Friday Feature: Matt's Dorm Room

Happy Friday, lovely people!  I've decided to try a bit of a series of features here on the blog, and as it conveniently happens to be Friday, I'm calling it Friday Features.  Yep, I am just that talented.

For the first feature, I would like to introduce you to my lovely friend Matt.  He's a junior here at school and he's a resident advisor (RA) in my old dorm.  He has his own YouTube channel, MattNazario, where he makes videos about college life and traveling and whatever else strikes his fancy.  He's got a super funny, quirky way of putting things, so I'd highly suggest checking him out.

Anyways, for those of you who have followed the blog for a while you know that I attempted a few different decoration ideas during my time in the dorms, which you can find here.  Once I moved in with my grandparents I also decorated that room, and I think it's safe to say that my decorative skills have definitely improved.

But I have nothing on Matt.  He's a three-time dorm room survivor, and his room always looks fantastic!  After weeks of bugging him about it, last week he uploaded a tour of said amazing dorm room, which you can find above.  I'm still in awe.

Do you guys have any tips for decorating a small/dorm room?

How to Not Go Broke in College

Last weekend, I went shopping for the first time in a long time, and I will admit to getting a little over-zealous.  Granted, most of my purchases were gifts as part of my early holiday preparation, but I still felt like I had spent more than I wanted to.

I know that being able to manage their own money is not a skill that most kids bring with them to college.  Personally, I definitely over spent during my freshman year and have since learned to be more money conscious and responsible.  So, in the interest of helping you guys learn from my mistakes, I thought I would compile a few pieces of advice for how to have occasional shopping weekends like I did and still not go broke while in college.

*Please keep in mind that I am in no way a financial professional, and I am not being paid by any of the mentioned companies to pitch their services/products.  I'm simply sharing tips from personal experience.

The Amazon Student App

1. Sign up for Amazon Student
Seriously, Amazon is a lifesaver.  Not only do they sell practically everything (seriously, everything), but Amazon Students gives you all of the free, two-day shipping benefits of Amazon Prime, but at half the cost.  As I've mentioned before, I highly encourage everyone I know is attending students to first try and purchase their course books from Amazon and their affiliated sellers before buying from their campus bookstores, where book prices are often astronomical.  If you'd like to sign up and help me out a little, you can do so through my referral link HERE.

Walgreens Balance Rewards Card

2. Sign up for a local rewards program.
After the first month or so at school, you'll know the stores that you go to most often and have the best selection of products.  Most grocery and drug stores have a rewards program that is free to sign up for, in which you get special discounts and sometimes cash rewards.  I personally have signed up for the Walgreens Balance Rewards program because that is where I do a lot of shopping for food, health items, etc.

Everyone loves Starbucks cards!

3. Limit your off-campus expenses.
If you live on campus and have a meal plan that is included in your tuition fees, use it.  Think about it: you or your parents have already paid that money, so you're really just wasting it if you never eat on campus.  If you do need the occasional off-campus treat like a drink from Starbucks, try this: buy yourself a Starbucks card with just $25 dollars on it and limit yourself to one card a semester.  If you only buy Starbucks when you have money on the card and are not allowed to refill it, you will stop wasting money on expensive coffee and save it for weekend trips and events instead.

Along the same lines, if you live off-campus and don't have a meal plan, pack yourself a lunch.  Consider this: a loaf of bread costs me $3-$5 and will last me at least 2.5 weeks.  Fresh sandwich meat for the week is about $3.50 and my favorite mustard is also $3.00.  Now compare that to the $5+ dollars you could end up spending a day if you buy lunch.  Yeah.  Pack a lunch.

Bank of America Mobile Banking App

4. Download a mobile banking app.
Most banks now have some sort of a mobile banking application for all smart phones, and it's a really easy way to keep track of how much money is on your account at any given time.  Just make sure that you keep a close eye on your phone and never save any account information outside of the secure app.

5. Get a part time job.
This is honestly the best advice I can give you.  Even if you didn't qualify for work study, ask around campus about assistant, TA, and reception jobs.  Work in the cafeteria or the admissions office as a student ambassador.  You don't have to work 14 hours a week like I do; even a few hours a week can help pad the inside of your wallet.

And when you get that first pay check, be sure to put a least half of it in your savings account.

Tips for Packing for College

1. Be weather ready.
I know this sounds pretty basic, but do take the time to research the typical weather for your campus during different times of the year.  This way you won't get stuck in a rainstorm without an umbrella, a snowstorm without a coat, or a heat wave without at least one pair of shorts.  And as weird as it sounds, being mentally prepared for how cold (or hot) the weather is going to be makes the transition a whole lot easier.

2. Be prepared for casual, professional, and dressy events.
Within the first week of my undergrad career I had hiked part of Marin county, worked at a food bank, gone to classes, and attended a formal dinner.  You never know what you might end up doing!  So while I'm not advising you to pack your entire wardrobe (yes, there is such a thing as being over-prepared) bring enough of a variety to allow for different activities.  You don't want to be left out of a trip, for example, because you didn't bring a bathing suit or good walking shoes.

3. Buy school supplies at home.
This might be difficult for those of you flying to college, but seriously, buying your school supplies from stores like Target and Office Depot at home will save you so much money.  Most campus bookstores have ridiculously high prices because they know that they are the most convenient location for students to buy books and supplies.  Yes, this tip applies to coursebooks as well.  If you have the option to get your book lists ahead of time, I highly suggest browsing both Barnes and Nobel and Amazing rather than just buying books from the school bookstore.  Trust me, I saved about $100 myself just this semester by bargain hunting online.

4. Don't bring fragile or emotionally important items.
Consider the following scenarios: You don't know your roommate very well.  It turns out they're a total klutz, and one week in they've already knocked a picture frame off your desk and broken it.  Or how about this: after going to a party one weekend, you and your friends return to your room a bit intoxicated (yes, this is a possibility!) and someone accidentally gets sick on your vintage book collection or rips your favorite poster.  Are you starting to see a pattern?  Basically, don't bring super fragile or important items to college with you.  Things will get broken, stained and stolen.  That's just the nature of the beast!

5. Pack in boxes you can reuse.
Most dorm rooms don't have a ton of storage space, so packing in things like plastic boxes can be really helpful.  You can then repack these with items that don't fit in your limited closet space and store them under your bed.  Save cardboard boxes as well for sending packages home at the end of the year, or even for that random art class you decide to take.

6. Pack enough, but not too much.
I think that the most important thing to remember about packing for college is that you're not moving out entirely.  You're parents will expect you to come home for a least a few of the breaks and so it's perfectly fine to leave most of your clothing and possessions behind. If you're having separation anxiety for that one coat you just couldn't fit, never fear.  Every year when I go home for Christmas, I swap clothes out, leaving things that I'm tired of wearing over and over again and picking up that sweater that would look great with my new dress.  Always be aware that you'll probably accumulate quite a bit of stuff, especially if you live on an urban campus like I did.

I hope you guys find these tips helpful.  Happy packing!