Target, Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond, among many other stores, advertise their dorm essentials with everything from laundry detergent to mattress toppers, making it easy for students to browse and find their favorite products at the lowest price.
Back-to-school shopping is a huge industry for many companies and brands. According to Capital One Shopping, statistics indicate that back-to-school and back-to-college spending combined will total $189.7 billion in 2028.
While some students decide to shop exclusively online, others bravely go into stores, often accompanied by family members and friends, to ensure they make the best decisions.
Audrianna Imka, a sophomore studying psychology, said she has been doing a lot of her back-to-school shopping with her mother. She said both she and her mother prefer getting shopping out of the way sooner rather than later, so they did most of their shopping in early July.
Imka said since she is living in the River Park Apartments this year, a lot of her back-to-school shopping included items for the kitchen and living room, two spaces she did not have to worry about when living in the dorms last year.
Imka said although the process was stressful at times, she was excited to be able to make the space her own and buy items that made her feel at home in the apartment.
“It was a whole long process because I gradually thought of more things that I needed and my roommates and I would obviously have to divvy up who’s going to buy what for the kitchen,” she said. “I was stockpiling a bunch of stuff in a corner of my room and the pile was growing and I just looked at it and I’d be like ‘Oh, this is so cute’ because I get really excited to decorate.”
Walker Pannell, a freshman studying political science, said his main objective for back-to-school shopping, besides buying items for his dorm, was getting a new computer that he could use for classes and his homework.
Pannell said his mom has been helping him buy all the essentials for his new room.
“We’re just getting the basic stuff,” he said. “I'm not going to decorate too crazy or anything, so just the basic stuff. Nothing too fancy.”
He said that although he tends to procrastinate and may forget something at his house, the fact that he doesn't live too far away from campus will make it easier for him to get any forgotten items if necessary.
Pannell said anxiety and anticipation both played a role in his feelings toward moving away to college soon.
“I’m definitely excited about it because it’s something new in my life, and I think it’ll be a new step in life, but there’s also a bit of nervousness that goes with it,” he said.
Maria Zuk, a sophomore with an undecided major, said she also likes to shop with her mom because her mom can be more reasonably minded about some of the items Zuk might need. However, she said she was very good when it came to buying things for her dorm.
“I'm very efficient when it comes to back-to-school shopping,” she said. “I don't like to go overboard on expenses because once you actually are in the dorm, you realize exactly what you don't need, so I didn't want to make that mistake again.”
Zuk said she always went to the dollar store first to buy the cheapest essentials and went to Target and Costco for things that cost more money or things she needed to buy in bulk.
She said she found back-to-school shopping a lot easier this year since she was able to focus on certain specific items instead of having to buy everything brand-new.
“I feel more leeway to get things I actually like instead of just buying something I don't like to get me through,” Zuk said.
Even if it may have taken some longer than others, one thing is clear: these Bobcats are ready to come back to school.