A good place to start is with where you’ll lay your head at night. Ask ahead of time how big the bed will be. Many schools provide extra-long twin beds that will require special sheets and bedding. This time of year, that size is easy to find in many cool colors and designs at discount and department stores. And, keep in mind, the mattresses colleges provide aren’t necessarily the most comfortable so invest in an egg crate. They only cost around twenty dollars and can mean the difference between waking up well-rested or dead-tired. Once you have your sleeping situation taken care of, invest in some throw pillows to add a bit of pizzazz, so your bed can double as a sofa when you have your friends over.

The next most important thing -- to your academic well-being anyway --will be the study area. Some people work best at a desk, while others prefer to sit on the bed or in a beanbag chair on the floor. Regardless of where you decide to set up shop, you’re bound to need additional lighting. Invest in a halogen floor lamp, a desk lamp or both. You’ll also need some kind of shelving to keep your textbooks and notebooks organized. Milk crates are a good and inexpensive option. They can be stacked so they won’t take up much space -- which is at a premium in a dorm room -- and they also make great tables to rest drinks and dinner plates on.

While studying is an important part of college life, you also need to make time to kick aside that homework and hang with friends to relax. This is where you can really make an impact on your floormates. When your parents were in college, lava lamps were all the rage. Today, the trendy decorative accessory is the Color Cube 500 ColorMotion Light. It features 48 hip colors that “move to your music” with the Music Mic. Zone out with four cool color patterns and chill with four acoustic rhythms. This funky high-tech gadget will transform your study haven into party central as you unleash your inner color. The cubes can be used on a table-top or mounted to a wall. Stack two or three on top of one another to make a hip color tower, and you’ll have yourself a conversation piece that everyone will be talking about.

Another great addition to dorm décor is the HoMedics’ Cozy Cube Massaging Ottoman. Not only does it look great, it does double-duty by offering a powerful vibration massage with variable speed control. It is infinitely versatile -- it can be an ottoman, a massager or even an extra table. It comes in soft black, camel or chocolate microsuede fabric to match a variety of furnishings.

Taking the time to prepare for college by figuring out how to get around campus, preparing for classes and making your dorm room reflect your personality will make college fun and exciting and a time you’ll never forget.