Dorm: Storage, Chairs, Mattress Pad, etc?

Try your best to make use of what's there and offered before trying to change things. College is expensive so that $50 dollars for the mattress topper thing would be better spent going to your meal plan. You can't buy a new mattress or desk chair because you'd have to store the old one that's already there and you wouldn't have a place to store it. Dorm mattresses/chairs/desks aren't the best but it's the dorms so everyone makes do. They serve their purpose. The room will have a closest and space in the closet but I would suggest stack able storage containers to save space. Not all dorms have the raised bed, that's only a certain style of dorm bed. There's no need for the shoe hanger, it just takes up space and you won't wear most of those shoes anyways.