Save on housing. Dorm living can be expensive.Ask the Residential Life office for details on your college’s discount deals, advises Champoli.

Tap partnerships. Many colleges have partnerships with companies such as Bed, Bath and Beyond for discounted back to school items including bedding and discounted or free public transportation for college student I.D.Renting, buying used and reselling could average students up to 70% on textbooks and supplies, says Brian Morris, Communications Coordinator for.

Watch for advance notice of sales on the campus store’s Facebook and Twitter pages, rent print or electronic textbooks, buy used and resell. Yearly costs for course materials and textbooks is nearing $700, but students can shop the campus store and still save with tips from the National Association of College Stores. Online, search for promo codes and coupons and sign up for email special offers from favorite stores. Still need clothes? “Take them to a local thrift shop,” suggests Gobel. Shop your student’s closet before you hit the stores. If your student really needs a coffee maker, microwave or mini fridge, consider ordering it after move-in and have it delivered direct to the dorm. Some schools don’t allow certain small appliances in dorm rooms, and some provide in-room or communal appliances. Make sure whatever your student brings will fit. Midsize microwaves work better than small (dorm size) ones but occupy more space. You may also need a mattress cover (if not provided by the college), sheets, a blanket and a comforter. Dorm beds are typically five inches longer than twin beds so you’ll need TwinXL size bedding. College Student Discounts lists 80 places where students can save, and many student discounts can be combined with other membership organization discounts. That can add up to big savings on a wide variety of things including movie tickets, package shipping, electronics and software, restaurants and food, travel and more.

Hundreds of discounts are available to college students with a valid college email address or student ID. Worried you might miss something or need more? You can always add it later when genuine needs are clearer. Stick to the bare minimum for the first semester. Most students bring too much stuff to college. Check BigFuture’s Off-to-College Checklist to be sure you’ve covered fundamentals such as pens and pencils, notebooks, laundry detergent, dish soap, food storage containers, bedside and desk lamps and other basics. Make essential must-have items your top priority. Then, if your budget has room left for splurges, add some of the fun stuff!Īlthough this isn’t an exhaustive list, these college shopping tips can help you think of the many little things that might easily be overlooked, from measuring a microwave to finding discounts for textbooks. Get the basics taken care of first, such as buying dorm bedding and school supplies. This college checklist can help you get your shopping lists in order. You may already know about the most important dorm essentials, but there are many other things your child will need that may not be on your radar. There’s a lot planning and shopping to do to be sure everything is ready for move-in day. However, for safety reasons, there are some items that the College cannot let students have in their room.The last few weeks before sending your child off to college is a flurry of activity. The College recognizes that students need to feel comfortable living on campus and that students will want to bring personal belongings from home to facilitate that. Desk lamp (we recommend one with an LED bulb the lamp may not be a torchiere or halogen).One-cup coffee maker with an automatic shut-off and without an exposed base heating element.Light bulbs (not torchiere perhaps try for CFL).Floor lamp (not torchiere, halogen, or octopus-style).Surge protector and/or multi-power strip with circuit breaker (UL rated only).If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at or (518) 454-5295. The following list includes items you may want to consider bringing to campus – these are all things that other students have told us they have used or wished they had with them. We want you to be able to personalize your room and make it to be your home away from home.

College board dorm room checklist