YOUR PLACE DORM DECOR 101 A FEW CAREFUL TOUCHES AND YOUR ROOM WILL PASS WITH FLYING COLORS.

College offers lessons inside and outside the classroom. For instance, dormitory dwellers get a crash course in decorating the day they arrive.

Believe us, you'll walk into that sterile white room and realize it needs a little color and personality before it feels like home. A few purchases before you move in will help.

One place to start is with bed sheets. One caution, though, before you shop: Most dorm beds are extra-long twins, so standard twin sheets won't fit.

We found some stylin' stars, stripes, polka dots, plaids and even little rockets on a bright blue background in the Garnet Hill catalog, which is dedicated to natural fibers. They're not cheap, though, at $30 and $35 for a single 200-thread count sheet, with pillow cases priced at $25 a pair. To order, call [phone], or see the catalog Web site at www.garnethill.com.

More print ideas, including purple-and-yellow daisies (think '60s Flower Power), wild serape-style stripes and glow-in-the-dark neon signs on a black background, can be found in the back-to-school collection at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores. The extra-long sheets with a 180-thread count are sold in sets (top, bottom and pillow case) for $24.99, with matching comforters for $39.99.

Willing to settle for solid color sheets in a cotton/polyester blend? You can get the whole dorm set (top and bottom sheet and pillow case) for $9.99 at Kmart, in choice of blue, lilac, aqua, tan or standard-issue white. Lands End's ``Dorm in a Bag'' ($149) includes all the essentials: Two towels and washcloths, sheets and a comforter - all in a handy laundry bag. Young men will probably like the blue-and-green plaid motif, and their moms know they'll need the laundry bag. (For an additional $5, both bath towels can be monogrammed - a smart idea as belongings easily get mixed up or misplaced in rowdy dorms.)

Having a difficult time choosing a color? Here are some odd findings from a survey of 600 college students taken by home furnishings retailer IKEA. Students with white blankets were more than twice as likely to have gained weight freshman year compared with students who had green blankets, and three times more likely to be depressed than kids who brought blue blankets. Students with pink blankets said they were never depressed.

Complete your bed with colorful throw pillows. Target has fuzzy ones in bright colors for $7.99 each, and Kmart has pillows with armrests ($7.99-$9.99) - great for late-night reading - and cute pillow cubes ($5.99). And take along your stuffed animals. The IKEA survey found that students who took their stuffed animals to school were most likely to report making the dean's list.

You'll also need some comforts of home, such as a tiny frig and digital microwave (make sure these appliances are allowed and not you buy), a fan or heater and a desk lamp. Get a standard lamp and light bulb for studying, but then have some fun. Target has ``crazy glowing light bulbs'' on star-shaped bases ($3.99 for bulb and $5.99 for base) and reversible light boxes with such word combinations as ``naughty/nice'' and ``party/sleep.'' for $19.99 each. For a classic look, screw in the new 25-watt GE stained glass light bulb that will make an ordinary lamp glow like a Tiffany-style one, priced at $5 at Target and Walmart stores.

Add to a stylish retro look with the Vornado Silver Swan fan ($130) at Restoration Hardware, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Ace Hardware stores. It looks cool and will keep you cool. Of course, if you're a Southern California native heading off to a university in a locale where it snows, get a heater (Vornado makes those, too). We suggest shopping in the fall near campus, though, as stores in steamy Los Angeles are probably not keeping them in stock.

To complete your dorm room decor, add to your list a full-length door mirror, an over-the-door rack with hooks to hold clothes and towels, stackable boxes or drawers to keep your paperwork organized and a few decorative rugs. Then, hang up your favorite posters and photos, and you're home.

- Barbara De Witt 

ENERGY TIP: Keeping your pool clean and warm requires a lot of energy. You can conserve by covering it when its not in use with one of the following types of pool covers. Evaporative covers reduce temperature loss. They keep the pool cleaner and cut back on water lost from evaporation. Solar covers can add up to 10 degrees - taking some of the load off conventional heaters. Chemical covers produce a micro-thin layer on the water's surface that reduces heat loss. Safety covers reduce energy costs as well as adding a protective barrier for small children, pets or uninvited guests.

- Source: National Pool and Spa Institute

IN THE GARDEN

BLOOMING COLORS: Most of us have a favorite flower. Firefly Books has picked five colorful ones to highlight in a book series. The books focus on hydrangeas; rhododendrons and azaleas; hibiscus; orchids; and irises. Each book includes full-color photos of different varieties, information on choosing the plants and tips for growing them in your garden. The books also include interesting stories on the history of the flowers, so you'll have tales to tell about your favorite plant. The books are available in hardcover for $22.95 and paperback for $16.95.

- Elizabeth Smilor

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Lands End's ``Dorm in a Bag'' ($149)

(2 -- color) Pillow with armrests ($7.99-$9.99) and pillow cubes ($5.99) from Kmart

(3 -- color) Polka-dot sheets and accessories from Garnet Hill

(4 -- color) ``Crazy glowing light bulbs'' on star-shaped bases ($3.99 for bulb and $5.99 for base) from Target

(5 -- color) no caption (Firefly book series)