<p>do most of the dorm rooms at penn have one or more built-in shelves? or do people usually have to bring one with them? i’m assuming that a fridge and a microwave are not provided, right? also, do most of the students buy things they need for their dorm rooms once they get to campus, i.e. an armchair, lamp, laptop/computer…etc?<br>
thanks.</p>
<p>Good question. Anyone?</p>
<p>Some dorm rooms do, some don't. The ones that do are usually the smaller ones, the ones that don't have furnature shelves (my impression - not sure if it's accurate).</p>
<p>Furniture (ie. bed, table, chairs, shelves, drawer) is provided but not microwaves and fridges. </p>
<p>People who are close to the school seem to haul almost everything in from home. Internationals do not bring as much stuff, obviously, and many purchase things after arrival. So it depends on what is convenient. How much stuff to have in your room also differs dramatically among people.</p>
<p>so, there are stores nearby the campus to buy dorm stuff?</p>
<p>this site tells you what is provided in every room:</p>
<p>the desk described usually has a series of shelves.</p>
<p>many people bring their furniture with them, but other stuff can be purchased at the bookstore, or at other stores in the area (kmart, etc.); it's wise to think about room size before packing tons of furniture that may not all fit into your room.</p>
<p>When you get your room assignment, you'll have access to the floor plan of your dorm.</p>
<p>Fridge and microwave aren't provided, but you can rent microfridge things from a Penn-approved company if you want. It's convenient if you don't want to get stuck with appliances, but much cheaper to buy them.
Penn's computer store offers packages which they will surely send you details of before too long (any combination of desktop/laptop and Mac/PC), which you can pre-order and pick up when you get to Penn, or you can do your own thing.
There are also computer labs in every dorm, but I don't know anyone who doesn't have their own computer.</p>
<p>Furniture depends on what room type and size you have, generally if it's not provided it will probably be tough to fit it into your room.</p>
<p>If you want to buy stuff, you can get it through PSA or the Penn bookstore, which is expensive but convenient. If you have transport you can head down to the Delaware - there's an Ikea, a Target and a Wal-Mart on Columbus, which should cover all bases for you (There are usually bus trips down there at the beginning of the year). Oh, there's also a K-Mart in Center City which is more accessible by public trans.</p>
<p>Oh, and you will very definitely be needing lamps, and plenty of them. Penn's campus (and Philadelphia in general) is the land that overhead lighting forgot.</p>
<p>If you have a dorm with a kitchen, a refrigerator is provided. Most students bring microwaves. Most rooms include a bookshelf or hutch for your desk, and the high rises I know definitely have shelving. If you're looking to buy things once you get to campus, there are sponsored trips to IKEA early in the semester. IKEA has almost everything you could need for your dorm. You could also take the subway to The Gallery in Center City. The Gallery is a huge shopping mall with a K-Mart and other stores where you'll find stuff for your dorms. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.galleryatmarketeast.com%5B/url%5D">www.galleryatmarketeast.com</a>
<a href="http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10103&StoreName=philadelphia%5B/url%5D">http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10103&StoreName=philadelphia</a></p>