1. Communicate with your roommate about what each person is going to bring to avoid wasting money or overstocking in items.

2. Don’t waste money on a nice comforter, sheet set or pillow cases, they most likely won’t last the year.

3. If you do want to buy a nice comforter, splurge on a full size comforter. This way you can continue to use it when you move out of your dorm.

4. Spend extra money on a nice mattress pad to make your bed more comfortable; sleep is sacred in college.

5. Don’t room with someone who you are already close friends with from home. This can hurt the friendship and college is all about meeting new people and branching out.

6. Whatever you do, do not use Duct tape to hang stuff on your walls. It is extremely hard to get off the walls and schools like JMU give out fines when they see the tape residue on the walls.

7. Don’t buy bed risers, they are a waste of money and not necessary.

8. Before buying a fan test how loud it is, you have to make sure you can sleep through the sound.

9. Buy a laundry bag rather than a laundry bin, they’re smaller and easier to handle.

10. Wash your clothes with your roommates or friends clothes, it’s an easy way to save money on laundry.

11. Know the dorm rules and regulations before you start shopping for dorm room items.

12. Buy a bedbug proof mattress protector; bedbugs are common at college.

13. Don’t spend too much money on personalizing and decorating your dorm, the bulk of your stuff won’t survive through your freshman year.

14. Wait to get to your dorm to buy products like toilet paper and paper towels, a lot of dorms come with these items.

15. Keep a calendar, filing cabinet and organized binders to help keep order in your social and academic life. Organization is the key to surviving college.

16. Don’t purchase too big of a mini fridge, they take up a lot of room and aren’t as useful as you would think.

17. Enjoy the social aspect of college to the fullest, but don’t forget that your there for an education and to try your hardest to get good grades.

18. An ottoman is a great buy, it can be used as a chair, stool, or extra storage.

19. Don’t go too crazy with commitments, like trying to balance a job, school and friends. Try to balance your activities, with school being the most important.

20. Check deals your school offers before purchasing certain items because some schools will rent out mini refrigerators and microwaves for the year