I have the same problem! I tend to hard books. I think I’ll bring the Harry Potter series, some Agatha Christie, and maybe some new reads for the school year
I’m probably gonna hang a few pictures up and talk through ideas with my roommate (let’s hope they’re up for decorating) before doing anything drastic.
I’ve been stuck watching dorm room remodels for hours now so that’s been messing with my mind.
I wish you knew who your roommates were before meeting them though! It’d be nice to get to know them and talk.
@missinghome21 I think a lot of schools give you your roommate’s phone number in advance once they finish matching people, although not sure about them all.
Those dorm videos are eating up like all my freetime, lmao
@woodcal03 do you know when they finish matching people? And what schools give out the numbers?
And I know right? It’s just one video after the next in an endless black hole of cubby organizers and weird posters.
Not all do. Some schools take FERPA to the nth degree and the student only gets the roommate info upon arriving on campus.
Probably:
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- The Kite Runner
- Southern Lights
- Heroes of the Valley (Jonathan Stroud)
And some others, but I haven’t decided anything yet.
@brassarrow To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorites too!
Yeah, I’m frequently rereading it. One of my friends borrowed it but only read a few pages because she found it boring. 
AppleKid’s dorm essentials: ultra-soft sheets, a memory foam mattress topper, fan, trash can (our school provides recycle bins), command hooks, hangers, a bedside lamp with a plug in the base for charging the cell phone and a floor lamp by the desks so as not to take up valuable surface space with tabletop models.
This year roomy gave us the green light to bring FLOR carpet squares which coordinate with the bedding on each of their beds (they’re running a sale through 4/2). Roomy’s parents replaced the shower curtain and also bought a shelving unit with bins for the bathroom where the kids can place their toiletries (yup, bathroom decor can be a thing too). All in all they’ve got it very nice this year (except when AK’s pile of clothing gets out of control on the floor X_X ).
Note that several of the extra touches were added on the day of move-in or shortly thereafter (same as last year which was AK’s first year) because that’s when you and roomy (if applicable) decide where to put the furniture and decide what else to put in the room. This year the furniture arrangement allowed the kids to add small bedside tables, under-bed storage (last year AK had a bed with built-in drawers) and small shelf units.
The school I’m going to attend has made a list of things you need to bring… your school probably has one too. Try searching on their website.
Mine includes:
- Computer (but I think a laptop is fine)
- Power strip (with surge protector)
- Desk lamp
- Alarm clock
- Bathrobe
- Towels
- Shower sandals
- Twin sheets
- Bedspread
- Pillows
- Hangers
- Umbrella
- Binders,notebooks, etc.
- Backpack (obviously)
- Graphing calculator
- Room decorations
- Sleeping bag
- Swimsuit
- Formal clothing
- Raincoat
- Fleece
So I came back to this discussion after some perusing and it seems that memory foam mattresses are quite popular. Aren’t they expensive though?
@missinghome21 we now buy ours on amazon and they cost around $50. Much less then the ones we used to buy at the home specialty stores and they are just as nice.
@vegas1 Ah it’s still pretty pricey for me. Do you think it’s a good investment? (If so I wont even bother leaving the bed 
)
@missinghome21, I’ve seen some for as little as 30$. Even if yours costs more, it’s a great investment.
@FunintheSun1211 Gotcha. I’ll look into it! Otherwise I sure hope the mattresses there are comfy! Also, off topic but I like your username. It rhymes.
I was thinking I might bring a Google Home/ Amazon Echo to my room. Is that something people do?
@woodcal03 For what purpose may I ask? I don’t think a lot of people do that though [-(
Sounds like a good idea. I have a google home in my bedroom and I can listen to music and set alarms and stuff easily. I may have to consider bringing one now…
I’d check with your roommate before bringing a Google Home/Amazon Echo. Some people (me!) are opposed to such things for privacy reasons. You know they spy on you 24/7, right?
Ahh @doschicos, good idea