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Click here to buy Sale Posters

As you prepare to head off to college, you are undoubtedly going to need some cool posters to cover those blank dorm walls. Luckily for you, AllPosters.com is having a poster sale and are offering tons of posters to choose from!

To help you in your search for the most popular posters at the best possible price, we are providing you with a list of the top 10 sellers for the sale. Although not all the posters are pictured here, simply visit AllPosters.com to see the full list with their corresponding graphic.

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Alright, we wanted to make this contest as simple as possible! For the past few months, you have been playing around with the 3D-designer in order to create your perfect dorm room. You should hopefully have one dorm room design finalized if not more. All you have to do is submit your designed dorm room onto the DesignYourDorm.com Fan Page and we will pick a winner based on the most people that “like” your room design. So…tell all your friends once you have posted your design onto the wall and tell them to like it! If you get the most likes, you will win a $100 gift-card to Organize.com.

The deadline is Friday August 20th. Please have all your submissions posted by Friday at Midnight.

In order to submit your design, please follow these steps:

1) Log-in and go to the “3D Designer”. If this is not the dorm design you would like to submit, please go to “Manage My Rooms” and choose the room from your list.

2) Once you have selected the room that you would like to use for the contest, click on the “Share Room Design” at the bottom of the page.

3) Your room will then appear in a thumbnail and simply drag it into the Facebook “F” Icon.

4) Once dragging it into the Facebook icon, share it on your “wall”.

5) If you click on the picture of your room, you will get a custom URL that corresponds to your room. Simply paste that URL onto theDesignYourDorm.com Fan Page’s wall.

6. Once it is on the wall get all your friends to click “Like”. The most “Likes” wins the contest! It’s that easy!

Please e-mail info@designyourdorm.com if you have any questions!

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As move-in approaches, now is the time to start planning. Most of you should have received a notification with the name of your roommate. If you haven’t contacted them yet, it is important to connect with them to get an understanding of their personality and how you will mesh together. You can plan whose bringing what and discuss a possible “theme” for your room.

Have a good Friday and we hope you enjoy the stuff we like!

1) SLOUCHBACK

Slouchback!

Started by two college graduates, the “Slouchback” is the evolution to dorm furniture. While sitting in their dorm room, the creators saw the need to have somewhere comfortable to relax. Since dorms are small and there is not much space for futons/beanbags (depending on the room), the most ideal place to lounge is on your bed. The slouch inflates in just 30 seconds with a built-in pump. One of the coolest features are the insulated cupholders, so your drinks are always cold and within reach. It’s extremely easy to deflate and reasonably priced. Why sit up straight when you can Slouchback? Check them out here.

2) Thrillist.com

What is Thrillist.com? It’s a daily (weekday) e-mail that you receive in the morning that lists some of the hottest new goodies. Most of the time, the e-mails showcase new eateries, clothing deals, and evening hotspots. Currently, they have 17 editions (Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hamptons, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC) and have more on the way. If you’re headed off to school at one of these cities, you should definitely check them out!

3)Kia Car Commercial

The Kia Soul Hamsters…How can you promote your automobile by using hamsters as your actors? As out there as it seems, these commercials are understandably catching a ton of attention. It was named automotive TV ad of the year! If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth checking out.

4) CAMPUSBOOKS.com

It’s a fact…University bookstores will rip you off. In late June, CampusBooks was featured on “Stuff we Like” and it’s time to revisit their website. When you get your class schedule and booklist, you should really explore the site. We also implemented a widget in the left hand corner of our website, so you can easily find the books you need.  Why spend hundreds more on books then you have to?

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Chandra over at FSUFashionGirl is our guest blogger this week! Check out her tips for staying on top of your game and saving money when setting up your digs.

I just recently moved into an unfurnished apartment. Most college kids (and some parents) cringe at the thought of signing an unfurnished apartment because they think it will cost them a lot of money. If you take the time and do it right, you might find that signing with an unfurnished apartment might actually save you money in the long run.

STEP ONE: Start Early.

The earlier you start, the more time you have to search for the best deals. You can really take the time to think about the stuff you want and need and how much people usually ask for such items.

STEP TWO: Shop Smart.

I had no furniture to begin with but I ended up being able to furnish my apartment for around $1500. Check sites like Craigslist. You can find fantastic deals there. I got a year old leather couch for $300 and it is the comfiest thing in the world. I absolutely love it. You can also try your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store. I found a bistro table for the kitchen at Goodwill for only $75. Also go to stores like T.J. Maxx, Ross and Marshalls to find furniture and decorations and discounted prices. T.J. Maxx has a Homegoods store where you can find anything and everything that you will need for your house. Other stores to try are Target, Ikea and Walmart and don’t forget to check garage sales!

STEP THREE: Stay Organized.

Keep track of everything you have bought. When you are shopping for home furnishings, it sometimes easy to forget what you have already bought especially when it comes to kitchen appliances. Its nice to always have a list to refer back to so you don’t end up buying stuff that you don’t need.

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Ok, boys. This blog post is for the ladies, and featuring those chic college chicks of the web.

Being in college is an amazing opportunity to shape your personal style.  You’re exposed to new people and new places, and all sorts of inspiration. The challenge: you’re on a college student’s budget, and while you may be the next Martha Stewart of interior design, a dorm’s a pretty little space to reign.

Still, that’s what thrift stores and getting crafty are for, along with great blogs written by savvy ladies who will be there to help.  Here’s a three of our favorites, and some of their best hits of college-girl-greatness.

Lovely Undergrad

Feeling low on the living space? Head to the nearest Anthropologie, or just over to LovelyUndergrad.com for your daily dose of insanely pretty living spaces.  Jessica dishes up more design inspiration than Urban Outfitters, and has some serious good advice and links to other great resources, too.  Head over there for the prettiest rooms you will ever see alongside seriously smart college advice.  Our favorite? Her collection of beautiful DIY projects that’ll put pretty in any budget.

Charade Style

Picture running through a rose garden, in perfect pretty-yet-quirky florals and stripes. And that’s exactly the opening photos to Megan’s blog. Travel photos that make you yearn for Parisian cafés and some seriously sound fashion advice about creating a rocking wardrobe on a budget. While there’s a reason her ultimate geek’s guide to fashion is a top hit (seriously. You have to read it to believe it’s awesomeness) her advice on packing for travel is just as sound and helpful, especially for those summer trips.

University Chic

Think of rounding up all your best and awesome girlfriends, with all their different interests and talents. Now imagine doing that across colleges nationally. And you get UniversityChic. Written by real college gals, it covers not only fashion and fun, but serious issues (like how to keep yourself safe while studying abroad).  It’s a must-go-to for all sorts of info.

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Congratulations Patrick Joseph Kennedy, of Harrisburg, PA, on winning the DesignYourDorm.com Summer Plans Contest!

This summer, Patrick plans to keep up with his home improvement business while juggling TWO summer internships.  One will take him all the way to lovely Los Angeles, CA to work on a filming.  After a last stop in Florida with his girlfriend, he’ll head off to begin college. Patrick is loving every minute of summer, and he’ll definitely love his new Slouchback!

Thank you everyone for participating!  Stay tuned for our next contest coming soon!

DesignYourDorm is back with some more stuff that we love from around the web… you can’t miss this!

1) SMOKING 2-Yr OLD???

In no way do we condone this, but check out this far out kid… We feel bad for his lungs and his parents!

2) FAILBLOG.org

If you’re looking for some quick laughs, you will never fail with the FailBlog! Whether epic or subtle, these failures are downright hilarious…

Here’s one of our favorite fails…be careful, it’s a little painful to watch

3) MENTOS BEATBOXER

Ever thought of yourself as a beat boxer? Ever wanted to try it out? Do you know you suck, but wish you had the talent to drop a beat at will?  Well, even if you don’t know what beat boxing is, check out this awesome site that will turn anyone into an online, champ!

4) X-Factor TALK TALK BRIGHTDANCE

This site, from UK’s X-Factor talent show, lets you try your hand at colorful writing in thin air, a great way to create beautiful art or send a very original message.

5) CAMPUSBOOKS.COM

This site will help all you students out there save some valuable spending money on your education, so your cash can be put to more adventurous endeavors. Not only does the site help you find the cheapest text books available, but they have an awesome iPhone app, and will soon release one on Android.

ENJOY!!!

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Moving into your dorm means you’re finally on your own! But on your own. Sharing a tiny room. With a person you may or may not know. And being in charge of all your own food, schedule, and homework.

It’s not rocket science (unless that’s your major) but it still can turn into a disaster zone if you can’t keep organized.

Luckily, there are easy tips and cheap stuff to keep your life and space on track.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE

Dorm rooms are, for the most part, tiny. And at school, you don’t have a basement to store all your spare stuff. So, to avoid seriously pissing your roommate off, make the most of the space on your side of the room.

Lift up your bed, and throw some drawers under there. Organize.com has some sweet storage and (duh) organizational tools to keep things in check.  The college closet must have?

An organizer that creates shelves (read: less hangers, and making the most of that vertical space). They come in sizes for everything from sweaters to shoes.

One of the best and underutilized spaces? The back of the door. Ladies, hang up a full-length mirror, or
add more space for those ever-present shoes.

And keep cables at bay.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE BOXES

You’d be surprised how much random crap you can come up with to clutter your space. It’s OK to not have your pens color coded, or to hold onto every little souvenir from your first week at school.  Just don’t leave it piled on your desk.

Pretty boxes solve the problem. They look neat and pretty, and no one has to know that inside, you just tossed every random thing you couldn’t find space for. It’s like the grownup version of shoving things under the bed.

FOLDERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Somewhere (hopefully) in your parents’ house is a file with all your important junk in it, from birth certificate to bank accounts. Now that you’re on your own, a lot of that stuff, like financial aid documents and grade reports, are gonna come to you. Don’t let them get lost in the craziness of your other school papers. Grab brightly colored folders, one for each class, and then one for your miscellaneous important documents. Keep it all within reach in organizers, but out of the way of those late night ramen binges.

PLAN IT OUT

Planning your time, and remembering everything you suddenly need to keep track of, is a big deal, especially when your homework is largely reading and barely due the next day.  Take time each week to sit down and plan out what you need to do, update your calendar and schedule, and write down your homework from the syllabus.  Some tools to do so:

Knock Knock.Biz Amazing products, vital organization tools, and all with a hilarious spin. Folders that say “Useless Crap”? You get the idea. The weekly planner mousepad is quite literally a lifesaver.

Schoolhouse.app Go digital! Keep track of all your homework in an easy, free app.

Screenshot of the Schoolhouse application

Daily Planners Franklin Covey is that grand-daddy of all planners, but the $5 one you picked up at the bookstore will do just as fine.

Did we forget anything? Comment, let us know your thoughts and tips!

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Remember… Contest ends this Friday!!!

1) Skip the Soda

College freshmen are delighted to find soda machines with “free refills” at their dining halls and food courts.  After all, who doesn’t like the taste of a sweet, sparkling beverage with their breakfast, lunch, and dinner? But beware, that soda is far from thirst quenching.  Large amounts of added sodium only make you want to drink more and more… Why don’t we taste all that salt?  Because of an enormous amount of high fructose corn syrup that masks it.  And I haven’t even mentioned the caffeine yet.

Eliminating the liquid calories of soda from your diet is the easiest way to keep off that unwanted layer of fat.  And after a couple weeks, you won’t even miss it.

2) Take a PE Class

If you find yourself with unused class credits, don’t let them go to waste (they were probably pretty expensive).  Instead, use them to take one of your school’s PE courses.  Not only the best way to make you stick to your workout plan, you also stand to learn a lot of fitness/athletic tips from an educated expert.  Don’t be afraid to try something new, or worry that you’ll be the only girl in “Weight Training” or the one guy taking “Yoga”.  Think of it as a great way to meet a hot date.

Bonus tip- Consider taking the class pass fail if you don’t want any extra academic pressure.  For a simple GPA boost, opt for the letter grade.

3) Find a Workout Buddy

Whether your fitness plan involves weights or swimming, basketball or running, try to team up with a friend.  Sometimes it’s hard to stay dedicated with all the new freedoms and distractions of college, so being able to push each other will have huge benefits.  Not only will your unwanted love handles stay away, but you’ll probably also find your bond as friends gets stronger too.

Tip- don’t choose a workout partner who you know will be more harm than good.  If your buddy becomes a bad influence, then you might need a replacement.

4) Take it Easy on the Alcohol

Like soda, Alcohol is another prime suspect for causing the freshman 15.  Not only does drinking provide a large spike in empty calories, but alcohol has even been called an anti-nutrient because it impedes our bodies absorption of other nutrients.  Alcohol is in fact a poisonous “toxin”, so it has a lengthy list of negative effects on your body.  Check out this quick article to learn more:

http://www.healtalk.com/public/64.shtml

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa65.htm

Maybe next time, you’ll skip that extra game of beer pong?

5) Eat Regularly

Yah, that’s right… eating regularly will actually help you to maintain a healthy body and weight.  That doesn’t mean eating a Big Mac every hour, but periodically consuming healthy snacks will help you to keep your metabolism awake.  One of the worst habits of a college student trying to lose weight is skipping meals:  By prompting your metabolism to slow down, your body goes into conservation mode, so it works to RETAIN the calories you consume at your big dinner at the end of the day.  Healthy snacks to consider:  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, almonds…

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After you finish entering the DesignYourDorm “Summer Plans” contest, check out these tips for doing well in the college classroom…

1) Go to class

As you move in to your first college dorm, you finally rid yourself of those pesky parents who made you get out of bed for school in the morning.  But after you get your first grade report, you may wish you had someone forcing you to go to class.  Skipping class is the easiest way to get yourself into academic trouble, while being an active participant in class is the simplest way to succeed.  In the end, the few extra hours in class will save you countless hours of stress later.

2) Create a good study environment

Unless you want to trek to the library to do every homework assignment, make sure you design a dorm that fits your needs.  If you can’t concentrate without a comfy chair, make sure you have one at your desk.  If posters of bikini models are too distracting, perhaps cover your walls in something more low key.  Also, make sure you are able to keep out wandering hall mates, who seem to be on a quest to interfere with your work.

3) Don’t procrastinate

When you find yourself with a paper due in two weeks, try to dedicate a small amount of time to it each day until it’s done.  Not only will your schedule barely change, but the final result will be far better than a paper you write the night before it’s due.  It requires a degree of self control, but in the end, you’re assignments will feel like a breeze instead of a blizzard.

4) Sleep sleep sleep

No, not during class, silly! Work to go to bed at a reasonable time.  Believe it or not, those extra hours of sleep will make a huge difference in your learning and classroom performance.  Instead of spending that extra hour browsing Facebook profiles and Craigslist, hit the sack early!

5) Don’t follow the lowest denominator

Don’t stoop to the low levels of some of your less motivated university-mates.  Some kids will never be able to resist the temptations of college, and you won’t succeed if you use their lack of motivation as an excuse for you to avoid work.  Just because “Jane” is skipping the midterm doesn’t mean you should too.

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With summer just around the corner, DesignYourDorm.com wants to hear all about your awesome summer plans!  Follow the simple steps below to win fantastic dorm room prizes!

How to enter contest:

1) Create an account at DesignYourDorm.com

2) Click the “FB Fan Page” tab at the bottom of your browser window

3) Become a fan, then head to the Facebook page

4) Post a comment sharing your awesome summer plans!

5) Winners will be chosen from people with verified DesignYourDorm.com accounts.

*Bonus points for those who post photos along with their plan or share contest with link: http://www.designyourdormblog.com/?p=609

Grand Prizes!

Win a brand new SlouchBack, the perfect accessory for your dorm room or house.

The Slouchback automatically inflates in 30 seconds, instantly transforming your bed or floor into a comfortable couch.  When deflated, it collapses to the size of a briefcase, perfect for dorm storage.

Check it out for yourself at www.slouchback.com

Other top plans will be prominently featured on the DesignYourDorm blog

Share the contest link with your friends for an even better chance at bringing the prize home!

Contest Ends Friday, June 18th