Many students, either in their first year of college or already attending college, will decide to make the move to campus living to better appreciate college life.  While this is an exciting time for all involved, including Mom and Dad, there are many supplies that the independent student will need.

Unless the student is going to live in a dorm that has a living room, they'll probably want to spend most of their efforts focusing on the bed that they'll be sleeping in, as it will be their main piece of furniture in the room.  They'll sleep there, work there, and possibly eat there when they don't feel like making the hike to the campus cafeteria. 

The first thing to do when purchasing bedding is to find out if the bed that is going to be provided in the dorm will be an XL Twin or another size so as to pick the right size sheets and other bedding.  There are many different and fun patterns available for dorm bedding.  If they are a sports-fan, decorate with basketball, baseball or football.  There are also many college themed bedding sets that a student might like to use to show school spirit.  When purchasing bedding you always want to make sure that the bedding will be durable and handle many washings in the campus laundry room without wearing out. 

As students will probably be doing all number of tasks sitting on their bed, extra pillows might help with providing support and comfort.  Also, some dorms have a set thermostat so that the students are unable to change the temperature.  Packing an extra fleece blanket to match the theme of the comforter will help coordinate as well as keep warm. 

Decorating a dorm room on a budget is easy, especially if you know where to look. Here are some ideas for decorating on a modest budget:
1. Have a favorite movie?  Buy a movie poster to hang over the bed.     
2. A music lover?  Frame CD covers and hang them on the walls.  There are many different adhesives that won't hurt the dorm room walls.   
3. Get a small rug that matches the comforter to put next to the bed.  It'll add an extra burst of color. 
4. See if there's a way to hang curtains on the windows.  You can match them to your bedroom colors as well as provide a little more protection to keep the sunlight out in the morning.

There are many different ways to decorate the dorm so that it reflects the student's style and hobbies to make it more personalized and comfortable. 

Once you've taken care of bedding, check the college website or call the housing office for a checklist of supplies that will be needed in the dorm.  Usually the student will probably need a microwave, small refrigerator, a lamp or two, a coffee pot (for the coffee-lover), and a TV as well as food, kitchen, and bathroom supplies.

[Article provided by:
store51 - Sports & Kids Room Superstore]