So far I’ve taken you through the paces for creating a great work area and a kick-ass entertainment center. Today is the final installment of Pimp Your Dorm Room, the one where I cover all the extra devices that don’t necessarily have a specific home in your room but will make your college life that much more enjoyable. This is Pimp Your Dorm Room: Everything Else Edition.

Phone
You probably knew I would start out here, and for good reason. Your phone will likely always be on you, and it needs to keep up with your newly active lifestyle. You’ll have more work than ever, probably more fun than ever, and it’s one of the rare times in your life that you’ll be meeting hundreds and thousands of people your own age. Having a phone that can help manage your hectic lifestyle will save you loads of time and plenty of headaches.

As you also might have expected, I’m going to recommend the iPhone. The new iPhone 4 is simply the best phone on the market for handling college’s educational and social demands. Right out of the box you’ll have an intuitive contact management system, full email functionality, a calendar that can sync up with your Google account, a way to record quick voice memos, and an iPod. You’ll also have access to Google Maps, which will be hugely helpful for learning your new hometown. None of these things are really different from other smartphones, but for undergraduate use, they are some of the easiest to use.

What makes the iPhone a great pick over other phones is the App Store. The iPhone dev community is still the fastest growing in the world, and the App Store is constantly adding new distractions. Whether you need educational tools or Facebook, games for some downtime or access to services like Yelp!, the iPhone has the best selection for applications to choose from.

Did I mention you also get a camera with HD video capability? Remember, the best camera is the one you always have with you. When it’s built into your phone, how could you not? The iPhone 4 takes great pictures with the new autofocus/auto exposure and you can edit and upload video to YouTube on the fly. You’ll truly appreciate capturing video on your phone when you get footage of your friends launching various fruits across the quad from a balloon launcher or filling the campuses main arch to the top with snow. I’m not saying I’ve done these things, just positing that it might be fun.

Camera
As much as I stress getting an iPhone, you’ll probably still want a camera for serious picture taking. The iPhone has no flash, and frankly, a lot of you won’t end up with an iPhone. Get yourself something slim and portable, something you won’t forget when you’re road tripping to visit friends or just making trouble on campus.

For average day to day shooting, get yourself a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The camera is small and well-built with enough features to take great pictures. It’s a 10-megapixel compact with decent lens capable of taking 640×480 video at 30fps. The ZS1 starts quickly, so you’re taking pictures just 2.5 seconds after firing it up. Average shot-to-shot time is also excellent for the class, meaning you won’t miss the moment you want to capture most. Amazonhas the ZS1 for just under $219.

Fridge
Ah, the staple of any dorm room. You will want a minifridge. Whether it’s beverages you need to chill or pizza you’ve pilfered from the cafeteria to get you through a late night study session, something has to preserve your perishables, and it won’t be the smell coming from your hamper.

Check out the Deluxe Mini Fridge-Warmer from ThinkGeek. It can both cool and warm, which is adjustable via digital thermostat, from 44 degrees to 140 degrees. Perfect for the pizza/beverage-of-choice crowd, no? The fridge has a see-through door so you know when it’s time to restock and there’s an On/Off switch for easy defrosting during breaks. Best of all, the fridge comes in under $100.

Alarm Clock
Several of the gadgets I’ve listed in our Pimp Your Dorm Room guides could technically double as alarm clocks, but sometimes those devices just can’t get the job done. There are few worse feelings than staying up late to study or finish a paper, only to wake up well after that class is over. Avoid the scrambling, the sprinting across campus, the nauseating amount of ass-kissing to make up for your blunder, and get yourself a decent alarm clock.

I recommend the Sonic Boom Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker, again, from ThinkGeek. This puppy cranks out 113-decibel alarms, which even the dead can’t sleep through. If for some reason you don’t waken with bleeding ears, the accompanying bed shaker is bound to rouse you. Slip the little piece under your mattress and just when your alarm shocks you out of that restful slumber, your bed will nearly dump you as well. You can pretty much forget about hitting the snooze button. Why would you want to do that to yourself twice in one morning? The Sonic Boom will run you a pair of Jacksons.

That does it for our this edition of Pimp Your Dorm Room and the Pimp Your Dorm Room guide series. Be sure to check out how to Pimp Your Desk and Pimp Your Entertainment if you missed those. To all of you budding college freshmen, I wish you good luck. The next four years (five or more for some of you) will be some of the best of your life. Enjoy them, and if you’ve taken anything from these guides, enjoy them in style.

Yesterday, Two days ago (damn you Time Warner), I covered the hub of your college life – your desk. While I may have harped on just how much work you’re going to be doing, there’s also plenty of time for fun in college. This edition of Pimp Your Dorm is designed to help you have a little, and to do so in style.

Today we’re focusing on that part of your dorm room that’s sure to get plenty of attention – the entertainment system. When I say system, I mean the part of your room that’s dedicated to producing various forms of visual and aural entertainment. Whether it’s music, movies, or a little gaming you’re after, this guide will have your room set as the center of attention.

TV
This is where entertainment starts. Your TV selection is important, because it can provide you with benefits you might not otherwise see if you went with that cheap all-in-one from Wal-Mart.

I’d highly recommend the Samsung LN26C350. A 26-inch TV isn’t huge, but it’s also not going to break the bank. Frankly, your dorm room is going to be small, so sticking with a smaller TV is probably a good thing. The unit comes with 2 HDMI inputs to take advantage of the 720p resolution, which will also make the smaller image crisp enough that you won’t care about the size. Most of the time this baby will run you a cool $500, but B&H has models listed for just $385.99! Even if you have to pay full price, remember that you want quality. I replaced two TVs in three years at school because I was cheap. Total cost? Almost $450. Pay the money up front and you won’t have the headaches later.

Receiver
You need something to push your audio, right? Right. Again, don’t skimp and try to save the extra $40-50 here. Spend that money now and you won’t have to consider upgrading down the line.

I’d recommend the Onkyo TX-SR507. It’s a 5.1 receiver, which is just about perfect for most dorm rooms. With the right speakers you won’t be taking up too much space and you’ll still get great sound. Dorms are certainly not the optimal place for a home theater, but you can make do. I also like that this receiver runs HDMI audio and video, so there’s no screwing around with a optical ports. More on this later. Amazon has the latest model for $249.

Speakers
Every time someone brings up “reasonable speakers” I point them to the Polk RM6750. It’s a 5.1 system with a full-size woofer (none of that short-throw crap that’s going fart every time you watch the opening sequence from Fellowship of the Ring) and reasonably sized satellites. The woofer has a built in amp, too, so you don’t have to worry about your receiver trying to push too much bass. Pair with that Onkyo you’ll get great sound for movies, music, and any game you might want. $208 from Amazon.

Game System
Speaking of games, it’s time to discuss your system of choice. I realize that for most gamers this is a matter of deeply personal interest. You don’t want me telling you what to do. I won’t. I’ll tell you what I would do and why.

Were I headed back to college I’d be looking at a new 360. The chip is cooler, faster, and supposedly more reliable, and the RRoD is supposedly impossible now. The 360 also sports a larger installed base than the PS3, which gives you more options for getting some quick game time on the hall. There’s nothing like coming back from class on a rainy day to the sounds of Halo booming from three or four rooms. Trust me, it’s what I did for four years. The new 360 comes with HDMI, which is perfect for your setup (and again, no optical ports necessary). Your games will look great and so will the rest of your media.

That’s another great reason to get a 360. It’s really the best for moving content from your computer to your home theater. You can watch your movies, TV shows, and listen to your music with the fidelity of your full system.

For the die-hard PS3 fans, this setup is perfect for you, too. Again, HDMI support, a great sound system, and a TV to make your Killzone games look crisp and vibrant. Either way you go, I’m sure you’ll be happy.

Cabling
I’ll leave you to find your own cabling, with just one caveat – buy cheap HDMI. I know I’ve spent the majority of this guide encouraging you to spend some cash, but in some cases that’s just not necessary. HDMI cables can get ridiculously expensive and it’s usually for no benefit. Rick Broida over at The Cheapskate posted a 3-cable deal for just $10 a while back. By all accounts consumers have been just as happy with their three dollar cables as people who spend $30-40 for a single six-footer.

That should do it for our entertainment edition. Check back tomorrow (internet going to the crapper notwithstanding) for the final edition of Pimp Your Dorm Room: Everything Else. I’ll be covering the little things that will make your college life easier, more enjoyable, and make your dorm more like a home.