<p>Other threads have dealt with dorm room stuff such as curtains, lofting beds, etc. My D has an interest in a MicroFridge, one of these units that is a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave all in one, very compact and perfect for dorm rooms. I'm told they are quite popular on campus. If they are popular, I'm guessing that graduating seniors may have some to sell. Some colleges (but apparently not USC) also have provisions for renting them. Does anyone know if there is an after-market for MicroFridges, eiher used or for rent? Purchased new I'm told they are about $400.</p>
<p>Don't worry about a micro-fridge unit.</p>
<p>You can buy a mini fridge at Best Buy, Costco, Target, WalMart or Sears for about $169 before schools starts.... they will all have them..and a 700 watt microwave (max power USC allows) for under $49 at the same places. Far cheaper than trying to buy the combo units and no more hassle. You just put the microwave on top of the fridge anyway.</p>
<p>One word of advice, do a little comparison shopping first and get the one with the biggest fridge space you can find, shelf on door for bottles etc and skip those with ice making capability. They take up valuable fridge space, have to be defrosted, don't make good ice anyway with the high humidity in the dorms and if two are sharing the fridge, they need all the space they can get for milk, juice, bottled water, fresh fruit, yogurt etc. You'll notice I did NOT mention beer though you'll find that kept in them too.</p>
<p>If you do need freezer space, Danby makes mini-fridges with an automatic defrost button for the freezer. We did a lot of searching, because S's roommate is interested in having some freezer space (Frozen pizzas. maybe?) and that was the only brand we could find with auto defrost. We got it online from Target, and they had a good selection of various types, brands, and sizes.</p>
<p>Danby actually makes most of the mini fridges sold under other brand names as well which is why you see look-a-likes from Sears, Sanyo etc. The only differentiation being name brand, finish color and inside liner color.</p>
<p>What do you all think about a separate mini ice maker? Just wondering if there would be any use for that. Otherwise, is there anywhere to get ice in the dorms?</p>
<p>Maxcy had an icemaker in the basement kitchen (hotel style one) Don't know about the other dorms. S's fridge was big enough to have a seperate freezer compartment that could fit some ice cube trays.
Any reason your d would need lots of ice at one time?</p>
<p>I guess I'm just worried about the heat. </p>
<p>I had read someone elses post where they recommended not to get the mini fridge with the freezer.</p>
<p>kmkord,
Was your d the one with asthma and was thinking about a private room? If she has a compact fridge to herself, maybe you would like to consider one with a freezer space. One with around 4 cubic feet would probably have 3 shelves plus a little top freezer space that's as wide as a shelf. She would have plenty of room for juice, fruit, etc. since she wouldn't have to share it, and she could still have room for some ice trays. I do know that if you get a manual defrost freezer, then ice builds up on it because it pulls the humidity out of the air. The ice build-up causes the freezer compartment to not freeze well. That's why we thought the one with the auto push-button defrost might be worth a try. Is there a kitchen on her floor? Maybe there's a regular refrigerator on her hall with a freezer section and/or ice maker in it ?</p>
<p>S's could fit maybe a frozen pizza or two and two ice trays.It had a seperate inside door for the freezer,not outside door.He didnt need to defrost it except when they ask them to unplug at Winter Break time.The dorms are airconditioned so rooms dont ever get too hot.</p>
<p>Capstone has a real issue with humidity especially on the higher floors. My D and her roommate complained all throughout the fall that they couldn't even get their towels to fully dry after showering (they also had the same problem with work out clothes) and were asking for a portable room dehumidifier when the cooler weather finally set in and mitigated the issue.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that each room has its own thermostat there is a master trigger for the building that switches from heat to a/c that is temperature controlled and becomes an issue in the late fall as the night time temperatures drop but daytime warms up. Apparently the rooms can get really warm during the night. The same thing happens in the Spring which I witnessed first hand during move out when the room became stifling because it was raining and in the low 70s outside but very warm on the 16th floor with a room window that would not open. Portable fans are a really good investment.</p>
<p>sorry if I misled...,I'm not familiar with the high rise humidity problems!
S lived in a three story building last year and will again this year but will be on the third floor..I wonder if it will be hotter/more humid than the first floor setting of last year.He and roommate did keep fans on, in addition to the airconditioning.
I do remember him complaining of outside heat/humidity reaching a "peak" then suddenly it becomes cooler and more bearable.He thought the early spring (early for us northerners) was just beautiful but did have a temporary allergy problem for the first time in his life...some kind of planting/tree/bush on the Horseshoe that he wasnt exposed to before,no doubt.</p>
<p>I didn't mean to mislead about the fridge, either. The top freezer shelf in S's fridge is inside the fridge with an inside door, not a separate top freezer compartment. The freezer space is the width of a whole fridge shelf, though. We have friends whose daughter is an RA in Capstone and she filled us in on the master thermostat....unfortunately, it operates just as eadad said, so humidity can be a problem, especially on upper floors.
South Carolina does have a lot of allergens, especially in the spring. On some of the news stations, they report the upcoming allergy index for trees, mold, etc. just like they forecast the possibility of rain! Greenville has a claim to fame (Ha!) of being one of the worst areas in the country for allergies. If your S or D has allergies, you might want to get meds refilled for them to bring and have on hand.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for great advice!</p>