Anyone who endured the task of shopping for their first college dorm knows that it is nothing short of a process. Especially freshman year, purchasing items for a dorm room can be confusing, expensive, and an overall hassle. I recently moved into my first college dorm, and the process would have been much more stressful if I didn't know a few important tips. I wanted to share some of the advice I was given and what I've discovered throughout this experience. This set of tricks is for anyone thinking of going to college, or who is just curious about anything college related.
1. Do not procrastinate on buying supplies
Thankfully, I did not procrastinate on purchasing the necessities for my dorm. Waiting to buy everything in the town of your new school will set you up for failure. Chances are, at least 5,000 people had that same idea as you. Then you'll be stuck in a sea of parents and students at Bed Bath and Beyond, hating your life.
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2. Hang your clothes up beforehand
The day before I moved into my dorm, I hung up my clothes and stuck 8 or so hangers through the bottom of a trash bag, then tied up the bags. This way, I just hung up the bubble-like bags, ripped open the plastic, and saved myself an hour of work.
3. Get to know your roommate before move-in day
Unless you are rooming with a friend from high school, your college roommate will be a stranger to some degree. I met my amazing roomie (shoutout to Gracie!) through Facebook. Deciding to text and FaceTime before we actually moved in together was the best decision ever. I know that some people are assigned a random roommate; if that's your situation, try emailing them or just going into move-in day with an open mind and positive attitude.
4. Coordinating room decor is more difficult than it seems
This piece of advice is mostly centered around freshman girls, but my roommate and I decided to coordinate our dorm room colors after fawning over hundreds of cute dorm pictures on Pinterest. Although it took longer than expected to find all the cute pink, white, grey, and gold items we needed, it was well worth it! Communication is the secret to pulling this off, which can be hard if you and your roommate live in different states.
5. Search for sales
Anyone who has needed to move into college knows that the price tag of a dorm room can be expensive. From new bedding to a futon, companies know what college students need, and decide to make all of these items ridiculously expensive. Take the time to research sales and visit websites like Wayfair and Overstock.
6. Your dorm room is tiny, and I mean tiny
Do not bring your entire room from home and think that everything will magically fit in your new shoebox of a home. My roommate and I barely found enough room for a mini fridge, Keurig, and microwave. Your dorm room will come with furniture that you have to situate around the room and manage to arrange in a space-efficient way. Bring a small portion of your closet and buy boxes for storage for under your bed.
7. Talk to people on your floor
This tip is just a little bonus, but remember that your college move in day is the beginning of a new and exciting time of your life! Knock on some doors and talk to the other people on your floor if they're not too busy putting together their own new rooms. Everyone else will also feel hectic and anxious, but in the best way possible.
