Dorm shopping: What to buy, what to avoid

Ruth to the Rescue Tackles Dorm Shopping

DETROIT – Thousands of Metro-Detroit college students will pack up the car and head back to campus in the coming weeks. Whether they are returning to school or heading off for the first time, Ruth to the Rescue tracked down some advice from students who've lived on campus for a few years.

Lauren Mingo and Michael Faulkner have both served as resident assistants at Oakland University. You might call them experts on dorm living. Their advice to students: think convenience, storage, organization and a little extra comfort.

Local 4 Consumer Expert Ruth Spencer walked through some dorm rooms at Oak View Hall. It's the newest dorm on campus, with approximately 500 beds, and it just opened in the fall of 2014. We found the rooms are much bigger than some of the traditional, older dorms on many other campuses.

Spencer asked the students about the lesson they learned as they lived on campus. "Think back to when you were a freshman. What did you buy and bring in that you absolutely didn't need?" she asked Mingo.

"I think I actually had a laundry basket as well as a hamper and I didn't really need both. Now, I've just dwindled it down to just the laundry basket that I use as my laundry basket and my hamper," explained the experienced dorm-dweller.

Mingo also pointed out that if you bring a full size coffee pot you may waste a lot of coffee. "These small coffee pots are the best for college students. That's something I didn't know," she said.

Getting organized

To stay organized she finds two items to be really helpful. "Command hooks. Command strips. I have one up there. One here to have my keys which is huge because you don't want to forget your keys in your room in college because typically the doors will lock behind you," warned Mingo.

She also likes a nice white board. "I like to write all my assignments that are due... And that way I can keep them all organized," Mingo explained.

And for extra comfort, she suggests bringing some of your own lamps. "These non-fluorescent lights as I like to call them are super important because I am not a fan of the actual lighting that we have in the room," Mingo said.

A male perspective

Across the hall, we got the male perspective from Michael Faulkner. We noticed a lot more electronics in his room. "One thing I learned really fast is the power strips. We ran out of those real fast," said Faulkner.

He's also found a few tricks to make life a little more comfortable.

"Mattress topper just makes it a little more comfortable. Sleep a bit better at night. And, it's a little more money feel to it," Faulkner said.

"A fan helped tremendously. Not because it gets hot at night, but I sleep better with a fan and when it's cooler at night," he added.

Plus, he had another piece of good advice: you don't need to buy everything at once. "You want to get a good feel for what you can and can't fit into the room," Faulkner explained.

Advice from a college student's mother

Ruth Spencer isn't just a consumer expert, she's also the mother of a college student who's heading into her sophomore year. After years of doing stories like this and dorm shopping with her daughter, she's come up with a list of other items that might help other students furnish their home away from home.

-Hand held mirror (to see the back of your head, etc.)
-Full length mirror (made for the back of the door)
- Ear Plugs
-Fans (some dorms don't have AC)
-Back rest for bed
-Cushioned lap desk
-Extra locks, including a laptop lock to protect your computer
-Bed bug mattress cover
-Hanging organizers
-Mini Refrigerator/Microwave oven
-Folding chair
-Surge protectors
-Shower caddy to carry shampoo and other supplies from room to bathroom
-Try mesh hampers that are collapsable and take up less space
-Throw rug(s)
-Several coffee mugs for soup and beverages
-Fire escape/ chain window ladder

Check with the university

Finally, when in doubt, each university likely provides its own list of supplies students will need on campus. Check that resource to see if there are other suggestions, or any supplies that might be unique to your school.

Whatever you bring to campus, study hard and enjoy campus life!