Back to School 8.17.25 - Flipbook - Page 14
14 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, August 17, 2025
Deck Out Your Dorm Room In Style
By Emily Parks, Contributing Writer
W
hether this is your first or third
time turning a 19-foot-by-13-foot
dorm room into a comfy living
space, embrace this opportunity
for students to put their touch on it and make it
their own. But where do you begin? First, start
with the critical items for everyday use, like a
shower caddy, shower shoes, mattress topper,
bedding, electrical power strips, and storage
options underneath the bed and the closet.
Most dorms only come equipped with a bed,
a desk, a dresser, and closet, often in very small
sizes, so devising a few storage hacks is key.
Stackable storage drawers that fit under the
bed can store hoodies, shirts, snacks, or extra
toiletries. A five- or six-shelf hanging closet organizer made of fabric is good for shoes,
T-shirts, jeans or any other clothing that will
free up dresser space.
Items that do double duty as space savers or perform multiple functions are a must,
like lamps whose base doubles as a charger, or
Maryland Flag
Hang the Maryland flag
to help cover those bare
dorm walls and show
your state pride!
www.routeoneapparel.com
University of Maryland
Throw Pillows
If you happen to be bound for
the University of Maryland
at College Park, these make a
comfy addition to your bed.
www.routeoneapparel.com
Quilted Maryland Flag
Hayley ID Case
Add a touch of your home state
of Maryland whether you are
attending school in-state or
out-of-state.
www.routeoneapparel.com
Old Bay Hayley ID Case
“What’s Old Bay?” is a great
conversation starter whether
going to school out of state
or introducing new out-ofstate friends to Maryland.
Spice up your ID case with an Old Bay ID case.
www.routeoneapparel.com
Mesh Shower Caddy
Keep all of your bath and shower
accessories organized and in
one place with the Mesh Shower
Caddy for Dorm from Room
Essentials™. www.target.com
charging stations. A desk lamp will also help
diffuse the harsh, overhead, fluorescent lighting
found in most dorm rooms. Most schools will
also allow students to raise their bed, or bring
bed risers, to provide those few extra inches in
height for more under the bed storage space.
A cozy sleep space provides space to unwind and recharge in style. Dorm room beds
are twin or twin XL sized, and bedding sets are
an easy way to make the bed a haven. Small
throw pillows can add comfort and can be a
conversation piece! Find throw pillows that
celebrate school spirit or are emblazoned with
a favorite quote or show off a design aesthetic.
Bare dorm walls are a blank canvas, ready to
be decorated with conversation starters. Photos
from home, posters of a favorite band or musician, and artwork introduce others as to who
you are. Command brand hooks are dorm-wall
friendly, especially if you put down a piece of
painter’s tape before adhering the hook to the
wall. Passions can be a theme – musicians can
use music-inspired décor while the athlete can
integrate items related to their sport. Student
Madesmart Soft Grip
Bathroom Tote
A practical solution for
organizing your bathroom
essentials such as soaps, hair
products, and shampoo,
keeping them easily accessible.
www.target.com
ID holders come in all colors and styles and can
be personalized. While there are plenty of new
items to bring, don’t forget to bring a little bit of
home. Whether it’s a hometown team flag, or
photos of friends and family, these items will
add a homey touch to the four walls your student will be calling home for the next year.
It’s also important to know what you
CAN’T bring. Depending on the age of the
dorm building, old electrical systems mean
items like portable air-conditioning units or
appliances not provided by the school are forbidden. Most schools offer a combined microwave and refrigerator rental, which saves the
hassle of lugging it in and out of the dorm, and
no fuses will be blown.
Find the social media private parent groups
unique to the university. Facebook is a good
place to start looking for parent groups that
often contain all the advice about move-in day
and details about each dorm building. Look for
the groups that require proof of enrollment to
ensure it is really a parent group and not a marketing page for school-related items.
Be sure to check out the move-out sales that
take place at a nearby college or university. Students are more than happy to sell their items at
drastically reduced prices instead of dragging
them home. Many items are simply offered for
free for those who can pick them up! College
and university students typically move out of
dorms and apartments around mid-May, so
keep your eyes open earlier in the month for
move-out sales and events. For example, Towson University coordinates an annual MoveOut Sale around mid-June, often with a portion
of the proceeds from the sales going to a local
charity.
Don’t forget to coordinate with your roommate. Determining who is bringing what will
make move-in day run smoothly and help you
get to know each other.
With a little bit of planning, you’ll get top
marks when it comes to getting everything
you’ll need for the roughly 250 square feet of
space your student will call home for the next
year!
Comforter and
Bedding Sets
Microwave Pasta Pot
Add classic style to
your bedding with this
Twin/Twin Extra Long
Comforter from Room
Essentials.
www.target.com
Dorm dwellers and
impatient chefs alike will
appreciate this cooker’s
speedy approach to that
whole “making spaghetti”
thing. Just add noodles and water and nuke.
www.uncommongoods.com
Wavy Over-the-Door Mirror
Elevate the aesthetics of your
small space with this Wavy
Over-the-Door Mirror from
Room Essentials.
www.target.com
Command Hooks
Command hooks let you
hang what you want, where
you want, without the hassle
of tools and nails.
www.target.com
Therapy Fidget Dough
Modeled after clay used by
art therapists, this dough is
infused with essential oils
for stress relief.
www.uncommongoods.com
Organizer Task Lamp
Instantly illuminate your desk
space with this Organizer Task
Lamp from Room Essentials.
This compact desk lamp provides
a convenient place to store your
pens, sticky notes or anything else
you want to keep within reach,
and it features a USB port with phone stand to plug
in your small electronic devices.
www.target.com
Hanging Closet Organizer
The design allows for easy hanging
with cubby spaces as well as side
pockets for smaller items. It makes
organizing so easy but does not
take up much space at the
same time.
www.target.com
3 in 1 Wireless Charger
You love your multiple devices, but you
could do without all
those cables. Retire
those pesky cords by
using a foldable power strip that
charges up to three gadgets.
www.uncommongoods.com
Go Anywhere
Shatterproof Drinkware
Hidden Power
Wireless Charger
Weighted Hug
Calming Heart Pillow
This handsome volume
is full of secrets – it
conceals a discreet
charger and tidy storage.
www.uncommongoods.com
Cuddle away a day
of uuuggghs with this
weighted relaxation pillow.
www.uncommongoods.com
A step up from the red
plastic cup, this drinkware
brings style and strength
to every pour.
www.uncommongoods.com
