I’m a rising senior, I’ve had a minifridge all my life at college (couldn’t live w/o it…cold beer is like heaven), plus you can put leftover pizza/ food/ microwaveable dinners in it. As a freshman, you probably HAVE to buy a meal plan (i think it’s a federal law or something) so you may not have much use for it.

I’ve had a microwave 2nd and 3rd years even though they are not permitted in the dorms (??who cares??), and it’s a time saver, money saver, and life saver. Why pay 10 bucks a meal at the campus cafeteria (which probably is bad food) when you can buy a 12 Progresso soups for that much?

I’ll be in a suite-setup this year with four other kids, I have the microwave, I’ll be bringing a rice-cooker to make my own food (infinitely more cheaper than buying meals), and my mini-fridge even though the suite has its own kitchen refridgerator (It deters your roommates from ‘stealing’ your food). A friend of mine got one of these George Foreman grills (also banned in the dorms, but who cares, nobody really pays any attention to those rules), and he loves it. Another friend uses her rice-cooker since freshman year at least three times a week. And we ALL have fridges (some are over the housing policy’s permitted dimensions, heh)

Of course, I go to school in New York City (four hours away from where I live), the campus food isn’t so great (though the school has been improving it, but its just not worth it when there are so many great eats closer to the dorm than the campus dining hall), among other things (like greater selection and variety).

My friends who have to fly to school from home (I drive down w/ my parents) rent a minifridge when they move in–its the first thing they do. You should wait for things to go on sale, I got my minifridge for less than sixty bucks from Sears (on clearance, plus employee discount), and the microwave I got for ten bucks–there’s very little sense in buying it new, anyway. Even if you do buy it new, you’ll be using it the moment you graduate and are living by yourself.

The whole thing depends really on where you go to school. You should really ask current students to see if they really need things like a microwave, a minifridge, coffeemaker, etc.

But, waiting for towels isn’t necessary. Bring plenty of towels and extra clothes because you’re not going to do laundry as often as you think you are.

First, in my experience, you are too busy doing other things like studying and hanging out, and second there is no guarantee that you will be able to do laundry when you want to. You may get down there to find that they are all full and other people are waiting in line already.

Your best bet is to bring a few rolls of quarters (some schools do it by prepaid cards too), try to do laundry early in the morning (while others are recovering from the night before), and have extras just in case.

For more things you may need that you never thought about, ask.

If you have a roommate, she might have a fridge or microwave. Are you allowed to have micro in dorm?