Like most students, we always loved the back to school shopping trip more than the act of going back to school. However, dorm shopping is an entirely different experience as opposed to just picking out backpacks and pens. We've rounded up a handful of online resources that are sure to help freshmen create their first home away from home...
- IKEA In addition to having affordable furniture that can translate when you move into your first apartment, IKEA has an online space maker feature. The service allows you to start from scratch (or with a theme) to plan your space. There are various chapters (starting with an empty space, or changing the rooms floors). In each chapter, you can drag and drop furniture, change colors or checkout with your purchases. We're also really digging the image gallery of 15 plus youth rooms which are great for pulling ideas from.
- Bed Bath & Beyond A free master checklist that includes everything from odor eliminators to bed lifts. You won't need everything on this huge checklist but it's a great idea to pick and choose your must-have items before your big shopping day. In addition, Bed Bath & Beyond also includes a how to guide for your first year with awesome topics, like "So You've Never Used A Community Bathroom" and "Not Enough Space In Your Room?."
- Target Target also has a master list but what's more, they allow you to share your list with friends--or in this case, a roommate. That way, you won't be doubling up on items already purchased (love that).
- Linens-N-Things This home store displays back to school items by category. Organization, wall art, decorative pillows--listing all the extras to make your new home cozy and inviting.
- Best Buy This electronics warehouse has an entire section devoted to dorm room essentials. If you're on a budget, you can shop for items at a designated price or browse categories like, small appliances or office furniture.
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Comments (9)
Is that supposed to be a dorm? If so...I want to know the planet where that college is because my dorm sure as heck didn't look like this
Walmart is also good, not that anyone here would ever shop there. But since you can order online and pick up at the stores, it's convenient.
Sorry, IKEA, no dorm I ever lived in looked like that
dorm rooms are usually just a white boxes with ugly furniture. If you bough cool stuff it COULD look like that. plus they have to display their pretty items somehow. they sure aren't going to use an ugly old dorm room that most people are familiar with.
I had grand plans for my dorm this year. NOTE TO ANYONE MOVING BACK INTO THE DORMS THIS YEAR: Do not buy anything until you've at least seen and measured your space.
I have a single and it's huge (I'm a sophomore but got into a senior building, so there's some perks). But. The furniture that has to stay in the room (bed, desk, armoire, and dresser) is different than the furniture in my dorm last year. This wood is darker, so it doesn't go with what I had planned.
Thankfully, I hadn't purchased anything yet. So I'm reworking my black/white/gray/with-splash-of-red plan to incorporate the wood. It should be fun, but it will take a while since I'll be working on it in pretty small doses.
After shopping for back to school stuff this week, it would appear that most of the big discount-retailers are jumping on the back to college bandwagon. Walmart, Target, Kmart, you name it. I just bought my teenage-son a great "Bed in a Bag" (gasp!) bedding for a great price at Target. They seems to be modeling their line of college bedding after Urban Outfitter's.
Isn't this the dorm we wished we had? Can't this site realize two people share a space smaller than that typically? And that normally the furniture in the room has to stay?
Palmetto -- Whats with the hatred of Walmart? Not any worse than shopping at any department store. Better stay away from Ikea, Target, West Elm, etc - it's all the same.
farleece - I think bed in a bag almost works in dorm rooms - also smaller to carry in.
half the furniture was built-in in my single dorm room. you could rotate the bed and move the dresser around but thats it. i recommend buying a nice chair (like an office one) for the desk and getting a mattress pad. maybe a plant if you are capable of taking care of one. and i got a bed in a bag which is very convenient. you also need a shower caddy.
stupidest thing i saw on bb&b list: shower radio....in communal bathrooms, its all about get in and get out. i lived on an all-female floor with very clean bathrooms and it was still gross and weird. i don't think anyone needs to listen to the radio while showering in residence.
That's a dorm? Come on, my dorm room was horrific. It was the size of a closet, with a teensy little bed (on stilts because all my storage was underneath, with dingy grey carpet and 50 year-old curtains... and woe betide you if anything in the room was removed, they did inspections...