subject: College Supplies - Who Brings What? [print this page] College Supplies - Who Brings What? College Supplies - Who Brings What?
Dorm room space is almost always limited. Two people and all of their college supplies can fill up a room quickly. When you receive your room assignment, contact your future roommate immediately; to not only learn a little more about each other, but to determine who will bring the bigger items you will need for your dorm room.
Television
There are a couple of reasons why you should only need one TV in your dorm room: it is unlikely you will have two TV's on in a dorm room at the same time and televisions can take up valuable space. If neither you nor your roommate has one already, decide on who will make the purchase; don't offer to go in on one together. If at the end of the year you are to go your separate ways, trying to figure out who gets the TV or how much one should pay the other for it can be a major hassle. To help you decide who should buy the TV, continue down this list - you may find you can divvy up the items evenly.
Sound Systems
Much like a television, it would be quite strange if you have two stereos going at one time in your dorm room. If you are bringing a bulky sound system with full size speakers, you will absolutely only need one. If you both have smaller sound doc type units and would prefer to each bring your own, that's reasonable. But discuss with your roommate if two are necessary; anywhere you can save space is a good thing.
Microwave and other Cooking Appliances
Microwaves can take up a lot of space and it is unlikely you will ever need to have two available at one time. And although smaller appliances such as hot pots and coffer makers are more compact, as with the microwave, it isn't necessary to have more than one. Together with your roommate, make a list of the appliances you think you will need and decide who will bring what.
Refrigerator
Because a refrigerator can act as piece of furniture, it isn't completely unreasonable to have two in your room, though in most cases only one is necessary. If you decide you only need one, try dividing it up this way: you bring the fridge and your roommate brings the microwave; the costs are about the same for both.
Printers
While you will certainly want to have your own computers, you may want to share a printer. There will very few occasions where you will both need to use it at the same time. Just make sure to be considerate and avoid leaving your roommate with a printer jam or low toner warnings.
Throw Rugs
If you dorm room is not carpeted, you may want to throw down a rug to cozy it up a bit. If the rug is on the large size, just bring the one. Trying to fit in a bunch of throw rugs can make the room cluttered and can be a safety hazard with regards to tripping and fire.
Divvying up these larger dorm items will certainly save money and space. With regards to smaller items such as cleaning supplies, toiletries, and food; buy your own at first and determine later if you want to restock these items together.
