<p>I wanted to buy my daughter things for her dorm room next fall for her upcoming birthday, but it seems some girls coordinate their dorm rooms? Is this common? Or something I should not worry about? What else can I buy her for her birthday that would look forward to college but would not interfere with some sort of coordination girls might do?</p>
<p>The only “coordination” that’s usually done is who is going to bring the TV, the fridge, etc. </p>
<p>Do you know where your daughter is attending in the fall? Also, have you discussed with your daughter color scheme, and etc.? </p>
<p>What I would buy early where color scheme or mattress size does not matter:</p>
<ol>
<li>Kuerig Mini, or other coffee maker or electric tea kettle with auto-off function, if allowed</li>
<li>Auto shutoff curling iron and/or flat iron/straightener</li>
<li>flatware</li>
<li>plate, bowl, saucer & cup set (microwaveable)</li>
<li>towels (only if on sale as will be cheaper when the college stuff comes out late May/early June)
6 small, standing make-up mirror</li>
<li>gift cards to stores & restaurants near campus, if known</li>
<li>“velvet” covered hangers</li>
<li>a couple of smallish photo frames
10.The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College, by Harlan Cohen</li>
</ol>
<p>Everything BunHeadMom said. Don’t bother with bedding yet.</p>
<p>Funny, we bought the incidentals for D at the nearby Target. Had great prices and then we didn’t have to schlep them on the plane. For S, bought the XL sheets when they were on sale online so we could launder them and packed them in our luggage. D ended up with his old sheets. Our D wasn’t into coordinating decor at all–S was more concerned about it and made his place fairly coordinated. It was early ikea. :)</p>
<p>What I observed was that the only girls who really coordinated their rooms in terms of design and style were the girls who were friends before moving in together-- high school friends or roomies from previous years.</p>
<p>Even if your D thinks she wants to coordinate, she may have a roommate that isn’t buying an entirely new bedroom set to come to college and may not want/be able to purchase all new coordinating items. She just won’t know until she talks to her. If you are more worried your D’s roommate might want to coordinate, I wouldn’t, I doubt it is unusual anywhere for girls to do their own thing.</p>
<p>My daughter said she’d refuse to dorm with anyone who wanted to “coordinate” the look of the dorm 
It felt totally like an un-college thing to do to her. </p>
<p>@Katliamom, my D also said she is NOT coordinating with her roommate, and will purchase the colors she likes, and it is not pink or purple, although both are her favorite colors to wear. My D finds the total coordination of some dorm rooms rather creepy, and Stepford wife-ish. Do a search on Pinterest for dorms, dorm room, or dorm decor to see what she means. </p>
<p>My D had black/gray/aqua and her RM had pink and animal print. It was easy to tell whose side was whose! They shared a microwave but each had their own mini fridge. </p>
<p>The Keurig mini is a great idea. They also use it to make hot water for tea and soup. Does she have any items with the college’s name? Sweatshirts and tees, blankets, etc.</p>
<p>I’d advocate the electric kettle with auto shut off over a keurig or other coffee maker, because it can be used for tea, hot chocolate, anything instant, including noodles, couscous, and soups, and coffee (either instant or french press). A few oversized mugs to go with it would be nice.</p>
<p>My D really wouldn’t have wanted to coordinate. I know there are a few girls that do, but I would not worry about it. Regarding bedding, we found more selection this past year for D2 than there was for D1 (yay!). We ended up finding quite a bit of selection at Target once summer came (maybe May or June, I think). We were able to look online and see what was in our store, then we went and got it there. If your kid is going far away you could try to shop when you get there, but the pickings could be slim by then. We purchased stuff early in the summer and shipped it to the college so it was waiting when we got there.</p>
<p>Make sure you know college dorm policies on electric kettle/coffee maker/Keurig. They were not allowed in my D’s dorm…</p>
<p>Neither D1 or D2 coordinated bedding with their roommates. They did share the cost of renting a fridge/microwave for the year.</p>
<p>If you coordinate your daughter’s room with her ahead of time, you deprive her and her roommate of something to collaborate on. Sometimes there’s intangible value in having them define what they want together.</p>
<p>If she already knows where she is going you could get her something like this if they are a big sports school. Obviously, search for one for her school. <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Denver-Broncos-Small-Garden-■■■■■/dp/B00A4WYFT6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390790851&sr=8-2&keywords=garden+■■■■■”>http://www.amazon.com/Denver-Broncos-Small-Garden-■■■■■/dp/B00A4WYFT6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390790851&sr=8-2&keywords=garden+■■■■■</a><br>
We got one for our son when he was heading off to college, Otherwise I would wait on dorm related stuff. </p>
<p>When D was planning the across country move to her college, we received a message from roomie and mom, wondering if we wanted to coordinate colors. I was astounded. Not being especially monied at that point, paying for the airfare, and picking up something on sale at Target was all I could imagine. Since that time, I have come to enjoy the various approaches to such things. Roomie ended up being a rather exacting sort, and the two did not exactly bond, though they came to share a major, and respect each other. </p>
<p>My kids did NOT communicate much with room mates until they met. It worked out fine. Some Us are very selective about anything that you can plug in (and might cause a fire or blow a fuse). Check before you buy and bring! Some Us provide a micro & fridge–again check! Our S’s room mate provided a TV and S provided the printer/fax machine they shared. That was the most coordination they did that we were aware of. </p>
<p>His later room mate let him buy blackout curtains that he put in, as well as any communal furniture he wanted. D’s initial place was wholly furnished by the campus and she needed and brought very little. She gradually acquired things, sometimes on her own, hand-me-downs from brother, and other castoffs, as well as purchases. As far as we know, there was minimal coordination, other than being sure things would fit in the rental space. :P</p>
<p>Some do and some don’t. When they decide to be room mates, there is usually some discussion about this, and also what larger items they could share- like mini fridge, microwave. Dorm rooms tend to be small so sharing these items saves space and money. Another issue is travelling, and if you are flying, you won’t be able to bring many items. If you plan on buying items when you are there- be aware that sometimes local stores are almost bought out on move in day as thousands of students shop for items they need. If there is something your D really likes, then buy it ahead of time if you can travel with it.
Bunhead mom’s list is good. One item I’ve seen that is popular is a storage futon, which serves as extra seating for a friend. Target and BB&B also carried bungee type chairs that folded up for easy storage. These items, and others are easier to find in summer when stores stock up on dorm type items. Some things your D may use are hanging organizers for scarfs, jewelry, a shower caddy, shower shoes ( flip flops), towel wrap. </p>
<p>My D had no interest in coordinating. She has her own style and favorite colors and those are evident on her side of the room. Her roommate’s side reflects her personality too.</p>
<p>The question was more, if the roommate was going to want to coordinate, I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. As for buying this stuff for her birthday, I was going to take her shopping and let her pick. I asked her if she thought she would want to coordinate, as I heard that happens. She said she really doesn’t want to, but if her roommate wants her to, she doesn’t want to not get along with her roommate. But honestly, I worry that if a roommate wants to coordinate that bad (DD is not going to college with a friend) that that could be a precursor to other problems. I am only saying this because of a nightmare story I read here about a roommate who purchased everything and then just showed up and presented the roomies with a bill. </p>