Bed, Bath & Beyond

Hello all,

I am Iishan from Subang Jaya, Selangor. I am a sophomore at George Fox University, a small private college in a little town called Newberg in the rugged state of Oregon.

Leaving the relative comfort of your Malaysian home for a foreign land is a very exciting adventure. This month, contributors to this blog will be focusing particularly on the "getting there" part of the experience; addressing things like the annoyingly long flight, clearing customs and immigration, getting to your college, arriving at college and settling down. We hope that by sharing our experiences with you, you will be less nervous in making your journey halfway across the world; or if you are already ultra confident, you may be able to pick out some useful tips from those of us who are already there or simply just laugh at our experiences. :)

Going to college, one of the biggest things on my mind was whether I'd be able to get a good night's sleep. Now most of us will not have enough space in our luggage to bring along the comforter and bolster we have been used to since forever. Inevitably, there will need to be some adjustments. That is why, it is SO important to be selective when choosing your bedding as a preemptive measure against sleepless nights.

Here are a few things to consider:

The size of your bed. If you are an incoming freshman staying in a residence hall, your mattress will most likely be Twin size which are longer than usual mattresses. Keep this in mind when buying your linens.

Where to get em. If you are cost conscious, a Walmart or Fred Meyers may be your best bet. Google map your city to find the closest outlet. Also "Bed, Bath & Beyond" offers some really neat college bedding sets. I got a whole set that came with a pillow, comforter, sheets, towels etc for around $69.99. Bed, Bath & Beyond also does delivery which could safe you the trouble of going to a store. It may be more practical to get your linens delivered straight to your dorm room especially if you arrive at your college late in the day and don't have the time to make a trip to the store.

Mattress Foam Pads. These are lifesavers! Mattresses provided in your residence hall are not likely to be very comfortable. Laying a mattress pad or two over the mattress will likely improve the comfort level ten fold! :) These normally cost between $12- $30 depending on thickness and size. Again, it is well worth the investment.

Set or Individual. Bedding sets will likely be cheaper. Buying items individually however, will give you more room for personalization. If you are picky about having the same sheets as your roommate, that may be a consideration. :) My room mate and I coincidentally got the same exact bedding set but I don't mind.