two to hang or sit on your dresser, but you probably will not be allowed (by fire code) to fill up more than a certain percentage of the wall space.
The best way to be efficiently prepared is to carefully select the clothes you bring. Don't bring anything that you wouldn't be completely happy wearing to class, unless it is maybe 1-2 sets of workout clothes. Depending on the climate, you should be able to get by with a single nice coat or jacket. Don't bring a high school varsity jacket.
Anyway, unless you know yourself and realize that you are not disciplined enough to save, I would wait until the last minute to buy stuff for college. No use in letting things get lost or just taking up space in your parents' house. If you see a good sale, jump on it, but otherwise just plan on spending a few hundred bucks come August before you start.
I teach at a college and in the past I have volunteered to help students on move-in day. The sheer amount of crap that students bring with them is stunning. My rule of thumb would be that if your stuff won't all fit in a medium sized trunk, then cut back. You can always go home on break and bring back more stuff if you need it. The world won't end if you don't have your electric teapot or extra thirty pairs of shoes. Nothing gets you off on the wrong foot with a roomate like junking up your shared space.
Also, don't bring a ton of posters and wall decorations. It is fine to bring a picture or two to hang or sit on your dresser, but you probably will not be allowed (by fire code) to fill up more than a certain percentage of the wall space.
The best way to be efficiently prepared is to carefully select the clothes you bring. Don't bring anything that you wouldn't be completely happy wearing to class, unless it is maybe 1-2 sets of workout clothes. Depending on the climate, you should be able to get by with a single nice coat or jacket. Don't bring a high school varsity jacket.
Anyway, unless you know yourself and realize that you are not disciplined enough to save, I would wait until the last minute to buy stuff for college. No use in letting things get lost or just taking up space in your parents' house. If you see a good sale, jump on it, but otherwise just plan on spending a few hundred bucks come August before you start.
LOL the 30 pairs of sneakers made me laugh, I was just showing my mom a picture of my friends room and under her bed she had close to 50 pairs of shoes. I've always known that she has a lot, but just to see them was like
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