Because here, for your reading pleasure (unlike the reading of Plato and Dostoevsky you’re about to be inundated with) are the top 5 items you should start combing Ebay for in order to ensure that your name becomes a name that brings the throngs to your room.  So, here goes, my experience shared with you just for the sake of your popularity.  Your very welcome.

1)         Techy Video Projector

Come out with a bang!  We all know you’re going to spend 98% of your time in front of a screen anyway, whether that’s for Wii, movies, games, who knows.  The point is, that if your screen covers the entire wall of your dorm room, it’s your wall and your room that are about to become the hottest spots in the entire dorm complex.  Seriously.  I don’t’ know why more people don’t think of this, but they actually don’t, so take advantage of it, but they don’t.  And don’t worry about buying/hanging a screen, just use the wall.  It’s cooler that way anyway.

2)         Quarters Required Candy Dispenser

Now, if you really wanna be the hottest thing in the dorms, you’re going to need to be able to readily dispense sugar to all your buds and all the girls too.  A candy dispenser does this very easily.  They only cost about $30 bucks, you can put whatever you like in them (Reese’s Pieces is my vote, but hey, if you’re all about the Jelly Bellys, who am I to stop you?)  Also, a little note: if you buy one that actually requires quarters to function, you will easily pay for your own candy and pop habits, no problem.  You may even make a buck or two.  Your room, after all, is quite a step ahead of the sketchy basement machines that are probably hazardous to one’s health anyway.

3)         One-of-a-Kind Ice Cream Maker

Candy is good.  But, candy “can” be found elsewhere if need be.  Having a personal ice cream maker in your room is guaranteed popularity boosting.  Number one, you don’t need anything.  You announce an ice cream par-tay in your room.  Then, you give all the girls a job (they love this stuff) and tell them to bring the ingredients, which, they will go nuts over.  They’ll find a bazillion recipes and come running with arms loaded full of sugar and cream and caramels and crushed oreos.  It’ll be heavenly, just wait.

4)         Snazzy Little Espresso Machine

If you haven’t yet developed an addiction to coffee, you will, right along with everybody else on your floor.  “Pounding down the caffeine” will soon take on a whole new meaning, and there’s only so much Mountain Dew one can drink and only so many hours when it is appropriate.  5 AM is not one of them.  So, rather than choking down the “stuff” served in the cafeteria, if you can offer palatable, or even delectable shots of espresso to your fellow colleagues? Instant success.  Just be prepared for visitors at all hours of the night and day.  Pajamas included.

5)         An Ending Supply of Soft Blankets and Body Pillows

Yeah, it might sound cheesy, but deal with it.  No guy out there will ever admit appreciation for a good pillow, but they all want one, and every girl on the planet will become your new best friend if she can pile herself into a mound of pillows and some super soft blanket.  So, suck it up and get yourself about 5 of each. They’ll go fast, so be prepared for re-stocking.

And there you have it.  Stock your first dorm room with one or all (the more the better, obviously) of these fantastic items and just wait for crowds.  Your popularity will skyrocket faster than you could’ve imagined and your room is, guaranteed, to be the room.  Your personality, now that’s all up to you.

Freelancer Jocelyn Anne misses her college days like mad.  But since she’s learned a thing or two since then, and if she could go back, she would have two espresso machines + 1 for backup and a stylin’ fan heater for her bed to combat unchangeable thermostats and drown out snoring roommates.

But, I thought it to be about time to put up another list of some good business ideas.

• College dating service
• Apt cleaning service
• Computer software development
• Computer repair business
• Sober Late-Night Driving service
• College calendars
• Marketing consultant
• Bartending classes
• Personal trainers
• Golf/sports Lessons
• Shopping service
• Laundry service
• Online textbook swap
• Selling products on eBay

With the end of the semester and graduation quickly approaching, it is time to figure out what kind of business you want to start as a college student – whether it is from your dorm room or your apartment or your parents basement. The summer time is a student’s best chance to start working on building a business and then being ready to launch it when you return to school in the fall.

What business ideas do you have?