What items will I need to bring to my college dorm?

If you are going to have a community bathroom situation, definitely get shower shoes (AKA a pair of cheap flip flops). A shower catty for all of your bathroom essentials (and of course stock up on your toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, etc before you come b/c everything is more expensive in a college town). Bath robe. Slippers. Extra towels (so you don't have to do laundry as often). Hamper (with wheels if possible...you can find one at Walmart or Bed Bath and Beyond) and/or Laundry bag. Laundry detergent. Fabric softener. A LOT OF QUARTERS. Hangers. XL sheets. Comforter. Extra blankets (temperatures in dorms fluctuate). Pillows. Egg crate foam mattress pad(s) (A MUST if you don't want an aching back every day). Rug. Desk light. Light bulbs. Duct tape. Christmas lights (to hang around your room...it makes it much more homey and is a good way to keep your room light without the annoying fluorescent ceiling lights). Alarm clock. Batteries. Flashlight (yes, colleges do have power outages...mine was out all night once). A small, traveling sewing kit (college washers and dryers are ruthless). A small hammer and screwdrivers (a phillips and a flathead)...I know it sounds crazy, but I have needed them several times (esp when you are bunking or unbunking beds or trying to fix misc things that you are sick of waiting for maintenance to do)...and they do sell miniature/traveling tool sets, to make it easy. Seasonal clothes. Umbrella or raincoat. Hat (yes, invest in a baseball cap if you don't have one...trust me, there will be a morning that you wont feel like looking nice and you will want it). Band aids. Neosporan. Asprin. Dayquil & Nightquil. Music. Camera. Lots of pens and pencils. A day planner (to keep track of assignments). General school supplies. Scissors. A lot of printer ink and computer paper. Construction paper and markers (for door decorating). If you are taking a laptop, a desk lock for it, so it cannot be removed from your desk. Hole puncher and re-enforcers. HIGHLIGHTERS. Post it notes. Pictures. Picture Frames. Memory Board. AT LEAST one fan. Safety pins...you'd be surprised at all of the uses. Either real or paper plates & bowls, as well as utensils (plastic if you are not that into doing dishes). Dishsoap. Dish towels. Paper towels. Cleaning supplies. Swiffer. The list is long, and packing for school is a tedious assignment. Send me an email if you want me to forward you my packing list...I wouldn't mind at all.

Well as for a place to shop, I've heard Ikea sells dorm stuff cheap.

I've lived in an apartment and a suite. Things to consider: -Keep your hygiene products together to keep from clutter and from losing them. There are containers made for this. -Flashlight -Extension cord -Consider a beanbag chair or alternate seating--there are never enough places to sit if you have friends over. -Fan or heater--chances are that you will never agree what temperature to set the thermostat on. -Quarters for laundry. -Laundry bag & don't forget the detergent -Iron & board -Sewing kit (even if you can't sew, maybe a friend/roommate can). -Envelopes & stamps -Extra printer ink -Hangers -Keep in mind that you need a place to let your towel air dry--not your roommates bed! lol -Don't forget chargers for your cell phone, computer, etc. -An open mind! If you want, you can e-mail me with questions about frosh life--i'm a third year university student in CA. Btw, you probably know what else to bring. When I started college, they sent me a checklist with the name of my roommate.

If you're going to be living in a dorm, be sure to check with the school's residential services program to ask what size beds they have...a lot of colleges have the extra long beds (as opposed to regular size beds) so you have to get extra long sheets for them. They can be a bit hard to find (since they're not standard) but since this is the time of year when people are getting ready to move into the dorms, places will be carrying those sheets. I used to buy mine at Target or a specialty shop, like Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Other things you need to bring: television, VCR/DVD player, microwave, and a mini-frige. Check with you roommate(s) to coordinate what you're each going to bring, so you don't wind up with two microwaves and no televisions or something like that :) Other stuff: a laundry basket and detergent, towels, washcloths, hygiene stuff, a plastic basket to keep your hygiene stuff in, flip flops (for the shower, trust me, dorm showers are kinda nasty when you have to share them with an entire floor), clothes hangers, storage containers (like the big plastic tubs or plastic drawers you can buy at Target - there's not a lot of space in dorm rooms, so anything you can get to save space is great), beanbag/inflatable chairs, and posters/pictures/etc - dorm rooms are usually an off white and very ugly if not decorated. That's all I can think of at the moment...it's been awhile since I've lived in the dorms. Check out Target...they've had lots of ads on television recently for dorm stuff and the stuff looks really cute. Hope this helps!

here's an article written by college students for students on things beyond the obvious... like a minifridge, etc, that you could get a best buy http://collegesoup.net/dorm-life/8-things-to-bring-or-not-for-your-dorm

Hope this list helps! Alarm clock! Flip Flops (a must if you have a community bath/shower) Bath bag for your shampoo and stuff Plates Bowls Coffee Machine Cups Silverware Bed clothes Wastebasket Mini-fridge and microwave (sometimes come with dorm so check first) Plastic storage shelves/drawers Lamp Mini ironing board and iron Hangers Laundry basket/bag Storage Containers Food and Drinks Area rug Walmart, Dollar General, Target, Dollar Tree

I'm also moving in a dorm and I'm way excited! I can't wait actually! let's see you'll need bed sheets, pillow, and a guy..me! haha jp

Target!-- shop those $1 bins and then go to the Family Dollar for stuff like dish soap