<p>I recieved the residence hall linens order brochure a few days ago (sent to int'l students) and have questions:</p>
<p>1) Is the 'egg crate pad' helpful?
2) What is the quality of their comforter like? They claim that it is warm, but should I not get a really warm down type comforter for the Chicago winter? Is their comforter good enuf?
3) If you have any 'must-buy' suggestions, please enlighten me.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>2) I remember someone telling me that the dorms get stifling hot in the winter so there’s no need for “a really warm down type comforter.”</p>
<p>1) Egg crate pad is nice, because the beds are setup as stuffed mattresses on top of flexible wires stretched across the bed frame. It’s really not the most uncomfortable situation (I’ve been on worse hotel beds) but it’s certainly nice to get a little something between you and the bed. There are even better things - my roomie had a mattress pad that was thick and quilted, almost like a down feather pad. However, all these things you can buy here in Chicago by taking a shuttle or the El, so if you want to save space you could do that.</p>
<p>2) Are you talking about the comforter they sell in that brochure full of sheets and stuff? Not sure. I didn’t buy one. But I liked having my own to test out before I got there - I’d much rather know how warm I will be/how nice the comforter is before making the trek to school!</p>
<p>As for dorms getting stiflingly hot, at night it can vary. If you live on the top floor of a building, then it can get toasty. But it can occasionally be cold enough that you want that blanket (and honestly, I’d rather be hot and have to throw a leg over the cover than be freezing and not having anything to fix it with) and during the summer in AC’d dorms it can also get cold. If you live in a dorm with a window AC unit, you can counter the central heating with your AC on “money saver” mode.</p>
<p>I would say get a nice, comfy, warm comforter, and maybe a quilt/throw blanket so you can sleep with just that if it super hot.</p>
<ol>
<li>i liked my egg crate pad and would recommend one.</li>
<li>the heat in the dorms is very strong, during the winter i never had to turn mine all the way to max (gets too hot) so you will probably not need a better comforter.</li>
<li>a memory foam pillow is nice…but that’s kind of random haha.</li>
</ol>
<p>I wouldn’t buy something without testing it/seeing it first. There’s a few threads on CC concerning pillow toppers vs egg crate toppers, etc so you can look into those for more info. Personally I would go to my local Bed Bath and Beyond, choose what I wanted and then use their inter store system and have it waiting for me at the BB&B in Evanston when I got to school. You can also ship stuff which is pretty easy and cheap. Depends on your arrival plans.</p>
<p>Definitely buy or bring a mattress pad - the thicker the better. We got a comforter similar to what my son was used to at home. And twin Extra Long sheets with deep enough pockets to cover the pad. </p>
<p>However, my son admitted the decorative pillows I set up on his dorm bed before I left were never again put on his bed after that day…same drill with my nephew at another college…</p>
<p>My son’s room in Shepard allowed him and his roommate to set the room temp of the AC/heat, so never had a problem with that. </p>
<p>A couple other things he really liked was an ottoman/storage box with padded top (from Target, $25), which he used for storage, sitting, and as a step stool to get up to his raised bed, and an old beanbag chair, which he and his friends used to study and relax on.</p>
<p>I would hold off on anything that will take up additional floor space until you find out your dorm. My daughter was in CRC and it was so small that even with the beds bunked it would not have been possible to add a beanbag chair or an ottoman. The refrigerator and standing lamp were even hard to fit!</p>
<p>Go with tempurpedic/memory foam toppers if you can.</p>
<p>And don’t buy the crap from that catalog they sent.</p>
<p>AMTC - yeaaaah, about CRC’s room space…hah! Do you recall what room she was in? My roomie and I had the very end, which actually is a few feet smaller than the other doubles. Theoretically we could have had a beanbag chair, maybe, but it would’ve just sat by the window…not really enough room to lounge out, and it would’ve been a PITA to get around if we had more than one!</p>
<p>My roomie and I next year are in one of the specially-big doubles on the corners. We could quite feasibly fit in a futon (kept in couch form) in our room, but that’s the only one in that building (or its mirror, ISRC) that could. However! If someone were to wind up in Willard or Chapin, they could certainly fit a few fancy additions.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! 
I am glad to learn that I should decide what items to buy ‘after’ I am assigned my dorm building/room. Still, I have some questions because I will be arriving from overseas. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>What stores around NU sell the tempurpedic/memory foam pads, egg-crate pad, and comforters that you recommend? </p></li>
<li><p>I hear that it is very hard to find ‘extra-long’ bed-sheets. So, I had better buy them from the catalogue. Right? </p></li>
<li><p>My parents will rent a car and will do some shopping with me before the move-in. How many days should be enough to figure out what to buy and complete furnishing my dormroom? </p></li>
<li><p>Is it a good idea to have a printer/scanner in my room?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>1) use google maps
2) only if you’re extra-tall
3) check out your room early on wildcat welcome and go to costco/home depot/whatever on that day. less trouble that way. then later, you can make friends with people who have cars.
4) yes if you don’t want to run to the library to print papers in the winter.</p>
<p>1) There is a Target, a Kohls, a Bed Bath & Beyond, and a couple other stores very close by. Will you have a car/someone to transport you around? These are also a pretty easy cab ride away.</p>
<p>2) XL sheets are required for all beds, but they aren’t hard to find in a bigger store like Target or Kohls during dorm move in time. However, you would be better off ordering them online. The stuff in the catalog they send <em>crap</em>. For sheets, just go ahead and find something you like online (paying attention to whatever material/thread count you want) and buy it there. Where are you from? You may be able to find these in a store near you, maybe…</p>
<p>3) Definitely try to get some stuff done the first day, because the rest of the week is packed with Welcome Week stuff that you won’t be able to get out of. If you can check in super early and then go shopping you’d be best off. ETA: Or do you mean you guys will be here multiple days before move-in day? Because that’s much better. I’d budget a day or so for shopping, especially if you are able to hit a mall or something with multiple good stores (and there are a few of these nearby, in Evanston, Skokie, Glenview, etc.). Maybe two if you don’t want to be too stressed about it. And then if you still check in early, you could go grab stuff you missed on the day-of.</p>
<p>4) In general yes, but it can be a pain to keep up with the ink. I generally traded friends for printer use (food, money, favors, whatever). What major are you going into? Big hint - McCormick Tribune, the big journalism center on south campus, has free printing for Medill kids. However, they don’t check or anything when you walk in/print. So…</p>
<p>But it’s so much easier to have a printer, I promise. I regretted not having one.</p>
<p>^So helpful!!!
I now know that we had better arrive a couple of days prior to move-in and shop around. I have been worried about furnishing my dorm-room because I will be arriving in Evanston from Korea. Fyi, I am currently living in Canada but plan to go to and stay in Korea from August til move-in. </p>
<p>As for the printer, is there a certain model/make that is preferred? Or is it ok to ship the two ve–ry average printers, one b/w and the other color, that I have been using here in Canada? I will be shipping my ski-gear, guitar, and a few books anyway…</p>
<p>Naw, any model will do as long as you know you can get ink for it online/somewhere close. However, rooms can be small, so having just one printer might be easier, especially if you have a guitar, ski-gear (will you need it?), etc. already in your room.</p>
<p>You only need a black & white printer. I would recommend a laser printer because you don’t have to do replacements on those as often.</p>
<p>It is not too hard to find extra-long twin bed sheets at stores. I didn’t order anything from the catalog. Stores know what college students need and can help you find it. I got my stuff at Bed Bath & Beyond at home, but I don’t know if there is one in Evanston. I would recommend Kohl’s, which is located at Lincolnwood Town Center (corner of McCormick Blvd & Touhy) </p>
<p>I would leave 2 days to get things for the dorm room. It is likely that you will finish in one, but it’s always nice to have extra time.</p>
<p>Well noted. Thanks to all!</p>