It’s back to college time, and back to the annual parent/teenshopping adventure that sees credit cards over-stretched and smilesmore than a little bit strained.
Make it easy on yourself by following our Top Five productpicks, and our tips for sending your offspring back to school.
1Rather than splurging on a bedding set that your teen will getbored of a month in, try this comforter from J.C. Penney HomeStore. It’s reversible and its neutral color combos mean they canpep it up with pillows and throws as their mood and décor styledictates. Colors include lime/aqua, brown/beige, navy/red andolive/linen. from $29.99 (sale price at publication time).
2This foldable club chair is a low-cost way to pep up a dormroom and have extra seating for guests. it has a deep cushion andthe frame is lightweight steel. available only in fuschia, $39.99from Bed Bath & beyond.
3With space at a premium in a dorm or shared home, multi-usefurniture is the way to go. This faux leather ottoman can storeitems and turns into a table or laptop station if you flip the lid.Velcro closures keep it in place when it’s closed. $29.99 from BedBath & beyond.
4New from IKEA is the MICKE desk. It’s neat (41 3/8 inches wide)and has a cable outlet and a compartment to tame all your cords andcables, and you can mount the storage unit to the left or right.Also available in black-brown/white. $79.99
5The futon: a college essential, but not always something thatlasts the length of your degree course. Doug Raber, owner of TucsonFutons, has been building his own sturdy futon frames for more thantwo decades, and also strengthening and repairing the frames ofimports.
This full-sized pine frame sells for $349 and the mattress for$199. A peg insert in the back means you can adjust its height togo from sofa to lounger to bed. if you’re on more of a budget,Raber also stocks metal frames from $99.
Maximizing in a tight spot
When Madison Carroll moved from her own bedroom in Tucson into ashared University of Arizona dorm room last year, she learned a fewtricks to maximize space and make the place feel homey.
She took no fewer than 25 pairs of shoes, and after stackingsome at the bottom of a closet, chose to store the rest in a flatplastic box under her bed.
She had the foresight to wait till she met her roommate beforeshopping for bedding at Target. That way she was able to buy colorsthat complemented her roommate’s choices.
“Somebody told me to buy a rug and that was just the bestadvice,” says Carroll, who says the black rug on her floorinstantly made the place feel lived-in.
This year Carroll, 19, is set to move into a sorority housewhere she will share a room, and sleep in a sleeping porch withabout 18 to 20 others.
The last few weeks of summer have been spent estate-saleshopping for room accessories, and getting crafty; she’s addedjewels and ribbons to vases, and customized some shoeboxes withjewels and sequins for storage.
It helps that mom, Lori Carroll, is an interior designer -although former UA student Lori sees big differences from when shewent to college. “When I went there were four girls in a (dorm)room. it really didn’t allow you a lot of ability to personalizeyour space. plus, I think these days young people’s surroundingsare a lot more important to them.”
Vitals for survival
Your college checklist: the must-haves for living away fromhome.
• Personal planner – Whether it’s electronic or an old-fashionedFilofax, it’s essential for helping to sort study schedules, and ofcourse, social life.
• Alarm clock – Again, essential, since you can’t rely on anudge from the parents any more.
• Mattress protector – Because of the bed bugs, because themattress is not likely to be new…. need we give any morereasons?
• Shower caddy or tote, and flip-flops – These are vital for thedaily trip from room to shared bathroom.
• Microwave – Get a small countertop one for $60 or less.
• Whiteboard – Stick it on your door to relay messages to andfrom your roommates.
Madison Carroll adds:
• Make sure you also pack the following: an extra blanket, afoam mattress pad for extra comfort, a rug to make the room morelived-in, and photographs of your family and friends.
• Tucson Futons is at 447 E. Fort Lowell Road. 888- 8180 orvisit TucsonFutons.com
• J.C.Penney Home Store is at 4861 N. Stone Ave., 293-1251 orvisit JCPenney.com
• Bed Bath & beyond has four stores in Tucson. Visitbedbathandbeyond.com for locations.
• IKEA is at 2110 W. IKEA Way, Tempe. 1-480-496 5658. or visitikea.com/us/en/store/ tempe
Sharing a room? Follow these tips from IKEA on harmoniousroommate living:
• Use a screen or set of shelves as a room divider, creatingstudy areas or just more privacy
• Neutrals and limited numbers of colors are the way to go ifyou and your roommate have different décor tastes. They will alsovisually calm a small, crowded space.
• IKEA surveys have shown that students who surround themselveswith items and photos with personal meaning tend to feel lesshomesick those first weeks away from home.
• many dorms have extra-long mattresses. Check with your collegefirst before buying bedding.
• Shop here, pick up there. Bed Bath & beyond offers aservice that lets you can shop for your items at a store here, andpick them up at a BBB store near your college.
• in addition to the “must” items list, Carolyn Arrington,southern Arizona’s Bed Bath & beyond district merchandisemanager, adds a second to Madison Carroll’s suggestion of usingunder-bed storage. The big customer rush is the week classbegins.
Source: Bed Bath & Beyond
Tips, top five items to take with you to college
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