Back to School: How to Prepare for College and Not Get Caught Up in a Lot of Fluff

You know school is about to start up again when you start getting more mail from various associations on campus. They tell you it's "Urgent!" or address it to your parents. And almost always they are trying to sell you some kind of gadget or accessory for your dorm room.

Yes, it's exciting, moving into a dorm. But don't be mislead by all the fluff. I first fell victim to this my freshman year, when my parents received a pamphlet selling 'dorm bed sheets.' They claimed that the dorm beds were a different size than normal twin beds and that only their special sheets would fit. Sorry, my friends, that's a lie. We spent the money and bought a couple pairs of sheets from the organization. Next week, they had dorm-bed-sized sheets at Target for half the price we paid.

They will send you ads for anything from carpets to lofts. Most of it is overpriced and unnecessary.

The chain stores take a piece of this pie too. They market all kinds of 'dorm necessities' and furniture. Yes, you want to make your room comfortable, but take into consideration what you will really use. If you don't normally iron your clothes, there is no need to get the cute little fold out iron for your dorm. You can just as easily get closet organizers at Big Lots that aren't a part of the 'dorm set' at a larger chain.
Of course, it's always a good idea to contact your future roommate and decide who will bring what. Two mini-fridges in one room is not only expensive, but it will also crowd your limited space. Split up what you need in the room and save money.

One thing I've also learned is to be patient with textbooks. I usually wait until I've been to every class once before I hit the bookstore. Most teachers have a required text, but sometimes they don't. I've gotten stuck with textbooks before that weren't used for class and then weren't excepted for refund. Ask your professor what is really needed before hand. Maybe your and your room mate have the same class and can share a book. Maybe the book is offered online for less. Take the time to figure these things out.
College is expensive enough as it is. Don't make it harder on yourself by overloading on furniture and unneeded things.