Families Can Ease Worries by Creating an Affordable New Home Base at College to Set Students Up for Success
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (August 17, 2009) – College students and their moms have more in common than expected when it comes to worrying about the transition from life at home to life at school, according to a new survey released today by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT). The survey investigated the attitudes and concerns of incoming college freshmen and their mothers and found they worry most about:
- Saving Money: Not surprising, both moms and students ranked having enough money as a top concern. Interestingly, students were significantly more worried about finances than their parents (58 percent of students ranking it as their top concern vs. only 42 percent of moms).
- Studying: 65 percent of parents surveyed said their child doing well in school is their number one concern as their child transitions to college life. Fifty-two percent of kids surveyed said the same.
- Staying Healthy: Families differed when it came to health. Moms ranked staying healthy as their number five concern, but students only ranked it at number eleven.
- Stress: Worries about feeling overwhelmed or stressed ranked third among both students (32 percent) and their moms (51 percent).
- Socializing: No surprise, students ranked making and entertaining new friends as their number 5 concern, but moms put it in 12th place.
From getting good grades to sleeping well, families’ concerns can be eased with a simple solution – creating an affordable new home base at school that sets students up for success. With budgets tight and dorm room or apartment space even tighter, families can find practical, colorful and affordable Back to College essentials at Walmart and online at Walmart.com:
- Study for hours in comfort with Mainstays™ Faux Leather Chair. Offered in bright colors with a stylish silver base, this essential desk chair is scaled for small spaces and styled with the right mix of function and comfort for studying or hanging out with friends. Only $49 while supplies last.
- Stay healthy by eating well from a Black & Decker® Compact Fridge. Avoid the dreaded cafeteria by keeping healthy drinks and snacks handy in this fun and lightweight compact fridge. It's available in vibrant colors to coordinate with any décor, while supplies last. $79 each.
- Save money on meals with a compact Proctor Silex® 0.7-Cubic Foot Microwave Oven, only $35 each while supplies last. When paired with the Fridge, the combination becomes a great way to enable the purchase a lower cost meal plan option.
- Beat stress with a hot shower followed by a good night’s sleep with Mainstays™ Easy Care Sheet Set and Mainstays™ 6-Piece Towel Set. Enjoy a restful slumber and brighten up a drab dorm or apartment room. The colorful sheet sets are only $7.50 (Twin or Twin XL) and $15 (Full or Queen) while supplies last, and the towel sets are just $10, while supplies last.
- Avoid feeling overwhelmed by clutter and stay organized with Sterilite® Wheeled Underbed Storage Box. This 66-quart wheeled underbed box turns unused space into productive, out-of-sight storage. Only $13 while supplies last.
- Give new friends a place to hang out in the dorm on Mainstays™ Contempo Futon. Make the most of small spaces with this versatile, stylish futon that changes from a sofa to a sleeper in minutes. Perfect for entertaining, studying and sleeping. Rollback price of $149.
Prices valid through September 5, 2009.
Walmart.com also offers a broad assortment of popular electronics and home merchandise in bold, bright colors for college with the convenience of free Site to Store shipping, allowing customers to save even more. In fact, Walmart customers have saved more than $175 million in shipping fees over the past two years by using the Site to Store service. Some of the most popular college items only available online include:
- Dell Color Laptops (additional colors found online only) – starting at $498
- Colorful 22” Haier HDTV/computer monitors – $238
- iPod Nano bundle with 10-in-1 accessory kit – $145
- Shelf organizer and 2 pack drawers in purple, green, blue or orange – $20
Prices and availability may vary in AL, HI, OK, WI and at Walmart.com.
About Walmart
Every week, millions of customers visit Walmart stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $378 million to local communities in the United States. More information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com.
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