duct tape, and masking tape -- it doesn't take the paint off your walls.

Also - a clothes hamper with handles so that you can tote it around easliy. I got a couple from Target that are really cute - blue and white plastic (Rubbermaid?), and they have held up well.

Remember caboodles? They had the right idea, only a little too early for college use in my generation! You need someting that you can tote all your toiletries around in- this is assuming that you'll be using a communal bathroom. My freshman year, I had a plastic one for the shower that held shampoo, soap, facewash, etc, and another one for makeup type stuff. It's nice to have it easily grabable.

Yeefan, what is a sandwich maker?

I agree with lofting (either legally or illegally) the bed. If microwaves aren't allowed, you can store it with a slipcover underneath. I worked in housing and residence life at my university -- as long as anything that's not allowed by the residence hall handbook is covered up, people who do room checks are technically not allowed to peek. Downside: lovin' it up on the bed can be awkward. There. I said it.

On a less intimate note, flip flops for the bathroom. I had my own suite that was mopped up every week, but it can still get pretty skanky.

My suitemates once brought a deep-freezer and a portable electric stove top and never once ate in the dining halls. Hey, maybe this can work for you.

i really don't get the popcorn popper...was this before micro pop?

also, i had/still use a microwaveable rice cooker. so good. for ramen too.

you can make grilled cheese sandwich by CAREFULLY using an iron set to warm (or "wool") and a big piece of foil. butter bread as normal, insert cheese, wrap in foil and "iron" each side for a few minutes. starch is optional.

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Originally posted by picadella:
Even better than a plain hot pot is a rice cooker. It works just like a hot pot...makes ramen, spaghetti, macaroni, soup, whatever, but has removable parts you can wash easier in dorm sinks and usually has an automatic turnoff in case you forget it. I went all four years with a ten dollar rice cooker and never used a microwave. Best thing dad ever got me.

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Originally posted by bali:

Make sure you love your bed, get warm sheet and a fun comforter and big pillows. It is the only personal space you will have in the whole campus.

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hah! So, sooooo true. In fact, it may be so comfy that it turns into everyone else's favorite space on campus! I had the "mecca of fluff" (as dubbed by my roomie) freshman year- the works, with down pillows, a featherbed, a down duvet, and a kick-ass duvet cover. I loved it, and unfortunately, so did everyone else. My bed soon became the gathering place for hall discussions I have the pics to prove it! On the flip side, having an overly comfy bed made it really hard to get up for those 8 am classes...especially in January...

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Originally posted by powerpuffgrrl:
since you'll probably be living off of ramen, here's an alternative to the "sandwich maker"-- my aunt lived off grilled cheese sandwhiches in college. provided you can store cheese and bread and have an iron, you can do this. make the sandwhich, put some wax paper on you ironing board/pad/floor, put the sandwich on it, put wax paper over the sandwhich, and iron over it. Ta Da! instant grilled cheese without the stove.

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Have you ever seen Yaffa blocks? They are at Bed, Bath and Beyond among other places. They may not be pretty but they are really good lightweight shelves. I used the hooks they came with to hold purses and an umbrella down the side.

We did have a communal kitchen but it closed at 11pm. I was often out much later so I had a dorm fridge with milk and PB and J. I highlysuggest having one.

This may be sorda off topic. But it ties in with the pain of doing laundry. Try the downy wrinkle releaser stuff. I use it on shirts that I barely wore (like to the store or something). It makes the shirt look fresh and saves having to wash it. Also,I keep my detergent in a tupperware container with the scoop. It's better than luggin around the huge box. And like everyone else said, always save your quarters!!!

To get up for class I use www.iping.com The website is down right now but what it normally does is call your phone with a wake-up call. For some reason it's alot easier to get up to answer the phone than it is to get up to an alarm. Perhaps because the phone was practically attached to my head throughout my teenage years.

Shower basket! This is for lugging all your shower junk down the hall with you. Shampoo, razors, etc. go in there, you take it in the shower with you. The more open/vented it is, the better. I saw some nasty shit in buckets that people never cleaned out. You have to get the water to drain out or you have some major funk on your hands (and that's no good, my friend).

Loft the bed for sure. Trust me. We bought ours off of someone who was moving out after summer school. Just make sure it's really sturdy. We rented a fridge, but never really used it.

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Originally posted by MoMoMoonPie:
Wow! That's from Bennie and Joon, one of the best movies in the world. Also i would like to say that PowerPuff Girls Kick ASSSS.

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my aunt did that in the 60s....but i wouldn't try that nasty milkshake benny does in the movie, you know the cereal one? yucky!

Storage supplies! I use the old containers from Biore and Ponds facewipes to organize toiletries. I bought cheap stacking shelves for under my bed, but haven't been able to use them yet, so I've improvised with all sorts of boxes, banker's filing boxes for taxes are great! and even kleenex boxes work.

Those hanging sweater organizers for your closet also hang well over a towel rack.