Hi, my name is Sarah and I am a procrastinator. Anybody else out there?

Normally, the only downside of procrastination is the added stress you force upon yourself. However, when it comes to dorm room shopping, there is another consequence: things are beginning to sell out!

Before I get into the rest of my dorm room shopping tips, let me give you the ultimate advice: DO NOT wait until last minute to buy your sheets/duvet covers/decorations. DO NOT be a procrastinator! PLAN AHEAD!

Seriously. It gets stressful. Around this time of year, college girls around the country begin to realize that they have only a few weeks until move-in! Everyone prints their college packing list and races to the nearest Target or Bed, Bath, & Beyond to scour the aisles. Displays are knocked over, bedding gets inspected, items are haphazardly thrown about – it’s a shopping nightmare.

To help you combat these problems, I’m outlining my own freshman dorm room shopping tips. We’ve already covered the specifics of buying your bedding, furnishings, storage, and decorations, and creating a dorm room layout and color scheme, so, using my own experience, I’ll be discussing the shopping experience itself. Follow these tips, DO NOT procrastinate, and your dorm room shopping experience will be a breeze!

Table of Contents

1. Make a list

This seems like common sense, right? Wrong! Surprisingly, many college-aged girls skip this step. It’s so important to write down what you will be needing before you leave the house! Once you start throwing items in your cart and getting excited over cute pillows, it is really easy to forget about the necessities. When you make your dorm room shopping list, make sure you: