What You'll Want in Your Room

Each RIT dorm comes with the standard desk, chair, dresser, set of drawers, closet space and bed. Students are placed in dorms of various sizes, but every room is decorated differently. Some rooms are square, others more rectangular. Some beds are wider than others.  

However, most dorm rooms in the older buildings have a lot in common. For starters, they lack air conditioning. Unless you selected one of the newer dormitories, you're guaranteed some sweltering nights in the fall and the spring. In a lot of the doubles, the lighting is very poor.  

Most freshmen think about what gaming system to bring or how big of a TV screen to have, but there are some more vital appliances incoming students might want to consider investing in for the upcoming school year.  

Desk Lamps, Floor Lamps, Bed Lamps​

You can never have too many lights in your room. However, for those more secluded corners of your room, like your personal desk space or bed, consider purchasing clip-on lamps. They can be attached to any surface and allow you to arrange them into any position. Flexible necks on lamps are key. It also helps to have a smaller light source for when your roommate wants to sleep or if you don't want the floor lamp on. We do encourage students to save energy; make sure whatever light sources you have will be able to hold LED bulbs. Also, keep in mind that RIT has a ban on bulbs that are more powerful than 300 watts.

Fans 

Just because Rochester is in the north doesn't mean we have less intense weather. Just as our winters are brutal, our falls and springs will have your head spinning. From the start of May until mid-October, RIT endures random heat waves. The best way to be prepared is to equip your dorm room with fans, since most dorms do not have air conditioning. If you decide to keep your bed lifted, make sure to invest in a clip-on fan. It will help for those warm nights in bed.

Surge Protectors

You might think it sounds silly, but make sure you have at least two surge protectors. Unfortunately, random power outages do occur in college. Outages can also have damaging effects on electronics, so it's safer to be prepared. Buy surge protectors with decently long cords, and make sure they're long enough to reach all of your appliances.  

Things to Consider Leaving Home

Printers: Ninety percent of your classes are going to have you handing in assignments online. For the remaining ten percent, it's best to just go to one of the free printing spots on campus. The computer labs in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science are two such locations. 

Alarm Clocks: Phones serve as better alarm clocks than actual alarm clocks. Most of us keep our phones next to our pillows, so consider opting out of purchasing a clock in efforts to save yourself a couple of bucks. 

For further ideas for how to decorate your dorm room, visit Your Room: Express Yourself!