Before you go shopping for all your dorm room must-haves this year, ask yourself the following questions to ensure you arrive at college with everything you need for your dorm room.
Dorm Room
- What are the dimensions of your room?
- How much of the room is for each person in the room? Dimensions of your part of the room will allow you to better plan how to decorate your space before you leave for college. Our room planner tool will allow you to input the dimensions to plan.
- Does your room have a closet for each person in the room?
- What size are the beds? Most now are Twin XL, but some dorm rooms still have a regular twin bed.
- Is a desk and desk chair provided?
- Does a dresser come with the dorm room?
- How cold or hot is the room?
- Is a mattress provided? If so it's probably used, so you will want to look for mattress toppers to add comfort and a mattress protector as well.
- Does the school allow you to hammer in wall decor or just stick it on? This will help you plan for how heavy the items you put on the wall can be for your decorating.
- What is your roommate bringing for the room? This will help you plan to make sure you do not end up with duplicate things in the room.
Bathroom
- Is it a shared bathroom for the floor or a suite?
- Can you store toiletries in the bathroom or do you need to bring them with you from your dorm room each time?
- Do you have a robe and flip-flops to wear if you do have to use a shared bathroom?
- Would a monogrammed towel help prevent towels from disappearing?
- Where can you hang wet towels? You may want to get an over the door rack for your closet to hang towels to dry if a place is not provided.
Cleaning
- Is there a place for laundry drop off or will the student need to do their own?
- Is there a vacuum cleaner for the student to use to clean their room?
- What cleaning are students expected to do in the dorm?
Shopping
- What are the cost of shipping items to school?
- Is it easier to purchase items closer to the college instead of shipping?
- Is the student bringing a car to school that you can just pack with purchased items for their dorm room?
- What are your electronic needs for college?
- Can you change out things like the bed and mattress for your own?
Now that you have the answers to these questions you are ready to go out and find everything you need for the perfect dorm room. Stop by any of our 14 stores or shop online at afwonline.com for your dorm room decor and furniture needs.