Just received a catalog in the mail today from the Residence Hall Association at UMass Amherst and was wondering if anyone was planning on buying stuff from it. Also wondering if it’s actually a good value and worth buying or should I just go out and get everything that I need on my own. Any input would be greatly appreciated. 
So you’re gonna generally hear mixed reviews about RHA stuff. Some people have no problem with it and others wound up hating it and got stuff from elsewhere. I personally got 2 sets of sheets and 1 comforter and they’ve lasted for the last 2 years (and I plan on using them until I graduate). The main complaint people gave was with comfort, as the thread count is lower than people prefer. However, it seems like the solid colors were a bit softer than the printed patterns (no idea why though =/).
End of the day, it’s more about what you prefer. If you aren’t too picky about the thread count and things like that,I think it’s a decent bargain if you can make it last. Otherwise, you can get relatively cheap stuff at Target.
@Violet1996 Ahh…thanks for the info. I actually didn’t even know about the fact that they were less comfortable than expected. (thought it was a bit fishy why they were so cheap). Gonna be a pretty big factor in whether I buy from it or not then.
However, I heard the bed sizes aren’t you’re average everyday sizes that you see, and that usually sheets you buy from outside don’t fit correctly.
So the beds at Umass are Twin XL (the size that 99% of the colleges in the country have). Target, Wal-mart and Bed Bath and Beyond have a decent selection in that size and the stock usually comes out in August, right before move-in. My friends haven’t had any problems with the sets they buy from other places. So you are free to buy what you want.
The thread count on the bed sheets hasn’t really been an issue for me. However, there are moments where I wish I had bought my comforter from a different place just because I haven’t found it thick enough for the winters (then again I also have bad circulation and generally can’t feel my toes from November to April).
Final verdict: If you want a relatively cheap set that you don’t have to feel guilty about messing up and throwing out, I’d recommend going with RHA. Otherwise, just buy elsewhere. The comfort thing really isn’t that big a deal.
@Violet1996 Alright. Thanks for the input. probably gonna just buy them elsewhere then, don’t really want to take the risk that I might not like it.
When my mom and I went shopping,there weren’t really any good twin xl patterns left (maybe we shopped last minute, I don’t remember). So we ended up buying full size sheets. They obviously don’t fit the bed as nicely as actual correct sized sheets, but it wasn’t the end of the world either. I just tuck in the big corners of the fitted sheets and nobody cares (especially with a comforter/ blanket and pillows over it). And I’ve been using them for 2 years without problems. Of course, I definitely recommend getting the actual Twin XL sheets, but I just thought I’d share just in case disaster strikes (but it won’t!)
@paws27 Haha, thanks for the tip!