HELOISE: Ready for the dorm? These tips can help

Dear Heloise: Here are some hints I learned about moving into a college dorm that I would like to share:

When decorating your dorm room, remember that this is going to be your home for an entire year, and you want to make it feel as much like home as possible. I suggest taking plenty of pictures of friends, family and pets from home.

When I moved my freshman year, my roommate and I didn’t coordinate what we were taking, and we ended up with two TVs. Make sure you know what your roommate is taking so you don’t have duplicates of things.

My room had all of the furniture attached to the walls, so we went to a carpet store and bought a piece of remnant carpet to put in the room. It was nicer than a rug, and cheaper!

If you are taking nice jewelry or other nice things, you should get a little safe that you can put in one of your drawers. This way, you won’t have to worry about the jewelry getting stolen.

Get a lock and chain for your laptop.

Take cleaning supplies and a small vacuum cleaner. The dorm rooms can get really dirty, and the best way to keep from getting sick is to clean often. Because of the shared ventilation system, it gets very dusty. I cleaned my room once a week (which I never do at home).

Take only the clothes you need for the weather right now. Your parents can mail you a jacket, but there’s no way you are going to be able to fit all of your summer and winter clothes into a tiny dorm closet.

Heather F. in Texas

Thanks for these super college hints. I’d love to hear more from students.

Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

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