Ikea has everything under the sun

You decided to bring every piece of clothing you own with you to college to be prepared for every occasion, and most of them have made the floor in your room a distant memory. You decide that perhaps a shelf unit with drawers would be helpful. You can't live another minute without a new desk chair because the one that came with your room is giving you chronic back pain. You delight in the fact that you have a microwave without realizing that you might actually need plates on which to microwave the macaroni and cheese for which you were that you just overcharged. You're looking for a one-stop shopping haven, equipped with all you need and more. You have the typical college student bank account that might be positive depending on the last check from work over the summer. Where can you go? The answer, of course, is Ikea, the "Old Navy" of furniture. One stop at the store is an explanation in itself.

The closest Ikea is in White Marsh, a town about twenty minutes away by car. The initial walk to the enormous warehouse-type store makes you feel like you're going to a supermarket with carts lined up outside. If it's your first time in, you'd best not grab one, because once inside, you can't help but walk up the stairs to the second level and wander through the esteemed Ikea showroom. This is a process that takes at least half an hour. As you wander from living rooms to dining rooms to kitchens to bathrooms, getting lost numerous times in the process, you start to wonder, is someone going to assist me? Shoppers, you need not worry - no one with an Ikea shirt or a name tag that says "Gary" with a smiley face will be grilling you with questions like "Is there anything I can help you find?" In fact, you can enjoy shopping all by yourself because you'll have the immense pleasure of writing down numbers to everything you wish to purchase. Then, it gets even better, because you get to go to the warehouse section downstairs and pick up those heavy shelves, dressers, and tables all by yourself, according to what number the item was assigned. This all might seem a little overwhelming at first, but have no fear - you can always sit for a while in the restaurant located next to the ballroom (yes, that's right, ballroom) on the second floor and think it over during dinner.

What's the selection like, you ask? How are the prices? The prices are quite reasonable for necessities that accommodate every college dorm and apartment dweller. As long as you aren't looking for too much flare, the store upholds its promise of "better living" for less money. The white, black, gray, and unfinished wood colors seem to be a theme, not to mention the hot pink. Their hot pink selection is unbeatable. These qualifications are simple enough to satisfy most people.

According to junior Leon Chao, Ikea is "the furniture solution for all juniors". If you're looking for something a bit more high quality, they have it, but you had better be willing to hand over your wallet. Simplicity in design seems to be the key at Ikea, although you would never tell by the maze that they call the store. Lucky for us, you can also order by catalog, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

So you've finally decided what you want. You've wandered through the showroom, written down all of the numbers of the items, and you make your way to the warehouse to pick them up. The first item is not in stock. The second item is not in stock. The third item is in stock, but only in hot pink. Are you noticing a trend yet? Ikea may have quite a selection, but most of the time, the early risers that managed to get to the store left the warehouse bare. Come back two weeks later and you'll be lucky if one of the items you wanted is in. However, seeing as Ikea is packed to the brim with people at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night, what do you expect? Apparently, it's the place to be.

What's the consensus? Overall, Ikea seems to be a pretty good deal. If you're not too picky, they should have something to satisfy your needs at a very reasonable price. So if you have a free Saturday night, or you're in need of dorm room first aid, make the trip to White Marsh and experience Ikea. Even if you don't buy anything, you will never be the same.