bare neccessities

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>so, i want the bare neccessities....im hoping to pay out of pocket for my dorm room "stuff". how much should i expect to pay?</p>

<p>a set of those wire storage cubes ($20)
a set of 3 plastic drawers ($20)
4 sets of sheets (twin and I)
2 pillows
a nice rug
refrigerator ($200)
mircowave ($80)
trashcan ($12)
laptops ($2000)
school supplies ($100?)
desk lamps, 2. ($40)
towels (3-4 each)
shower caddies ($20)
clothes hangers ($6)
hamper ($20)
ironing board ($20)
drying racks ($40)</p>

<p>what am i missing?</p>

2

<p>The fridge and microwave shouldn't be that much. My microwave was 45 (I still use it) and my minifridge was about 100-110. Although, you will probably spend alot more than that on hangers, unless you bring a bunch from home which can be a hassle. Those plastic 3 drawer things shouldn't be more than about 15 dollars, and you don't have to get a super expensive desk lamp. You also REALLY don't need an ironing board, it takes up way too much room when you can just use your desk's top or chair seat if you MUST iron something (which won't be often-- I loaned out my iron and didn't get it back for 2 months, never missed it). You also don't really need a drying rack- if there's something that has to be air dried, you can hang it over the end of your bed or something. You can't air dry ALL your clothes, you'd never have anything dry, plus jeans and stuff take FOREVER to air dry. </p>

<p>What kind of school supplies are you talking about? Pens, notebooks, etc? If you get a pack of pens, 5 notebooks, 2-3 packs of notebook paper, highlighters, and mechanical pencils/lead for them, it shouldn't cost you but around $40-50. </p>

<p>Check out bedbathandbeyond.com for ideas but shop at like Target or Wal-mart. Keep in mind the dorm is only so large and all your roommate's crap has to fit in there too.</p>

3

<p>Maybe sandals for the grimy shower floor you may encounter.</p>

4

<p>You don't need extra sheets. Just wash them and put them back on. Use the towels in the bathroom to dry stuff, and you dorm will have a common ironing board.</p>

<p>Get a small cordless vacuum.</p>

5

<p>no need for a cordless vacuum, either--your dorm should also have a common one of those, and if not, you can always borrow one from a friend</p>

6

<p>where are you shopping, College Couture? lol no go to the local dollar store and get a hamper for $1, it doesn't matter if you get the $10 or the cheap one they're all the same and will prob break mid year. A microwave for $80? what does it come with a rotisserie too? no go to Target or Wal-Mart and the same for the fridge. Trashcans are not $12. Shower caddies can never even be worth more than $5. </p>

<p>You know what just go to Target, Ikea, or Wal-Mart. Goodness, and don't ever go on the Price is Right. lol</p>

7

<p>Borrowing from a friend is always iffy. What if they are all planning on borrowing from a friend?</p>

8

<p>from friends at other schools, as well as from what i've experienced here at my own school, most dorm floors have common ironing boards/irons and vacuums, and some have miscellaneous cleaning supplies. and i havent talked to ONE person who didnt have a towel bar on the back of their door, so no need for a drying rack unless you're talking about something else.</p>

<p>i used one set of sheets all year, wash them early enough in the afternoon that you have time to put them back on before bedtime. </p>

<p>and check to see if your school or a local place sells Microfridges. It's basically a microwave attached on top of a mini-fridge, and they're relatively cheap. And unless your twin is also your roommate, check with your future roommate to see who is going to bring the fridge and/or microwave. No need for two of either of those.</p>

9

<p>What kind of laptop are you getting for 2000? You can barely get a sub-17" laptop for $2000 from Dell, for example (and you probably don't want anything over 15(.4)" for portability reasons).</p>

10

<p>^I think the OP has a twin and is factoring in the cost of duplicate items? I may be mistaken though.</p>

11

<p>-I find a Laundry bag that I bought at a 99 cent store is better than a hamperm, I just put my dirty clothes into the laundry bag and then just wash the bad with the clothes, it doesn't get to wet and is usually dry just after the wash. Also the same exact bag has lasted me 6 semesters in school, whereas a Hamper will usually break.</p>

<p>-I really think just 1 set of sheets is enogh for each bed, the extra thing is kinda a waste of money. If its dirty just wash it and when its done put it back on. Nothing better than freshly washed sheets. </p>

<p>-Ironing board, again just put a towel or sheet over your desk and you are set.</p>

<p>-Trash Can : not really needed, thogh thats your call, Ive never used one, I usually jsut walk into the hall and put everything into the trash there.</p>

<ul>
<li>The whole Shower caddies thing I hate, I find them to get excessively dirty and they usually carry water in them. I personally just buy a pack of zip lock bags and put my bar of soap and shampoo in there. we have some hooks in our showers, so I just pop a hole in the bag and let it hand, then pop a hole in the bottom corer opposite side to let water drain. It worked great.</li>
</ul>

<p>-Microwave- There should be a common room, with a Microwave in it. They can get dirty so just clean it with clorox wipes. Though check with your school, microwaves may not be allowed, I know my school strictly forbids them.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>The rug sounds nice, but Most people end up throwing them out at the end of the semester, they just get so dirty. I like tiles, so I say so to a rug. Its just a waste of money if ya ask me,</p></li>
<li><p>The dryer racks seems like a waste,I know I dont use a dryer for my clothes, I hate it. I have and will always air dry my clothes. Though I usually just use hangers and pint a fan to it. But a Rack seems like a good idea, depending on how much room ya got.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Everything else seems worth it to me. I do think you should get a Name brand fridge with a freezer. I wish I had, Mine does have a small freezer compartment, but it sucks, so now that im a 3rd year and don't have a meal plan, I wish I could store meat, like ground beef and chicken. Instead of eating pasta and things all the time.</p>

12

<p>The OP does need a trashcan. Not all schools have a common trashcan in the hallway, mine sure doesn't. A BB&B can was $5 last year. Don't forget plastic bags for the can.</p>

<p>I like 2 different sets of sheets so that I don't have to stare at the same ones all the time, but you could do without them. </p>

<p>I have never seen a $20 shower caddy, and you're a fool if you'll pay that much for it. Again, BB&B has them for $5. I got mine from there last year and tossed it in May because it was too gross to be worth saving. </p>

<p>I support the rug. Vaccuum it a couple times a semester with a little hand vaccuum, and it will look fine at the end of the year. They don't come much cheaper than $50, so you might as well maintain it so that it will last all 4 years. </p>

<p>I got a giant blue hamper from Walmart for $7-8 dollars, used it regularly, and it's still in great shape. Trackbabi, what do you do throw your hamper down the stairs? It shouldn't look like crap at the end of the year.</p>

<p>4 bath towels is good. I took 6, which was too many. Don't forget hand towels.</p>

<p>Instead of wire milk crate-type cubes, get cloth ones from Target or Walmart. I put winter stuff and extra sheets in them, stored them on my closet shelf, and was able to fold them up when packing to move home in May. They're colorful and cheap. </p>

<p>I agreee that you don't need a drying rack. </p>

<p>Your laptop definately doesn't need to cost $2,000. My Dell was half that.</p>

13

<p>My hamper was destroyed halfway through the semester. Do not get the "folding" ones from BB&B... they're wire and mesh. I didn't see a single one that lasted the semester. I had to go pretty far to do laundry (down 5 flights of stairs and across a quad) in all kinds of weather and the hampers can't take it. </p>

<p>Also, not every common room has a microwave. The nearest common room was down 3 flights of stairs and shared by 2 buildings- and got gross fast. People get annoyed if you are always coming to their room to heat something up too.</p>

<p>I think it's good to overshoot on prices in a budget, as long as you try to buy the cheapest thing. That way, you have extra cash set aside.</p>

14

<p>I remember that my first roommate had this hamper that had straps like a backpack. I wish I had had one, although to do laundry, we just carried our stuff down to the basement (3 story dorm) which isn't as bad as some but it's worse than people in the towers, they have machines on every floor.</p>

<p>I agree with everyone else, the microwave and fridge shouldn't cost that much. I got mine at Best Buy for about $170 altogether.</p>

<p>And you can't be sure that your dorm will have a kitchenette. Mine didn't, there was a microwave in the first floor lounge, but it was from like 1975 and didn't work. Nor were there ironing boards, vacuums, or cleaning supplies for the entire floor. I'm not sure what college supplies those, my university doesn't at-least, and I'm pretty sure my brother's didn't when he was in school a few years ago.</p>

<p>Also, I'm glad that I had an ironing board. I can't imagine trying to iron on my desk or chair, neither one of those seem like viable options. Not only that, but I joined my fraternity first semester, so I had to make sure that my "pin attire" (dress clothes) were ironed. I think that joining a fraternity is one way to get most guys to learn how to iron, haha.</p>

<p>Something else that you'll inevitably need, duct tape. I don't know why, but we always needed duct tape for some reason.</p>

15

<p>skip the shower caddy. There will be a soap dispenser on the wall. Bring a bottle of shampoo, you're good to go.</p>

<p>Also, you're a college student. You can live with inexpensive things! Find a microwave at a garage sale for $5-$10. A trashcan comes with the room. Buy a used fridge someone else is selling on craigslist or at your school.</p>

<p>One thing I didn't see on you list is hard rubber thongs (a kind that won't absorb water). You don't want to know what else has been on that shower floor ...</p>

16

<p>sewing kit, cotton swabs, air freshener, not that important for ur list but oddly they are some of the many things that college students seem to need at one point or another</p>

17

<p>^ Yes a good sewing kit is huge</p>

18

<p>3ft bong is needed.</p>

19

<p>I agree with ratroll.</p>