First-year students arrived on campus Wednesday with no shortage of supplies and accessories, ranging from metallic shower curtains to Afghan rugs to run-of-the-mill shower baskets.

Many freshmen said their bedding, beanbag chairs and other dorm accessories came from Target, a discount store. Other students and parents said they purchased items from Linens 'n Things and Bed Bath & Beyond, two home furnishing stores.

"We've been all around," said Lynne Gross, mother of Sarah Gross, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences.

"The parents have been very successful with the accessory hunt," she said as she unwrapped a metallic fish shower curtain she found while bargain shopping.

The most popular colors this year are blue, pink and green, according to Ellen Wieme, executive team lead manager at Target, 2950 S. Chase Ave. Students have been buying beanbags, rocker and dish chairs as well as plastic dishware in Tiki themes, she said.

No matter where students purchased their dorm accessories they energized their rooms with deep colors and classic geometric shapes.

Most freshmen males slipped solid sheets on their beds, usually in darker shades such as blue or green. Others decided on simple stripes or plaids.

"I tried to match because I thought the girls would like that," said freshman Joey Kerber, a student in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Other decorations in freshmen male rooms were strictly functional and lacked frills and fringes such as gray mesh wastebaskets, square area rugs and metal marker boards hanging on the doors.

Girls' rooms are decorated with a variety of bright pinks, purples, greens, yellows and blues. Many choose to add a few glitzy touches like sparkling purple pull-out drawers on wheels or white fuzzy borders around full-length mirrors. Although the items screamed with color, they were mostly square or rectangular and many times striped.

Both genders seemed to favor a few necessary items. Among them were metal or plastic shower caddies, cloth mesh laundry baskets, plastic drawers on wheel stands, beanbag video chairs and matching refrigerator and microwave combinations.

Many students searched their own homes for existing decorations to compliment their new items.

An Afghan area rug decorates Kerber's room. A black frame futon in College of Arts & Sciences freshman Julia Genereux's room was from a family friend. An Amelie poster hung in the room of Amber Erickson, a freshman in the College of Communication.

And there is no shortage of technological supplies. The basic item in most freshmen rooms was a computer. Many male students also found room for video games, stereos and other entertainment accessories.