Dorm Room Essentials

Aside from what you’ll hang on the walls or the theme you’ll decorate with there will be a few items that will be crucial to making your dorm room more comfortable. They include:

 

·        Mini Refrigerator: A mini fridge might quite possibly be one of the important items to have in a dorm room. Not only will they save you money spent at vending machines they also come in handy for those times when the dining hall is closed. Check with your college before purchasing a mini refrigerator as there are sometimes restrictions on use of them. You can purchase a mini refrigerator from several places. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Lowe’s carry them year round as do their websites. They usually begin in price at $65 and can extend to over $220.

·        Microwave: Microwaves are a great dorm room addition. They make quick snacks and meals easy to prepare. Microwaves are a great option for saving money as well. They can be found at stores like Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, JCPenney, Best Buy, and Target. These stores have websites for shopping from home as well. You can find inexpensive microwaves at all of these stores beginning as low as $40.

·        Bedding: One of the most important dorm decor purchases you will make for your dorm will be the bedding such as sheets, pillowcases, and comforter. Not only will these items be ones of necessity they will also be a great way to set the tone of the decor theme in your dorm room. JCPenney, Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens N Things, Wal-Mart, and Target are all great places to find fun yet practical bedding. All these stores also have easy to use websites that provide you the option of shopping from home. You can purchase bedding separately or in sets. Typically buying in sets is more economical. Bedding sets can be purchased beginning at $60.

·        Computer: Having a computer these days is important for anyone these days but for a college student it is a must have item. You can choose to bring your monitor and modem from home or a wonderful space saving option is a laptop or notebook computer. Laptops and notebooks are available starting at $550 and going up in price to over $1500. You can find them at stores such as Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club or on their websites.

·        Area Rug: Most dorm rooms have hard tile in them so area rugs come in handy for a lot of reasons. Not only do they help tie together the over all decor of the room. They also help to not make the floor so hard or cold. Area rugs are available in several sizes and shapes. You can find them for great prices at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens N Things, and JCPenney. They can start in price at $40 and can cost over $400. Each of these stores has several price ranges to choose from as well as websites available for online shopping.

·        Lighting: The lighting in most dorm rooms usually isn’t the best so a good lamp or two can make all the difference in the world. A good option is a table lamp and a floor lamp to offer two different sources of light. Lamps can also be a wonderful way to add to the decor of a dorm room. Great places to find really cute inexpensive lamps are stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Linens N Things. These stores as well as their websites offer large selections for affordable dorm room decor. Typically lamps will range in price from $15 to $80.

·        Alarm Clock: The reason behind this decor essential doesn’t need much explanation other than make sure it’s reliable so that you’ll make it to class on time.

·        TV, DVD Player, and Radio: Some people may not see these items as being considered essential but they do make the college experience more comfortable. If bringing your TV, DVD player or radio from home is not an option there are several places to purchase these items. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Circuit City are great places to purchase electronics. TV’s typically start at $115 for smaller sizes. You can also purchase a TV that has a DVD player within it for as low as $120. DVD players can be purchases starting at $70. Radios are available beginning in the $30 price range for basic models and can extend over $200 for those with more features included.